From the moment I stepped out of my car, the scene before me was stunning. Early this morning the air was cool, fall-like. But I could feel the warmth of the rising sun to my back. And I could see how the leaves of the trees glistened in the morning sun, with the deepest of blue skies behind them. Glistened, but without the slightest movement. The air was perfectly still. What I witnessed reminded me of a photograph, with everything frozen in time. The silence was almost deafening. Until some branches in a thick shrub suddenly moved, making the slightest sound. Raising my bins I saw the cause: a male Mourning Warbler. Looking for all the world like a spring male, with a vibrant black throat. Seeming to enjoy the sun himself momentarily. Reminding me of warbler fever, four short months ago. And then, just as quickly, he disappeared. True to form for a skulker. But as I stood in my tracks, a Common Yellowthroat made an appearance, followed by a female Black-and-white Warbler. Soon a Tennessee Warbler flew in, followed by an adult male Chestnut-sided Warbler - a blank look to his expression, being void of the black facial markings of spring, yet sporting the tell-tale chestnut sides and flanks. (Not a bad fashion statement.) Other leaves twitched here and there, revealing the flash of white wing bars of a Blue-winged Warbler, and the flicking tail of a female American Redstart. No songs of course. Except for a brief "Witchety-witchety" from the Yellowthroat. And then the parade of fall warblers on the move was broken by a Blue-gray Gnatcatcher. That's when it finally dawned on me that the woods was really alive with the vocalizations of many other birds: Downy Woodpeckers, Eastern Wood-Pewees, American Robins, Swainson's Thurshes, White-breasted Nuthatches ... and Black-capped Chickadees which were now buzzing all around me, "Chick, chick, chick-a-deeing" for all they were worth. That's when it also dawned on me that from the moment I'd gotten out of my car, I had not moved as much as an inch. I'd been spell-bound, as if my feet were locked in concrete. The warblers, aided by the brilliance of this particular morning, had cast their spell on me. The "great stand" was all I needed. A 5-10 minute island of tranquility before heading off for work. A great way to start another day. Wayne Rohde Walworth, WI #################### You received this email because you are subscribed to the Wisconsin Birding Network (Wisbirdn). To UNSUBSCRIBE or SUBSCRIBE, use the Wisbirdn web interface at: //www.freelists.org/list/wisbirdn. To set DIGEST or VACATION modes, use the Wisbirdn web interface at: //www.freelists.org/list/wisbirdn. Visit Wisbirdn ARCHIVES at: //www.freelists.org/archives/wisbirdn.