Migration has been slow in our yard although each day seemed to bring at least
one new bird. We had our first Ruby-throated Hummingbirds April 2 and now have
5 males and 3 females but have been puzzled at such a low number as usually by
this time we have at least 40 of them. Apparently the hummers took at
different path this year and missed us. The Orchard Orioles that nest across
the road arrived on the 14th and have been in the yard every day since – today
several migrating ones joined them in the tulip poplar tree in the yard.
Vireos have been in the yard each day for two weeks – Blue-headed,
Yellow-throated, White-eyed, and Red-eyed. Rose-breasted Grosbeaks appeared on
the 20th and are still here – 4 males and 3 females; a Blue Grosbeak made a
brief visit on the 22nd. A Great Blue Heron flew across on the 20th and that
same day Scarlet Tanagers – my favorite bird – brought blazing color to the
green leaves; Summer Tanagers came a few days later. A Yellow-billed Cuckoo
skulked silently into view on the 25th and gave good looks but no sounds. Yard
bird #144 came on the 19th when a little group of 3 Great Egrets flew right
over us. A Green Heron came over on the 22nd. Baltimore Orioles and a Gray
Catbird showed up on the 24th and in the next couple of days we saw our first
Chimney Swift, House Wren, Eastern Kingbird, Eastern Wood Peewee, Pine Siskins,
and Cedar Waxwings.
Warblers so far have been Black-and-White, Northern Parula, Palm, Common
Yellowthroat, Blue-winged, Yellow, Louisiana Waterthrush, Yellow-throated,
Pine, Tennessee, Yellow-breasted Chat, Cape May, Blackpoll, Black-throated
Green, and Yellow-rumped. This is a low springtime number for us but we hope
to see many more when we go to Magee Marsh in Ohio the second week of May. If
you’ve never been to this place on the south shore of Lake Erie where the birds
rest and eat before crossing the lake to their breeding grounds in Canada, we
highly recommend it. It is common for us to find almost 30 species of warblers
there in a couple of days of birding plus dozens of other migrants and what we
like most is the birds are so close to the boardwalk you can almost touch them.
Today was the best day of the spring for our yard. The Cape May Warbler was in
the tree near our deck for almost an hour giving stunning views but apparently
was camera shy as every time we got the camera focused it went back into the
leaves. At least a dozen Scarlet Tanagers arrived in groups of three or four
and ate rapidly before moving on and one pair of Summer Tanagers were in the
mix. Baltimore Orioles were everywhere we looked as about 7 of them ate
throughout the morning. We’ve had lots of migrating Blue Jays in our yard this
week and our resident 3 Blue Jays did not welcome them – at times the noise
sounded like a protest rally going on.
Tommy and Virginia Curtis
Smithville, Tennessee
DeKalb County
