We counted 74 species, here at the house, on this remarkable weekend. The
weather was odd, here, with fog at daybreak, yesterday, and a drenching
downpour at daybreak, today. We counted 65 species for the Big Day, yesterday,
and 62 today. We added six first-of-year for the weekend. Four of them came
after this morning’s downpour and the fallout kept me busy for hours.
Our first-of-year included a very photogenic Swainson’s Thrush and an American
Redstart, yesterday, and Bay-breasted Warbler, Bobolink, Yellow-billed Cuckoo,
and Olive-sided Flycatcher, today.
The flyover Bobolink was a highlight as was the Olive-sided Flycatcher. I
found the Olive-sided, looking bedraggled after the rain, preening at the top
of a dead trees across the road from the house. A Least Flycatcher was
shouting its CHEbek! CHEbek! calls from a pond-thicket apple tree, while it
also preened after the rain. It has been here all week and made a
five-flycatcher weekend.
Our Rose-breasted Grosbeaks were scarce until Monday when they suddenly
appeared around the feeders, four and five at a time. They were abundant all
week…then were mostly gone this weekend. Indigo Buntings were suddenly
everywhere, today, after only occasional glimpses, before. I’ve never seen as
many Red-eyed Vireos, here, as appeared after the storm, this morning.
I was a little surprised to count 8 Warbler species. I was thinking they
should be winding down. The Blackburnian was magnificent, and I saw one in the
big post oak, near the pond depression, many times, today.
I’m still seeing a Harrier over the southeast fields where they roosted last
winter. I saw it during the week and again Friday, Saturday, and today…usually
late in the afternoons. The Red-winged Blackbirds harass it terribly, while
it’s hunting. It seems very late for it to be here!
It has felt like an abnormal migration period. Our count for the year is at 118
species, which is one more than this date in 2022, but I just looked through
part of that 2022 list (up to May 14) and counted at least nine species that we
haven’t seen yet this year!
I’m adding a link to today’s eBird list, because it has a distant photo of the
Olive-sided and some photos (also distant) of a bizarre looking bird that we’ve
finally decided was a juvenile Horned Lark. I was baffled for a while.
Stephen (Steve) Tyson, Schochoh, Logan Co., KY
Species Name:
Canada Goose
Wood Duck
Mallard
Northern Bobwhite
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon)
Eurasian Collared-Dove
Mourning Dove
Yellow-billed Cuckoo (FOY)
Chimney Swift
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Killdeer
Great Blue Heron
Black Vulture
Turkey Vulture
Northern Harrier
Red-tailed Hawk
Red-headed Woodpecker
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Pileated Woodpecker
American Kestrel
Olive-sided Flycatcher (FOY)
Eastern Wood-Pewee
Least Flycatcher
Great Crested Flycatcher
Eastern Kingbird
Red-eyed Vireo
Blue Jay
Carolina Chickadee
Tufted Titmouse
Horned Lark
Northern Rough-winged Swallow
Purple Martin
Tree Swallow
Barn Swallow
White-breasted Nuthatch
House Wren
Carolina Wren
European Starling
Gray Catbird
Brown Thrasher
Northern Mockingbird
Eastern Bluebird
Swainson's Thrush (FOY)
American Robin
Cedar Waxwing
House Sparrow
House Finch
American Goldfinch
Chipping Sparrow
Field Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Eastern Towhee
Bobolink (FOY)
Eastern Meadowlark
Orchard Oriole
Baltimore Oriole
Red-winged Blackbird
Brown-headed Cowbird
Common Grackle
Black-and-white Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
American Redstart (FOY)
Bay-breasted Warbler (FOY)
Blackburnian Warbler
Yellow Warbler
Blackpoll Warbler
Palm Warbler
Summer Tanager
Northern Cardinal
Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Blue Grosbeak
Indigo Bunting
