Sunny, Mild, Breezy
A nice day out, I had other work to do but didn’t want to pass up the opportunity for some bird-watching. This is the peak of Warbler season, so I’m trying to get out as much as possible. I went to the dell as usual, but I’m thinking of checking out some other areas next time.
The first thing I saw as I walked along the high path around the dell was what I thought was a rose-breasted grosbeak male, but without the red patch. I took several pictures, and when I got home I tried to identify it for several minutes. I then realized that because of the shade it was in I could not see the blue back on it. Once I realized the back was blue, I could identify it as my first ever sighting of a Black-Throated Blue Warbler. It really is a beautiful bird. The mallards were out enjoying the dell and eating the scum that has started to form on the top of the pond, as mallards are wont to do. I also watched a titmouse take a bath at the edge in some fetid water. I can’t imagine that doing much.
Outside of the dell a bit, on the side where it opens up to the rest of the cemetery, I spotted a Magnolia Warbler in a large tree, as well as a Northern Parula Warbler. Both were singing quite a bit, although I still haven’t seen any females of several warbler species yet this year. Total sausage party.
At this point I realized I had not seen the owls in about a week so I trekked over to their nest and saw that one of them had left the nest and gone up to a higher branch and was looking at the observers that gathered with what can only be described a malevolent look. There was a male Northern Oriole also bouncing about in the branches around the Owl nest, although they paid it no mind. This particular male was very small however, I don’t recall seeing one quite this tiny in some time. Still, it was quite photogenic, and I obliged nature and got a few pictures of it. Circling overhead during all this were two Red-Tailed Hawks, I presume the parents. I need to get over to their nest fairly soon. On my way back towards the dell I ran into some other birders who seemed to be tracking some unknown warbler at the top of some trees as it flitted back and forth. I heard it singing, and the couple of people there seemed to be excited because apparently it was the song of a Bay-Breasted Warbler. I have no ever-loving idea what a Bay-Breasted Warbler sounds like, but everyone else seemed pretty excited. I spotted and pointed out what looked like a rather large, odd-looking sparrow. After the others spotted it they confirmed this was actually a Bay-Breasted Warbler. I wish I had gotten a bit of a better look at it, it was quite interesting looking, very chestnut dominated warbler. I just checked dictionary.com and apparently “bay” is a term for reddish-brown. You learn something every day. After this I carried on and spotted a Scarlet Tanager, which again avoided capture by my camera. This bird is quickly becoming my vex.
Also in the area was a Redstart, which I got one decent picture of. I’ve always enjoyed them, back when I was younger they were among the first warbler I learned to identify. It was sitting near the top of a tree, singing contentedly. Also at some point I apparently snapped pictures of another Warbler, but did not realize until later (I’m writing this after the 24th when I saw what I thought was my first ever Canada Warbler) that it was a Canada Warbler.
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