Wow! The past two days at the NY Monuments area have been great. Yesterday,
between 7:30 a.m. and 8:45 a.m. my head was spinning...birds everywhere. Same
thing today...I call it wonderfully chaotic. I know I missed so many birds, but
I did come up with 12 species of warblers (Cape May, Bay-breasted,
Blackburnian, Magnolia, Pine, Blackpoll, BTG, Blk & White, Am. Redstart, C.
Yellowthroat, N. Parula, and Chestnut-sided) yesterday and today I had 10 (Cape
May,
Bay-breasted, Pine, Tennessee, BTG, Am. Redstart, Magnolia, CYT, N. Parula, and
Palm (yellow and western). Not quite as busy as yesterday, but impressive
nonetheless. Best birds today were YELLOW-BELLIED FLYCATCHER and PHILADELPHIA
VIREO.
I've seen my third Y-b flycatcher here this fall and second Philly Vireo. This
is the spot for these birds! The edge just north of the power line is
especially favored by many species of flycatchers. Two Yellow-bellied
Sapsuckers
arrived yesterday, one today. Ruby-crowned Kinglets (Big-eyed Guys) have been
out
in force since yesterday. Today, the first JUNCOS were seen along with a
handful of Blue-headed Vireos. Scarlet Tanagers seemed to be
everywhere...probably
a dozen or so. On Fri., I had a Scarlet Tanager, Swainson's Thrush, and
Gray-cheeked Thrush in the same binoc field. E. Phoebes are numerous now with
only a
few E. Pewees and Traill's. Legions of Blue Jays were filling the skies
throughout the morning. Lots of Brown Thrashers, Gray Catbirds, Am. Robins, and
N.
Flickers in and around the field. Swainson's and Wood Thrush both days, along
with Red-eyed and White-eyed Vireos. A half dozen Rose-breasted Grosbeaks and
Indigo Buntings seen both days. An adult Red-headed Woodpecker posed nicely on
a dead snag for five minutes. A Sharpie cruised the field on my way out.
Over behind the Battlefield Visitor's Center, a Winter Wren was heard and a
Common Raven was seen/heard lazily flying across a field. Three Am. Kestrels
were lined up on a power line near a barn.
Fall is in the air...I broke out the gloves and wool socks yesterday!
Laura Catterton
Manassas, Virginia
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