VA Birders,
The cool 52 degree weather and the beautiful cerulean sky was a good way to
start a birding morning. The blue sky came later; it was cloudy at dawn. I
had 52 species today around my yard, with the highlights being 2 Am.
Redstarts, one of which was a striking adult male, my first of the season
Bay-breasted Warbler, a female, 5 Cape Mays, 1 Chestnut-sided, 2 Magnolias,
4 Palms, 7 Tennessees, 1 Yellow-throated Warbler, 1 handsome male Prairie, a
Philadelphia Vireo, 1 Red-eyed Vireo, 2 Rose-breasted Grosbeaks, 2
Yellow-billed Cuckoos, 7 Gray Catbirds, 1 Brown Thrasher, 1 Eastern
Kingbird, 7 Scarlet Tanagers, 7 Swainson's Thrushes, 1Wood Thrush and 1
Pileated Woodpecker.
About 10:00 I noticed a Broad-wing circling, so I started scanning the sky
and soon found others. I pulled up a chair in the front yard and had my own
little hawk watch for a couple of hours. I saw 20 Broad-wings, 2 Cooper's, 3
Red-shoulders and 3 Ravens.They really stood out in the morning sunshine
against the puffy white clouds or the deep blue of the sky. My sweet wife,
Lynda, just laughed and brought my lunch out to me, so I wouldn't miss any.
I was hoping for an eagle, but no luck. Earlier in the morning I had seen a
large dark bird flying, silhouetted against the clouds with long neck and
long bill extended. After looking at the video I'm sure it was a cormorant,
probably a Double-crested.
A great looking Prairie Warbler was feeding in the Sumac at the edge of the
yard. It kept hopping around, while I was trying to get on it with the video
camera. Suddenly it hopped to a branch and sat very still. In fact it froze,
almost like passerines do when a hawk is nearby, but other birds around it
kept feeding. The Prairie stayed there, while I maneuvered to get a better
view. It turned its head to watch me, but didnt fly. I filmed for a minute
or so then my battery went dead. I very carefully eased away, went the 40
feet or so to the house, changed batteries and returned to find the warbler
still sitting on the same branch. I filmed for another minute, before the
warbler started moving around, left the branch and flew past me only a foot
or so above my head. It then landed in a shrub, fed a bit, then repeated the
sitting routine. It gave me time to make some video snapshots. Two of them
can be see at http://www.bcplnet.org/birdclub/gallery/Prairie2.htm . I have
never seen a warbler sit still for so long. The bird appeared to be healthy.
After a few minutes it went about its business of finding food.
Good Birding,
Roger Mayhorn
Grundy, VA
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