We have all found birds this way in fall. Call in some chickadees and they
often have some little friends with them that they met last night at some
roosting site. You can get a good assortment of migrating warblers that way
and I had couple such groups this AM at Morgan Run.

However I found an even better warbler locator. Musta had half dozen species
or more all flitting around a spot up in a tree near the bass pond down near
the creek. They were all very focused on one specific spot and they didn't
seem to be feeding but were very agitated about something. I finally got
close enough to spot a small snake wrapped around a limb up there. I was
amazed at how close the warblers would get to it.

So there you have it. Want migrating warblers? Take a snake with you, wrap
him around a branch and stand back. Anybody got a python I can borrow?
Imagine how many that would bring in. Hope it will fit in my pocket.

Highlight was one of those sightings I hate to have when I'm alone. Saw a
bird that had a very distinct yellowish wash on it's belly and I soon
narrowed the rest of it down to the vireo group. No eye ring, but a slight
eyebrow. If I had a Philly, folks I got me a lifer today. Wish I was one of
those camera-toting birders. Better still I wish one of the real birders on
this list was with me.

Here's a list of whatever I think I saw out there with my usual exact
counts. Bear in mind my fall warbler ID skills are a bit short of some
standards. My spring abilities are more reliable.

Yellow-throated Vireo- 1 singing and preening both simultaneously and at the
same time
Red-eyed Vireo-     several
Blue-headed Vireo-    think I heard one
White eyed Vireo-  some. Two were singing at each other like it was spring
Philly Vireo-    ? (See above)

Black-and-white Nuthatch (some say warbler)- few
Nashville Warbler-   a couple
Magnolia Warbler-  not sure
Cape May Warbler-  saw one that fit the description in the snake group
Black-throated Blue-  a pair- 1 female seen, 1 male heard
Black-throated Green- many around the snake
Redstart -     quite a few
Blackburnian- at least 1
Bay-breasted-  at least one bothering the snake
Chestnut-sided-  some little green-headed ones without all the breeding
plumage
Kirtland's-   none, but it's always fun to include them on a list
Ovenbird-  1 that hopped up on a branch just for me
Mourning Warbler-  possibly one in fall plumage. Hard to recognize without
the black bib.
Brown Thrasher-  one right over the trail in front of me

Also heard some Pileation. Maybe I should define that word:

Pileation- noise made by a Pileator
Pileator- something that pileates
Pileates- a verb meaning to make pileation

There. I hope that clears everything up.


Jerry Tarbell
All snaked out in Carroll County