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| A Brit abroad |
Another rainy grey Cape May dayAfter the morning's rain settled down into a persistent drizzle, I decided to bird Lake Herrick in the early evening. Shortly after I arrived I ran into a flock of 'chickmice' containing a Red-eyed Vireo, Magnolia Warbler and more intriguing warbler chips. The birds stayed hard to see in the treetops, but I followed the flock along the lakeshore until the trees ran out. Here, the warblers were forced down lower and I was able to pull out my second Cape May Warbler of the fall, an even drabber individual than the one at my house last Sunday. I got onto one each of Chestnut-sided, Black-throated Green and this Tennessee Warbler, but at least 3 other warblers whizzed through before I could get on them.  I scanned the lake in the hope of finding yesterday's Blue-winged Teal, but it appears to have moved on. I did spot one sorry-looking Barn Swallow hawking low over the water in the drizzle. On the other side of the lake I ran into a different warbler flock, containing this Northern Parula.  It also held 2 more Black-throated Greens, Redstart, Tennessee, Palm plus Eastern Wood-Pewee and a Blue-gray Gnatcatcher. 8 warbler species (without seeing the resident Pine Warbler) is a pretty respectable total for this under-watched spot! 8:13 PM - Wednesday, October 14, 2009 - comments {1} - post commentBlue-winged Teal at Lake HerrickFollowing heavy rain yesterday, I ventured out to Lake Herrick, where I was pleased to spot this fem/imm Blue-winged Teal among the Mallards - a new county bird for me. Lake Herrick is one of the largest accessible water bodies in the county, but has fairly high recreational use from joggers and dog-walkers. The teal flushed 4 times during my visit, so I don't imagine it will stick around for long...  A Spotted Sandpiper was present too, and the first I've seen here in a while.   Warblers were limited to 2 each of Palm and Magnolia. 11:56 AM - Tuesday, October 13, 2009 - comments {0} - post commentDozen warbler dayToday was another double-digit warbler day. Pride of place has to go to the Tennessee Warbler in my backyard - my first yard Vermivora and 15th warbler species in the yard for the year! Another surprise was this obliging Cape May Warbler - the first of the fall for me and the only one I've heard about in the Athens area.  It showed up with a movement of birds that included 2 Magnolias, a chestnut-sided Chestnut sided, an immature Pine Warbler that I tried to turn into at least 3 other species and 3 Black-throated Green Warblers.  I couldn't ignore the male Bluebird that flew in next to the Cape May.  A cracked dinner plate is now doubling as a birdbath. This male Cardinal is the first bird I've seen take the plunge.   The morning's birding at Sandy Creek was just as fun. A flock of blackbirds I sped past on my bike deserve to be re-checked, as the Rusties should be arriving at any moment. A Parula and a 'chestnut-sided' Bay-breasted were a good omen as we started Cook's Trail. It was an excellent day for vireos, with 2 more Philadelphias among the 4 species recorded. Thrushes are still around in good numbers - I managed a 'grab shot' of a Wood Thrush near the Oxbow Lake.  Nice to look down on a Chestnut-sided Warbler for once, and admire its golden-green back. Less nice to be eaten alive by mosquitoes while doing so...  We rounded off the morning with what may be our last looks of the year at a stunning male Hooded Warbler. 
7:53 PM - Sunday, October 11, 2009 - comments {0} - post commentWarblers and thrushes still coming thick and fastThis morning 5 of us did the rounds in the botanical garden. Early on we found our first Black-throated Blue Warbler of the fall (one of the first I've heard about in the state in fact). In the power line cut a Gray-cheeked Thrush posed for front and back views in the fruiting dogwoods. I was surprised at how leggy it looks in the second photo.   Shortly after it was joined by a second. As with Golden-winged Warbler and Philadelphia Vireo, it's been a great fall for this species locally.  After seeing very little along the White Trail, we ran into a big flock of birds containing 9 species of warbler. Among the regulars were Bay-breasted, Blackburnian and Golden-winged. Back home, a Magnolia Warbler continues to show well.  Yesterday the Palm Warbler flock at Lake Herrick fed out on the lawn. I counted 7, but who knows how many others were lurking in the trees. 
10:18 PM - Saturday, October 10, 2009 - comments {0} - post commentPhiladelphia Vireo strikes againYesterday I walked a portion of Cook's Trail from the Sandy Creek Nature Center in clear, sunny and mosquito-free conditions. The highlight was discovering another Philadelphia Vireo - it seems to be a banner year for the species in the state, which is usually only recorded from a handful of sites in the NW corner of the state. It was in with a bird flock which contained 2 each of Redstart, Magnolia and Black-throated Green Warblers...    ... plus this single Chestnut-sided...  ... and my first Ruby-crowned Kinglet of the fall.  An Eastern Wood-Pewee was on the periphery of the flock.  A squeaky call-note drew my thoughts immediately to Hairy Woodpecker, but in fact the source of the noise was 3 River Otters (parent and 2 young).  The leaves are turning and tumbling. Looks like we should be treated to some spectacular fall colours over the coming weeks... 
12:01 PM - Friday, October 9, 2009 - comments {0} - post commentSnakes, 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 - comments {0} - post commentOutstanding migrants along Sandy CreekAfter news of a Black-billed Cuckoo at Sandy Creek Park yesterday, I joined some of the state's hot-shot birders (Joel, Ken, Rachel and Nathan) to walk the whole of Cook's Trail. It stayed overcast and chilly all morning (so apologies in advance for the graininess of these photos), but the cool weather kept the birds active until past the noon hour. The day started well with a small bundle of warblers (including the day's only Yellow-throated) before we hit the creek. It became apparent that thrushes were everywhere. Indeed, the first thrush we saw was a Gray-cheeked Thrush (one of seven!). It was followed soon after by Swainson's and Wood Thrush and a heard-only Veery. Further along the trail a male Golden-winged Warbler entertained us with its worm-eating antics.  Ken got us on to an odd-looking vireo that turned out to be my lifer Philadelphia Vireo - number 600 on my 'birds encountered in a wild state' (seen plus heard plus Whooping Crane plus CA Condor) for the ABA area!   Another lifer was this neat-looking Fawn Darner (Boyeria vinosa).  We continued to run into fast-moving warbler flocks further along the trail. An active Bay-breasted was glimpsed high in the treetops, while another flock contained a Blackburnian and this beautiful male Blue-winged Warbler, which sat motionless in the canopy for us to admire.  A few hours later and we finally reached the halfway house of the Oxbow Lake, where the star bird was this Yellow-bellied Flycatcher. It sat still long enough for us to note diagnostic features including yellow underparts, dusky flanks, skinny tail and short bill. This was a state bird and only my second encounter ever.   As the sun came up the passerine activity died down, but we were lucky enough to see a mixed kettle of hawks including Cooper's, Red-tailed, Red-shouldered and this Broad-winged.  Before I had to scurry back to work we enjoyed close looks at this Scarlet Tanager which came in to bathe.  Tennessee was our 14th and final warbler species (wot no yellowthroats?) of an exceptional day's fall birding. 6:55 PM - Sunday, October 4, 2009 - comments {0} - post commentYellow feverYesterday brought two new arrivals to the yard; my first Yellow-throated Vireo (vireo no. 4 for the yard list) feasting on caterpillars...  ... and my first Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers of the fall (an adult male and female).   This is obviously a good woodpecker tree, as a Red-bellied appeared in the same spot soon after.  The warbler show is still going strong; yesterday 3(!) Black-throated Greens, a drab Blackburnian and an immature Redstart. I didn't see the Blackburnian today but the others remained, plus 2 Magnolia Warblers. The young male Ruby-throated Hummingbird has departed, and the feeder is now only receiving sporadic visits from an immature female - the last of the hummer whine? (groan...) These monster-sized Lubber Grasshoppers were getting fruity on the front porch.  10:49 PM - Saturday, October 3, 2009 - comments {0} - post commentOct 1: a new wave of warblersThe crisp, clear mornings and delightful weather continue. James and I made it out to the botanical garden yesterday, and were greeted by this Red-shouldered Hawk preening as the first rays of sun hit the treetops. Brown Thashers and Rose-breasted Grosbeaks were calling all around. By the time we reached the beaverpond we had racked up Chestnut-sided, Magnolia, Ovenbird, Yellowthroat, Pine and Black-throated Green Warblers. Along the White Trail, James found the morning's highlight - a beautiful Golden-winged Warbler.  It was hanging with a White-eyed Vireo and this male American Redstart.  A little further along the trail, we came across this Worm-eating Warbler. Apparently this is a new late date for the species at this site.  The dead snags again held a Red-headed Woodpecker.  We stopped by the beaverpond again on the way back to find a 'flock' of 3 Tennessee Warblers.  A pit-stop at Lake Herrick produced my first Palm Warbler of the fall.  2:21 PM - Friday, October 2, 2009 - comments {0} - post commentMonth end bits and bobsFollowing clear nights and surprisingly chilly mornings, warbler madness appears to be over in the yard. The Black-throated Green Warbler did linger for a couple of days though. Nighthawk passage also seems to be thinning, with ones and twos seen over the house irregularly over the last week.  I put up my new, allegedly squirrel-proof feeder this week. It took less than a day for some of the 'regulars' to rediscover it.    Eastern Phoebe was not one of the species I expected on my feeder list!  Last weekend I had my first trip to the botanical garden in a while. It was pretty quiet, and the warbler show in particular was miserable compared to my backyard. Single Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Yellow-billed Cuckoo and this Baltimore Oriole were nice.  Masses of Cloudless Sulphurs are around at the moment.  I crossed paths with a Box Turtle.  A vocal Pileated Woodpecker. 
11:20 AM - Wednesday, September 30, 2009 - comments {0} - post commentWhen digiscoping goes rightI rarely digiscope these days: most of my local birding spots are shaded woody areas, and I soon gave up carting my scope around with me. Over the last week, the dominant adult female Ruby-throated Hummingbird has been usurped by an immature male, whose first iridescent throat feathers are starting to grow out. He has a favourite perch a few metres from the back porch, and since the sun was shining I decided to try digiscoping him. The small branch he was on was swaying wildly in the wind, making it hard to keep him in the frame. Luckily, for one shot the breeze subsided, and the sun lit up two of his throat feathers just as he stretched his wings and tail. Et voila!
3:33 PM - Sunday, September 27, 2009 - comments {0} - post commentWarblers, warblers everywhere!After a few quiet days in the backyard, warbler madness descended again today with a flock containing at least 7 species. Two of them were new for the yard list: a very obliging Black-throated Green Warbler...  ... and a slightly more skulking Canada Warbler.  A Magnolia Warbler popped up at eye level.  Two imm/female American Redstarts were with the group...  ... along with two Chestnut-sided Warblers, one of which had chestnut sides!  A male Blackburnian with a still-glowing throat was nice.  A single Northern Parula rounded off the flock. I didn't photograph today's individual, but did manage a back shot of this bird at Lake Herrick earlier in the week.  The same visit to Lake Herrick yielded a noisy Yellow Warbler...  ... plus some photogenic Brown-headed Nuthatches.   I'm loving fall migration! 3:30 PM - Saturday, September 26, 2009 - comments {0} - post commentCrazy weather; warbler bonanza continuesIt's the 8th consecutive day of heavy rain here. Some parts of the Atlanta area have been hit by severe flooding, leading CNN to re-christen it Wetlanta! The male Eastern Bluebird seemed happy to tough it out on the neighbour's roof. Just before this evening's big storm hit, the warbler flock came through the yard. Magnolia (photo too awful to post, even by my standards!) and this Yellow-throated took my total yard warbler list to 11 species.  The adult (non-breeding male or female?) Blackburnian Warbler came through again.  I think yesterday's Dendroica sp was probably just poor views of this male Pine Warbler.  Redstarts were up to three, including an adult male.  Single Chestnut-sided Warbler and Parula made it a 7-warbler day in the yard. The supporting cast included 3+ Red-eyed Vireos, 2 Brown-headed Nuthatch and the E Wood-Pewee seemingly flocking in with the chickadees, titmice and warblers. A vocal Northern Flicker was another irregular yard visitor. 
7:27 PM - Monday, September 21, 2009 - comments {0} - post commentBackyard birding bonanzaFor reasons I don't quite understand, the trees directly behind my backyard have been teeming with migrants over the weekend. Following Friday night's Blackburnian Warbler, on Saturday I was able to add Chestnut-sided (warbler no. 9 for the yard)... American Redstart...  plus Northern Parula, Pine Warbler and a brown, double wing-barred Dendroica which flew off before I could pin down the ID. Vireos were represented by multiple Red-eyed plus a single juvenile White-eyed.   At least one Eastern Wood-Pewee was flycatching in the treetops. Other less-than-regular visitors to the yard included Brown-headed Nuthatch and a male Eastern Bluebird.  The adult male Ruby-throated Hummingbird appears to have moved on, and this adult female now rules the roost, chasing off two other interlopers that remain in the area.  I wandered around Memorial Park to check out the migrant action there, and ran into a couple more American Redstarts, plus one each of Swainson's Thrush and Veery coming to a fruiting tree. This praying mantis was sheltering from the persistent rains under the front porch. 
8:03 PM - Sunday, September 20, 2009 - comments {0} - post commentBostwick Baird's SandpiperJames Neves and I went looking for the reported Baird's Sandpiper this morning. Initially things weren't looking promising - barely a Killdeer in sight, and a Solitary Sandpiper in the spot that the Baird's had been hanging out in on previous days. Driving the loop, we picked up the regular Loggerhead Shrike, American Kestrel and Horned Larks. We decided to have one last check on the way out, and to our surprise the Baird's was on show feeding among a small group of Killdeer - a lifer for James! A ringtail Northern Harrier on the drive back rounded things off nicely.
7:23 PM - Sunday, September 20, 2009 - comments {0} - post commentChimney Swift roost, Sep 18th 200910:47 PM - Friday, September 18, 2009 - comments {1} - post commentBackyard Blackburnian and Chimney Swift extravaganzaPersistent rain over the last week has prevented me from getting out birding, but fortunately the birds came to me this evening. An interesting-looking bird in the backyard turned out to be a Blackburnian Warbler - my 8th warbler species for the yard.  Walking towards Five Points I came across a group of approx 20 Common Nighthawks hunting together - good numbers seem to be migrating through town right now.  The real spectacle of the evening was the Five Points Chimney Swift roost. It was too hard for me to get an accurate estimate of the numbers involved here, but we're certainly talking over 1000 birds. I have no idea how they all manage to squeeze into that modest-sized chimney!  
10:32 PM - Friday, September 18, 2009 - comments {0} - post commentEarly September migrants, AthensI've managed a few walks around the State Botanical Garden since getting to Athens, where cooler temperatures and falling leaves are indicative of the impending fall. Warbler pickings have been fairly slim, though we have seen good numbers of American Redstarts, Magnolia and Chestnut-sided Warblers, the latter two species looking remarkably drab compared to their spring glory.  A Least Flycatcher hunting from low snags by the river was a new bird for me locally.  After a handful of sightings in the spring, I've been recording 2-3 Red-headed Woodpeckers on each outing - snag tick!  Some of the breeding species are still hanging around, including a katydid-munching Yellow-billed Cuckoo and many drab Indigo Buntings.   Cool overcast weather allowed me to closely approach this stunning Georgia River Cruiser. 
10:07 AM - Tuesday, September 15, 2009 - comments {0} - post commentDall's Porpoises bow-riding, Cordell Bank9:28 PM - Thursday, September 10, 2009 - comments {0} - post commentCordell Banks pelagic '09I spent my last day in California on a boat trip out of Bodega Bay with Shearwater Journeys. Spending a day with deepwater seabirds and cetaceans is always a thrill, especially now that I live 4.5 hours' drive from the coast, and have only seen one individual gull in Athens-Clarke County! The flat-calm seas kept the Pterodromas at bay, but made for a comfortable trip. I was impressed by the large numbers of Long-tailed Jaegers we encountered, many of them in migrating flocks.  A dark-morph Pomarine Skua with spoons obligingly flew overhead.  One of the highlights of the day was finding a large resting flock of (mostly Ashy) storm-petrels.  We put down a chum slick, and soon began picking out the less common species including many Black and Fork-tailed, plus at least one each of Wilson's and Leach's (latter not photographed).     Other birds attracted by the slick included a single Sabine's Gull, Red Phalarope...  ... and Black-footed Albatross.  We came across many resting groups of tubenoses including Pink-footed and Buller's Shearwaters, and Northern Fulmars (both light and blue-phase birds).    It was a decent trip for other marine life, with 5 pinniped species, Humpback Whales and multiple Blue Sharks recorded. Dall's Porpoises, plus Pacific White-sided and Northern Right-Whale Dolphins all gave great views riding the bow.    Nearer shore we came across lots of father/chick pairs of Common Murres, along with the occasional Rhinoceros and Cassin's Auklets.  The trip back into the harbour also produced interesting birds, such as Pacific Loon and Elegant Tern.   All in all, a great day spent in the company of some old friends and some of America's top birders! 9:00 PM - Thursday, September 10, 2009 - comments {0} - post comment
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