I don't think there is any doubt that a lot of names for birds are
headscratchers. They can be confusing and downright misleading. It was
brought home to me the time I spotted a nice bird along the Gunpowder from
the North Central bike trail. A biker came by and asked what I was looking
at. "A Louisiana Waterthrush," I replied.
    "Really?" he asked. "What's it doing up here?"
    And this is only the tip of the iceberg. Let's face it - any Connecticut
Warbler ever spotted in Connecticut was lost. You would expect to hear
banjos and fiddles with maybe a steel guitar break in the middle every time
a Tennessee or Nashville Warbler sings. Instead we get something with a
distinctly Canadian accent. Has anybody ever spotted a Magnolia Warbler in a
magnolia? Maybe for three seconds on his way thru in migration. Even my
little Acadian buddy is a candidate. His name sounds like he ought to be
confined to a small peninsula on the coast of Maine.
    All this brings me to this morning's excursion to Soldiers Delight. Of
course I was hoping maybe a Summer Tanager would still be hanging around.
Back in May and June, it wasn't hard to find them singing from an open
perch. I spent about a week wandering around the place this morning and
couldn't find a thing. Any still present were off in the brush quietly
molting. Wouldn't it make more sense to call it the Spring Tanager? That's
when they sing to us and even picky their tuck just to let us know they're
here. In summer we get silence. I vote for renaming it. Somebody notify he
AOU.
    As for Soldier's Delight, when is the last time anybody spotted a
delighted soldier there? Maybe it's time to rename that, too. Anybody for
Birder's Delight?
    Jerry