Folks

I woke up about 3:30 AM and as habit, I went to the deck.  I soon heard my favorite yard bird singing - Whip-poor-will (#156 for the county year and #79 for the year yard list).  I went back to bed and got up about 6 AM to do the morning things.  

Having done the morning things, I hung around the deck a little bit this AM. New for the yard, county and state were a male Rose-breasted Grosbeak (#157 / #80) and Great-crested Flycatcher (#158 / #81).  The grosbeak called a couple times then sang nicely for Gwen and I.  Such a lovely songster.  Other birds of note were my third and forth Blue-headed Vireo of spring migration.  One just stealthily moved through the emerging leaves hunting.  The other sang in the distance about an hour later.  Chimney Swifts are now a daily occurrence but the feeding flocks of birds are moving on.  That should reduce the bird feeding bill, one of my larger expenses these days.  

I then loaded the canoe and headed to Allen's Fresh hoping for bitterns, waders, and shorebirds.  Low tide was to be about 11 AM.  Shortly before I put into the water, I heard an Orchard Oriole singing high up in an Oak Tree (#159).  As I approached to confirm the species a male few out and north of another large oak.  

I did not find anything new in the fresh but had a hell of a workout.  As I was returning I began to hear Laughing Gulls.  There was a small flock over head.  J. P. was disking the fields on his farm, and gulls were following the tractor.  I wondered if a Franklin's Gull might be traveling with the flock.  By the time I got to shore the only gulls remaining were about 100 Ring-billed Gulls.  They all were sub-adult, perhaps non-breeders.  

I loaded up the canoe and headed north for some Thai food for lunch.  Heading up Penns Hill Rd., I heard my first Louisiana Waterthrush (#160) singing just north of the corner of Penns Hill and Rt. 257.  

A brief stop at the Rt. 225/Mitchell Rd. pond produced Greater Yellowlegs and two Solitary Sandpipers.  I hope the storm dropped something else in there tonight.  

What will tomorrow bring?  About seven of us are going to do a run around the county to see if we can break 100 in 12 hours (6 A to 6 P).  Stay tuned.

Good luck to the big sitters tomorrow.

George


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