Monday, 6:00am, South Tract Patuxent Research Refuge, parking lot of the
visitor center:
I arrived at the parking lot around 6:00am. Sitting at the top of what I
call the woodpecker tree (very large dead leafless tree very apparent from
the parking lot furthest away from the lake area) and singing away was a
Tanager. My first thought was Scarlet Tanager, but because I had such a
good look for a very long time, I thought possibly it was a Summer
Tanager. I did not see the very black wings of the Scarlet. It could have
been though because of the sun at the time. The bird stayed in the general
area until I returned to it around 7:45am. At that time, there were three
birds, the first tanager, and then 2 Scarlet Tanagers flying after one
another. That made me think that perhaps the first was also a Scarlet
Tanager. Since I consider myself only a beginner and never having heard a
Summer Tanager, I was unable to identify its song. Perhaps someone more
experienced than I will be lucky enough to see and hear the tanager and
identify it for sure.
Other birds observed/heard this morning:
Wood Thrush
Ovenbird
Orchard Oriole
Downy Woodpecker (several young ones on the woodpecker tree)
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Common Yellowthroat
Yellow-throated Vireo
Great Crested Flycather
Acadian Flycather
Eastern Wood Pewee
Chipping Sparrow
American Robin
Carolina Chickadee
American Goldfinch
Tree Swallow
Red-winged Blackbird
Northern Mockingbird
Northern Cardinal
Mourning Dove
Great Blue Heron
Osprey |