Fellow VA Birders,
This morning was definitely a Tennessee Warbler morning with 26 of the
little green bullets darting around my yard.
Ed Talbott, good friend and vice president of our Buchanan County Bird Club,
and his wife Michelle, another excellent birder, came up this morning to
enjoy and help count migrants.The morning started off with Michelle seeing
what she thought was a Cape May, but the bird didn't hang around long enough
for definitive looks. After that it got busy. Ed was seeing 3 Tennessees and
a Black-throated Green on one side of the yard, while Michelle and I were
concentrating on a couple of Black-throated Greens and more Tennessees on
the other side. Ed soon saw a Blue-winged in the top of the walnut tree.
Moments later I picked out a Blackburnian in the same tree.
Michelle had to leave early, but Ed and I continued to see more Tennessees,
then we heard the buzzing call of a Northern Parula. We soon had him in
view. A Palm Warbler, the first of the season, dropped down to the grass not
20 feet in front of us. More Black-throated Greens and Tennessees chased
each other through the trees. 5 Scarlet Tanagers dropped in among the
warblers, sometimes being chased by Robins.
A Yellow-billed Cuckoo perched in the top of the apple tree, giving Ed an
excellent opportunity for video. While Ed was taping the Cuckoo I got the
binos on a yellow bird in the walnut tree, which turned out to be a
Yellow-throated Vireo. Meanwhile, a White-eyed Vireo kept singing from a
nearby tree. A male Chestnut-sided Warbler zipped into the yard and landed
in the top of the walnut tree. He was only there for about 30 seconds, when
a Tennesse chased him across the road into the neighbors pasture.
Finally Ed had to go, but as we were walking toward his vehicle I spotted a
Worm-eating Warbler in the top of the apple tree in the front yard.
Though he really hated to go, Ed left. He had no sooner pulled out of the
driveway when a male Hooded Warbler flew into the walnut tree. It stayed for
a few seconds and was gone. Moments afterward a Yellow-throated warbler flew
down into the shrubbery near the back of the house. Its yellow throat almost
glowed in the early morning sun. I took a stroll around to the front again
and a female Rose-breasted Grosbeak flew across the lawn and landed in a
maple tree.
By this time the wave of migrants had slowed considerably. I saw some
movement in my neighbor's pasture. 9 Wild turkeys fed through the field
picking up grasshoppers. While looking for more migrants I saw a hawk come
gliding from the nearby woods. It was a Cooper's and it seemed to be
hunting. It was flying low just above the tree tops. Several House Finches
and Starlings made for cover, while many of the other birds just froze in
place. The hawk made a couple of passes, then moved on.
I ended the morning with 39 species, with 22 of them being migrants. I
smiled to myself as I walked into the house. Not bad for not having left my
yard.
Good Birding,
Roger Mayhorn
Grundy, VA
Following is the complete list:
American Crow 3
American Goldfinch 12
American Robin 23
Barn Swallows 2
Blackburnian Warbler 1
Black-throated Green Warbler 7
Blue-winged Warbler 1
Carolina Chickadee 3
Carolina Wren 1
Cedar Waxwing 1
Chestnut-sided Warbler 1 (male)
Chimney Swift 1
Coopers Hawk 1
Downy Woodpecker 2
Eastern Phoebe 1
Eastern Towhee 4
European Starling 35
Gray Catbird 1
Hooded Warbler 1 (male)
House Finch 10
Mourning Dove 8
Northern Cardinal 4 (1 female)
Northern Flicker 1
Northern Parula 1
Palm Warbler 1 (First of the season)
Red-bellied Woodpecker 1
Rose-breasted Grosbeak 1 (female)
Ruby-throated Hummingbird 5
Scarlet Tanager 5
Song Sparrow 1
Tennessee Warbler 26
Tufted Titmouse 2
Yellow-billed Cuckoo 1
Yellow-throated Vireo 1
Yellow-throated Warbler 1
White-breasted Nuthatch 1
White-eyed Vireo 1
Wild Turkey 9
Worm-eating Warbler 1
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