I'm surprised nobody has written re: Huntley from the Big Sit!
Yesterday I went to visit the big sit in between an event packed Sunday, but
found many distractions on the way to and from the tower. With some help
from friendlies IDing for me (such as Reese and Rich and many more):
2 White Throated Sparrows
1 Eastern Wood PeeWee
4 Ruby Crested Kinglets (on my way out, one treated me within 5 feet for
about 10 minutes)
1 Gray Catbird (flipping his tail goodbye as I entered my car)
2 Northern Cardinals (puffed up into giant feather balls in the shade)
2 Bald Eagles
1 Sharpie (chasing the swallows)
1 Red-Tail
1 Red-Shoulder
X Tree Swallows
X Chimney Swifts
X Rough Winged Swallows
X Canada Geese
several more unknowns
For the non-birders: I hoped to find some more birds off of the informal
trail (closest to the tower), when I witnessed more turtles sunning together
than I ever have before. About 3 logs (plus various stubs) were covered
end-to-end with turtles piled overtop one another, getting at the warm sun.
On one of the shortest of the logs, I counted over 24 before I decided it
would be much more fun (and perhaps even more accurate than my remedial
math) if I just hyperbolized when I retold the encounter. It was definitely
a wonderful sight! On the way back off of the informal, I saw 2 very bold
all black squirrels looking for food.
Happy Birding!
Derek
