Hi Everyone,

My favorite part about taking good notes on yard birds is seeing how amazingly punctual our visitors are each year. Of the many returnees to our yard these last two weeks, I am just amazed to find that each is within ONE day of its arrival last year. 

This morning I was drinking my coffee and considering this when an exciting new song joined the chorus--a NASHVILLE WARBLER! I ran inside to get my binoculars and enjoyed watching it forage quite high in our trees for several minutes. Not only was this a new species for the yard, but it was also a coveted county bird. It's hard to beat getting county birds in your yard!  OK, maybe when I spot my state Mississippi Kite from the yard sometime over the next few weeks. :) 

In other yard news, our first RUBY-THROATED HUMMINGBIRD, a beautiful male, arrived last Friday (4/25). He was joined by a female yesterday. Both species of oriole arrived yesterday as well, with two male BALTIMORE ORIOLEs singing boldly from exposed perches around the house. A male ORCHARD ORIOLE joined the mix late yesterday afternoon. Orchard Orioles successfully raised a brood in our yard last year, and Baltimores nested somewhere on our street. A COMMON YELLOWTHROAT made its first appearance last Friday (4/25), and a BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHER and male YELLOW WARBLER have been present daily for about a week. Our HOUSE WREN arrived yesterday and our first WOOD THRUSH of the year was singing this morning. Our pair of BROWN THRASHERs is definitely nesting in the yard again. 

I love it. Have a great weekend.

b

Bill Hubick
Pasadena, Maryland

http://www.billhubick.com