Before I report on today's birding trip, here's a photo of the three Red-shouldered Hawk chicks in the nest my back yard taken on June 6, 2012. They have really grown in the last month.
Red-shouldered Hawk chicks
June 8, 2012
Walt Childs and I started out at Mint Springs Park, and hiked part of the fire trail looking for warblers. We saw male and female American Redstarts, and heard a few Kentucky Warblers, but the tree canopies were so thick that it was difficult to locate birds singing in the trees. We did log about 16 species in and near the park.
Red-eyed Vireo
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Red-tail Hawk
We then headed over to the Western Ridge (Lickinghole Creek) trail and lake to see what might be there, and saw another 15 or so species for the morning. Most of these bird species have been there in previous trips during the past few weeks, but a Pine Warbler was a new addition. The highlight was clearly the nesting Bald Eagle that made some close approaches to us.
Pine Warbler
Male Orchard Oriole
Killdeer
Green Heron
Common Grackle harassing a Turkey Vulture
Eastern Kingbird
Bald Eagle
Bald Eagle
Bald Eagle
Bald Eagle
Bald Eagle
Bald Eagle