This was the day to be at Monticello Park!
Like Marc found at the War Memorial, the birds were *everywhere*
today! At times, the bird calls were nearly deafening and I was
having a hard time even concentrating, let alone being able to pick
out which birds were calling when.
Upon entering the park, my first bird was a bathing BLACK THROATED
GREEN WARBLER. But that was quickly overshadowed by a new lifer for
me - a bathing (and even closer!) BAY BREASTED WARBER! It was truely
an exhilerating experience (and here I was so thrilled with the
black-throated green!). Folks were nearby and were able to come over
and see it too before it was done drying off and flew away.
A second lifer quickly followed as someone identified a GREY-CHECKED
THRUSH. It definately didn't have an eye ring like the SWAINSONS
THRUSH (of which a pair were seen later), and it was definately
plain. We also all got good views of it.
I hadn't even made it to the bridge yet (barely in the park!) and a
YELLOW WABLER came streamside to wash up.
Walking deeper into the park, the deafening call was due mainly to
the BLACKPOLL WABLERS (many in the stream) which were almost as
numerous as the YELLOW RUMP WABLERS (a few present today) were a
couple weeks ago. (Yellow/female) AMERICAN REDSTARTS were a fairly
common sight as well. NORTHERN WATERTHRUSH played creekside as well.
BLACK-THROATED BLUE WABLERS were singing as well, but I only saw
females, though I heard someone say they saw a male.
Tragically late to work, I tried to escape the park with my head
down. But, every birder knows it's pointless to try to ignore the
birds! I caught a fleeting glimpse of a CANADA WABLER in the stream
(hear reports of them being present). Crossing the bridge trying to
leave the park, nature again was working against me as 3 SCARLET
TANAGERS (2 males and 1 female) bathed leisurely. What a sight!
10 feet from my car (and in the same place I was when I saw the
bay-breasted), a male BALTIMORE ORIOLE perched just a branch or two
below an EASTERN BLUEBIRD (apparently rather rare for the heavily
forested park).
With quick looks at both, I escaped as fast as I could, for fear I'd
never get to work!
What a wonderful Spring day!
-Renee Grebe
Alexandria, VA
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