Sometimes you gotta make a choice - to bird on the run or not bird at all.
With a morning appointment for the wife's car hanging over me I knew I could
squeeze in a quick trip to Morgan Run since the mechanic is just off Rt 97,
the same route that takes me to Morgan. I figured I might have time to make
it down to the stream and back if I didn't dally much. Fortunately I would
go thru some nice birding spots. Unfortunately, that might make me dally.

Yes, folks I dallied several times. But it was worth it.

Dally #1 was a WILLOW FLYCATCHER singing from the top of a tree in plain
sight. That's a minor dally, but consider that they used to occupy only a
small, out-of-the-way corner of this place. Now they seem to be everywhere.
Willows are now a staple here.

As are the PRAIRIE and BLUE-WINGED WARBLERS. Only spotted one Blue- winged
amongst the many singers, so they didn't make me dally much.

Dally # 2 (3 if you count the Blue-winged) was a song that turned out to be
a HOODED WARBLER doing his alternate song. Also had a BLACKPOLL in the same
area. And a SCARLET TANAGER. And a REDSTART. Kinda busy thru there. Where to
look first?


Dally #3 was a KENTUCKY WARBLER singing off to the left just before you get
to the old metal barn that is now starting to fall, apparently a victim of
the nasty winter. This is a new spot for them here. Usually find them down a
trail to the right after you pass the barn. And this makes up for the fact
that we missed them on last week's count at Hashawa, a major downer.

Dally #4 was a pair of LOUISIANA WATERTHRUSH along a small feeder stream
down near the main branch. You have to hop over it to get to the pond. These
two were making quite a fuss over the presence of some clown wearing binocs
and wandering around like he owns the place. As a veteran flyfisherman, I
have seen this many times. However it often means the presence of freshly
fledged little waterthrush nearby. So I dallied long enough to search the
banks of the little feeder for fledglings. Didn't find any and moved on to
the pond.

At the pond, dally #5 was a beaver lodge. Why would that make me dally?
Because I could clearly hear it making a squeaky sound. Yes folks, there
were kits inside and it made me stop and giggle a bit. There was also a
singing BALTIMORE ORIOLE nearby and a flock of CEDAR WAXWINGS  flitting
around. Down along the stream I heard a EASTERN WOOD PEWEE and a NORTHERN
PARULA.

Dally # 6 was a repeat of # 3. I heard the Kentucky on the way back and
stopped again to search. Yes, I spotted him singing in a tree down there and
that is a thrill. This whole group of warblers- which includes the Mourning,
Connecticut and MacGillivray's are a bunch of skulkers that are hard to spot
and to get one up and visible is always a treat. I note some posts lately
where people got good looks at Mourning Warblers - I'm jealous. Haven't had
one yet this year.

Dally #7 was a nice treat. Heard a vaguely familiar song, stopped and
spotted a bird along a limb. Angle was bad at first, but eventually a CANADA
WARBLER turned around and hopped into view for one of my best ever looks at
one. We upgraded our binocs a couple years ago and moments like this make
them worth the extra bucks. Sharp!

So I made it to the car appointment and stopped over at the farm museum
where I went back to their nature trail. I heard a BLACK-THROATED BLUE
WARBLER and also a WORM-EATING, which may be resident back there.

Comment on BLACKPOLLS - they seem to be everywhere. I heard one at the
intersection of Rt 97 and Main St in Westminster. Seems odd that they travel
thru urban backyards on their way to nest in Spruce-Fir forests, often at
the tops of mountains. Talk about diverse habitats.

Nice morning, even if I did have to hurry a bit. Kinda humid out now. Think
I'll go dally in bed for a nap.

Jerry Tarbell
Carroll County