Highlights of a walk in the woods and along edges at Arnot this morning: * BAY-BREASTED WARBLERS (both genders) in forest treetops together; * SCARLET TANAGER males fighting in the canopy; * BALTIMORE ORIOLE pair copulating; * BROWN CREEPER pair. one with a mouthful of nesting material; songs & calls; * EASTERN WOOD-PEWEE song, first I've heard this year; * YELLOW-THROATED VIREO was a life bird for at least one enthusiastic student * MOURNING DOVE squab taking first flight; its equally huge sibling still filled the nest. * BLACK-THROATED GREEN and CHESTNUT-SIDED WARBLER among several well-earned views.
Several students continued with me into the afternoon to tour the road along the creek up through the forest and explore the fields and brushy areas at the top. Highlights: * CANADA WARBLER and BLUE-HEADED VIREO eventually seen along road in woods; * LOUISIANA WATERTHRUSH, HOODED WARBLER, PRAIRIE WARBLER, and RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH heard. * RED-SHOULDERED HAWK seen flying in distance as we scanned for a Grasshopper Sparrow; * GRASSHOPPER SPARROW: at least 3 heard; 1 viewed luxuriously in scopes; * BOBOLINK: 1 male first heard and seen briefly and distantly only by a couple of us in the background of a FIELD SPARROW view; a search for the better part of the next hour ended in sudden wonderful close views and song, a memorable life bird for one; * EASTERN BLUEBIRDS, about a dozen adults together in the field; INDIGO BUNTING males, many scattered about the field; more at edges, including 3 in a single view with a WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW and a male COMMON YELLOWTHROAT; Many thanks to all the students for their eyes and ears as we helped each other find lots of amazing birds this spring. --Dave Nutter On Sunday, May 16, 2010, at 03:29PM, "bob mcguire" <[email protected]> wrote: >Today, the last day of SFO this year, I led a fine group of 11 around >Arnot. Fortunately the large tree that blocked the road for >yesterday's groups was out of the way, and we were able to drive to >the top. We saw/heard many of the birds reported by Meena and Dave >yesterday and can add the following: > >MOURNING WARBLER: great looks and strong song from a logging cut part- >way up the road >GRASSHOPPER SPARROW: heard and then seen in the field at the top, >thanks to Dave for the "heads-up" >RED-SHOULDERED HAWK: called once from the NW edge of the field >AMERICAN WOODCOCK: What a surprise! It flushed from a nest out in the >field, brushing past several of us and making its tail feather "chirps". > >As with the other groups, we had multiple year and life birds. >Especially pleasing were the long, close looks at a feeding YELLOW- >BILLED CUCKOO. > >Bob McGuire > > > > > >-- > >Cayugabirds-L List Info: >http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME >http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES > >ARCHIVES: >1) http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/maillist.html >2) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html >3) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds > >Please submit your observations to eBird: >http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ > >-- > > -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/maillist.html 2) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html 3) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
