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Day for the birds
We started at 6:30 am. Weather was cloudier than I would have preferred, but it least it wasn't cold and rainy as last year. By late afternoon the sun peeked through just a bit.
While migrating warblers have usually been the main feature of the spring count here, this was the year of the scarlet tanagers. By the time we dragged ourselves in to Indian Oaks at 6:00 pm we had seen seven or eight scarlet tanagers where usually we see one at most. So stiff and sore we could hardly walk, we agreed to one round of the wet thicket near the parking area, and a walk just to the entrance of the trail where we usually see warblers. No warblers. So we just went into the trail a bit, and a bit more. Less than 500 feet in, we spotted what looked like a child's plush toy stuck in a bush. Bright scarlet with black trim. No wait, it was yet another scarlet tanager, all puffed up against the wind. He let me walk up to within a few feet of him. We decided the tanagers were following us from one park to another, just for amusement value, and ended the day there.
I spotted these species before anyone else I think: Indigo bunting, Yellow-rumped warbler, Eastern bluebird, Eastern towhee, American redstart. Other highlights included the numerous tanagers, a broad-winged hawk, Eastern kingbird, Magnolia warbler, Palm warbler, Kingfisher, and Phoebe. Heard but not seen included the beautiful voice of the Wood thrush as well as a Black-throated green warbler and some Blue-winged warblers.
The abandoned quarry brought us not only that Kingfisher, but about a hundred swallows of four different species and a Canada goose sitting on her eggs. I also saw a beaver swimming in the quarry.
Footsore and exhausted, I'm going to be sore tomorrow. Just under 70 miles driven and about six miles walked in varying terrain.
While migrating warblers have usually been the main feature of the spring count here, this was the year of the scarlet tanagers. By the time we dragged ourselves in to Indian Oaks at 6:00 pm we had seen seven or eight scarlet tanagers where usually we see one at most. So stiff and sore we could hardly walk, we agreed to one round of the wet thicket near the parking area, and a walk just to the entrance of the trail where we usually see warblers. No warblers. So we just went into the trail a bit, and a bit more. Less than 500 feet in, we spotted what looked like a child's plush toy stuck in a bush. Bright scarlet with black trim. No wait, it was yet another scarlet tanager, all puffed up against the wind. He let me walk up to within a few feet of him. We decided the tanagers were following us from one park to another, just for amusement value, and ended the day there.
I spotted these species before anyone else I think: Indigo bunting, Yellow-rumped warbler, Eastern bluebird, Eastern towhee, American redstart. Other highlights included the numerous tanagers, a broad-winged hawk, Eastern kingbird, Magnolia warbler, Palm warbler, Kingfisher, and Phoebe. Heard but not seen included the beautiful voice of the Wood thrush as well as a Black-throated green warbler and some Blue-winged warblers.
The abandoned quarry brought us not only that Kingfisher, but about a hundred swallows of four different species and a Canada goose sitting on her eggs. I also saw a beaver swimming in the quarry.
Footsore and exhausted, I'm going to be sore tomorrow. Just under 70 miles driven and about six miles walked in varying terrain.