HI all,
Well we knew it was going to be a good morning -- started off at about 7 AM with a flock of migrants, 75% Redstarts, the rest Red-eyes with singles of three other warblers. A constant passage overhead of Robins, and every fruiting tree and shrub hosted more Robins, as well as Catbirds and Flickers. There seemed to be an invasion of Orioles and Wood-pewees as well. Small and large flocks kept us busy until about 9:30 when it slowed considerably. However the best bird came near the end, as we made another pass along the west side of Pine Lake -- a fairly large warbler flew up from the weedy water's edge and perched in a small river birch -- I put up my bins and was gobsmacked to see a beautiful, full-adult male MOURNING WARBLER sitting there! It hung around for satisfactory if not long views and then flitted away as some noisy walkers appeared along the path. (Does this always happen to you, too?). We then went over to Brookside Gardens to check the snags for Olive-sided FC (no joy) and found more Pewees and a few more warblers there. There were also good numbers of Empids about, we saw two different YELLOW-BELLIED FLYCATCHERS, one a snazzy fresh HY bird, very yellow, and the other a molting adult. Other Empids included a lovely little HY LEAST by the lake. We ended up with 14 species of warbler, including 4 different TENNESSEES (two of them foraging, along with two NASHVILLES, in yellow flowers along the mini-train tracks) -- these and a single female BTB were FOS.
Gail Mackiernan and Barry Cooper
Colesville, MD
Highlights:
Wood Duck 7
Green Heron 1
Red-shouldered Hawk 2
Chimney Swift 5
Ruby-throated Hummingbird 4
Northern Flicker 15 may be underestimate; steady passage through area
Pileated Woodpecker 1
Eastern Wood-Pewee 21 everywhere; at least 3 family groups and many singles
Yellow-bellied Flycatcher 2 Two individuals seen, one was an adult in fairly heavy molt, the other a fresh very yellow HY bird. Both showed classic yellow underparts, and yellow throat separated by gray wash, obvious yellow eye ring, small bill, large-headed jizz.
Acadian Flycatcher 3 two of these called
Alder/Willow Flycatcher (Traill's Flycatcher) 2
Least Flycatcher 1 fresh HY bird, large tear-shaped eye ring, small, compact, small bill, buffy wingbars
Empidonax sp. 3
Great Crested Flycatcher 4
Eastern Kingbird 1
Yellow-throated Vireo 2 both singing males
Red-eyed Vireo 18
Blue Jay 12
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 5
Eastern Bluebird 1 heard only
Wood Thrush 1
American Robin 100 "best estimate", may be undercount as small groups were constantly passing overhead, feeding in every fruiting tree and on the lawns.
Gray Catbird 15
Cedar Waxwing 12 small flock passing overhead
Blue-winged Warbler 2
Black-and-white Warbler 3 two at Brookside Gardens
Tennessee Warbler 4 FOS
Nashville Warbler 2 FOS
Mourning Warbler 1 beautiful adult male by edge of Pine Lake; full gray hood, dark shading ("veil") at bottom of hood, dark area through eye, complete yellow underparts, olive-green tones to back. Observed for some time just above eye level in river birch.
Common Yellowthroat 2
American Redstart 18 may be underestimate
Magnolia Warbler 5
Bay-breasted Warbler 1
Blackburnian Warbler 2
Chestnut-sided Warbler 8
Black-throated Blue Warbler 1 FOS
Black-throated Green Warbler 1
Canada Warbler 4
Bobolink 1 heard in flight overhead
Baltimore Oriole 16
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