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| A Brit abroad |
Snakes, vireos and thrushes at the BotGardenWith my work nightmare finally over, I headed straight out to the state botanical gardens just after a thunderstorm. There was very little bird activity until I hit the Privet Eradication Area, when 5 Rose-beasted Grosbeaks flew over calling. A mini-flock of warblers (Black-and-White, Magnolia, Chestnut-sided and Redstart) swept through, containing two Red-eyed and one Yellow-throated Vireo. Both of them fed happily a few feet away from me in bright sunshine.    This Swainson's Thrush (one of four) wasn't quite so co-operative...  .. and you'll just have to take my word for this being a Gray-cheeked!  I had better than usual herping, including my first softshell turtle in the river, and a Rough Green Snake along the Orange Trail.   Close to the beaverpond I saw my second snake of the morning - my lifer Queen Snake.   Insect-wise the highlights were a pair of Blue-faced Meadowhawks...  ... and a Creole Pearly-Eye.  I swung by Lake Herrick to find a flock of at least 6 Palm Warblers working the trees (and the lawn).   Back at home, I was delighted by the flycatching antics of a Prairie Warbler (my first of the fall)...   ... and Brown-headed Nuthatches (3) graced my bird feeder for the first time.  
3:59 PM - Thursday, October 8, 2009 - post comment
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Description birding all over the place Home User Profile My Blog RSS Feed Archives Friends Bird by bird Feathers of hope Sacramento and Beyond A Brit abroad archives (2004- early 2009) Alis volat propriis California Thrashers John Sterling's bird photos Yolo Audubon Oconee Rivers Audubon Cambs Bird Club Olivier Laporte's photos Steve Hampton's Yolo County birding pages Subalpine Birding Wings over GA Recent Entries - Southeast scarcities - Cambridge Waxwings - Bittern, Black Redstart and Barn Owl in Norfolk - Open country birds - In praise of Cedar Waxwings - Spring in the air - End of month brings a couple of surprises - Digging up the past: swan sp from CA, March 2004 |