FreeLists / birdky / [birdky] RPT: Land Between the Lakes -- 32 species of warblers 5/04/2006

["Palmer-Ball, Brainard \(EPPC OOS KNPC\)" <Brainard.Palmer-Ball@xxxxxx>]

With a need for a warbler fix, I took off from work for a few hours yesterday, 
May 4th, to search out migrants in LBL. This is a strange year; with early 
April warm weather and a lack of "loopers" [=inchworm moth caterpillars] in the 
upland oaks in LBL, the forest is almost entirely leafed out already. That, 
perhaps combined with some unsettled weather (clouds, cool) seems to be 
depressing the amount of song from passing warblers. For example, there is only 
a fraction of the Tennessee Warbler song that one would normally hear in LBL 
during the first week of May ... but as I found out yesterday the birds are 
still there.  Armed with only my binocs, my squeak, and my whistled screech-owl 
imitation, I set out to find 30 species of warblers and did 2 better.  I also 
decided to try to see all the warbler species I detected by call and was 
successful in that goal, too :o). I looked on a map this morning and noted that 
I traveled less than 10 miles on interior LBL roads and most of that was just 
traveling down The Trace! The best action was along the Kentucky Lake Scenic 
Drive but there were also good pockets of birds on Old Eddyville Ferry Road. At 
one of the best spots along the latter I squeaked because I heard a couple of 
"migrants" singing amidst the nesters. A whole mess of birds came in including 
a couple of morning-firsts. 

Total list of warblers and a few other interesting passerines:

Species ... estimated total # recorded ... (# seen)

Blue-winged 1?  (1)
Golden-winged 3?  (2)
Tennessee 30+ (20)
Nashville 12 (6)
Northern Parula 35+ (by far the most common warbler! ... seen with every group 
squeaked in)
Yellow 1? (1)
Chestnut-sided 15 (10 ... proportionately more song than many other species)
Magnolia 15+ (12 ... surprisingly conspicuous)
Cape May 6 (5 ... only a couple of identifiable songs heard)
Yellow-rumped 20+ (20+ ... only one feeble song heard)
Black-throated Green 6 (4)
Blackburnian 1? (1)
Yellow-throated 12 (5)
Pine 6 (3)
Prairie 20+ (10)
Palm 3 (3 all non-singing and dingy ?s?)
Bay-breasted 4 (4 ... only 1 definite song heard)
Blackpoll 10 (6 ... very little song for first week of May)
Cerulean 5 (1?)
Black-and-white 15 (10)
American Redstart 5 (4)
Prothonotary 20 (10)
Worm-eating 6 (1)
Ovenbird 10 (4)
Northern Waterthrush 3 (1)
Louisiana Waterthrush 10+ (2)
Kentucky 12 (3)
Mourning 1 (1 -- not singing; came up to pish)
Common Yellowthroat 20+ (10)
Hooded 3? (1)
Wilson's 1? (1)
Yellow-breasted Chat 25 (15)

Also observed:

Aced the vireos with 1 Blue-headed; 3 Philadelphia; and the KY 453 (last year's 
S-t Flycat spot) Bell's back on territory again

Quiet little female Red-breasted Nuthatch

3 Ruby-crowned Kinglets

As many thrushes as I have ever seen in LBL with birds flying everwhere off the 
ground and in the shrub and mid-story levels; dozens of Swainson's; 8 
Gray-cheeks and 3 Veeries ID'd

bpb, Louisville