Stoney Creek (Wintergreen) 8/8/11

All photos are © Marshall Faintich


After returning from the UK, all of the errands that needed to be done, the high heat and high humidity, and the off and on rain, kept me from birding. I ventured out this morning around 9:00 here in Stoney Creek. The humidity was still high, but at least it had not gotten so hot at this time. I didn't expect to see too much.

There were quite a few Bluebirds, and some Cardinals, Crows, Carolina Chickadees, American Goldfinches, and Canada Geese. Just after I said to myself that it was time to head home as I wasn't going to see anything of unusual interest, I looked to my left while walking along the small pine forest at the end of Sawmill Creek Drive, and there was a Yellow-billed Cuckoo just a few feet away from me. Only the second one I have seen, and as far as I know, the first one seen here in Stoney Creek.


Yellow-billed Cuckoo


Yellow-billed Cuckoo

A few minutes later, I saw a female Scarlet Tanager high up in a tree.


Female Scarlet Tanager

As I approached my house, I could hear a Yellow-billed Cuckoo calling from a tree across the street. I couldn't see it, but it kept calling and then got some return calls from far away. As I walked down the driveway to my house, there were a pair of Hairy Woodpeckers. Not a bad hike for hot and humid August morning.


Hairy Woodpecker



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