Normally our best yard birds are seen in the morning, – only a Hermit Thrush
and White-eyed Vireo today - but this afternoon was the most unusual we’ve ever
experienced. Starting about 12:30 and continuing until about 2:00 there were
birds feeding all over the yard, most of them in groups. Well over a dozen
Tennessee Warblers were eating in the weeds along the edge of the yard while at
least ten Palm Warblers were in the front yard on the ground and in the
Bradford Pear trees. Also in the weeds in the back and south of the house were
four Common Yellowthroats, one Nashville and one Magnolia Warbler and six
Rose-breasted Grosbeaks. The most amazing sight to us was twelve Gray Catbirds
in a single bush right beside the deck; normally our resident pairs of Catbirds
and Mockingbirds eat from this berry bush all fall and winter but we had never
seen this many Catbirds in one place at one time. When the activity ended we
were both exhausted from constantly moving from the front windows to the side
window and then to the back window but it was a happy tired.
Tommy & Virginia Curtis
Smithville, TN
DeKalb County