We counted 59 species, here, this weekend. That’s three short of this late
September weekend in 2020, which was our best ever. I’m satisfied with that,
though, considering the really poor conditions yesterday morning. Today made
up for it with really remarkable diversity and numbers.
This list includes seven Warbler species, which is a good number for this
relatively “unwarblery” habitat. I saw the first-of-season Black-throated
Green yesterday afternoon and Debby got photos of the other six, this morning,
all from the breakfast nook window! A Bay-breasted was first-of-year on Monday
and one visited the bath, this morning, to make the weekend list. In fact
Debby saw all but the Magnolia at our little drip-bath, which has been a
Warbler magnet this season.
The second eBird link, below, has Debby’s Warbler photos plus some of mine,
including our first-of-season Rose-breasted Grosbeak and a Least Flycatcher
that I found this morning (I thought I glimpsed it from the lawn mower,
yesterday, and was delighted that it stayed for a positive ID). There’s also a
photo of a juvenile Cooper’s Hawk that we photographed around noon today. It
was lounging on its belly, in the sun, in the south yard. There wasn’t any
dust there, so it was apparently just sunning…?
Our big weekend highlight was all three Falcon species within about a 15 minute
span, this morning. The Kestrel was on its normal snag beyond the woodlot, to
the northwest, when a juvenile Peregrine circled in low over the woodlot trees
from that direction. It circled almost directly over me, all the while
watching me watching it. Then, a few minutes later, I scanned the kettling
Black Vultures, to the southeast, and found a Merlin soaring among them and
occasionally feinting toward, or diving past, one or the other. It seemed
almost playful. I’d never seen that before.
I was surprised to see eleven Nighthawks, last evening, eight days later than
our latest 2021 record.
Finally, I linked to yesterday’s eBird list (first one below) which includes a
Barn Owl recording from last evening, when they were unusually active and loud.
The photo was from a video, which was the only way the camera would cooperate
in the near-dark. I’d guess it was 30 feet away, on one of several passes
overhead, while peering down at me.
https://ebird.org/checklist/S119367134
https://ebird.org/checklist/S119428689
Stephen (Steve) Tyson, Schochoh, Logan Co., KY
Species Name:
Northern Bobwhite
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon)
Eurasian Collared-Dove
Mourning Dove
Common Nighthawk
Chimney Swift
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Killdeer
Black Vulture
Turkey Vulture
Northern Harrier
Cooper's Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
Barn Owl
Red-headed Woodpecker
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
American Kestrel
Merlin
Peregrine Falcon
Eastern Wood-Pewee
Least Flycatcher
Eastern Phoebe
Blue Jay
American Crow
Carolina Chickadee
Tufted Titmouse
Horned Lark
Northern Rough-winged Swallow
Tree Swallow
Barn Swallow
White-breasted Nuthatch
House Wren
Carolina Wren
European Starling
Gray Catbird
Brown Thrasher
Northern Mockingbird
Eastern Bluebird
American Robin
House Sparrow
House Finch
Chipping Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Red-winged Blackbird
Brown-headed Cowbird
Tennessee Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
Magnolia Warbler
Bay-breasted Warbler (FOY)
Yellow Warbler
Palm Warbler
Black-throated Green Warbler (FOS)
Summer Tanager
Northern Cardinal
Rose-breasted Grosbeak (FOS)
Blue Grosbeak
Indigo Bunting
