Indigo Bunting
I went over to the trail this afternoon, and spent an hour there between 3:30 and 4:30. It was hot, muggy, and buggy. There wasn't any breeze, and a weak cold front was supposed to be moving through the area. Given the poor birding of the past few days, and the mid-afternoon time, I didn't expect to see many birds. However, there were quite a few birds on the trail, and I ended up with 20 species, even with spending about ten minutes under some trees during a light rain shower. The birds must have been moving through ahead of the weather front.
Indigo Bunting
Ruby-thraoted Hummingbird
Field Sparrow
Field Sparrow
Orchard Oriole
Common Raven
Common Raven
I got to the trail a little after 9:00 a.m. this morning with great expectations. The sky was bright and clear, the temperature was 68 degrees, and there was a light northeasterly wind. I wondered what birds might have been blown into the area. But I ended up walking through more spider webs than birds seen - only 16 species, and mostly only one or two of each of the species. Best bird on the trail this morning was a Yellow-throated Vireo. Where were all the birds?
Yellow-throated Vireo and Tufted Titmouse
Yellow-throated Vireo
Carolina Wren
When I got home, I decided to take a short hike here because the weather was so nice. I was surprised to see 23 species on this short hike, including 13 species that I had not seen on the trail earlier in the morning. Near the end of my street I encountered a small, mixed warbler flock: American Redstart, Blackburnian, Black and White, and Magnolia. When I got home there were a lot of birds flying high on the trees above my garage, including a Baltimore Oriole. Where were all the birds - there's no place like home.
American Redstart
American Redstart
American Redstart
Blackburnian Warbler
Black and White Warbler
Magnolia Warbler
Baltimore Oriole
This Downy Woodpecker had unusual facial markings.