050520 Cinco de Mayo By the Migrants

050220                                            Male First Summer Orchard Oriole

                                                                  American Bullfrog

050420                                                    Neotropic Cormorants

                                                                  Carolina Chickadee
                                                                           View 1

                                                                   Carolina Chickadee
                                                                            View 2

                                                                  Carolina Chickadee
                                                                             View 3

                                                               Rose-breasted Grosbeak

050420

There was plenty of activity today with plenty of Yellow Warblers, Savannah Sparrows, an Eastern Phoebe, Spotted Sandpipers,  a Forster's Tern, and our lone Least Sandpiper.   Cedar Waxwings were all over the area eating mulberries on the south and central part of Boomer Lake, while the White-winged Dove came out of its neighborhood to perch upon the new high wires.  We even had more Cliff Swallows than Barn Swallows, and they gave great views at the end of Shorebird Jetty.

We've moved up to at least two Least Flycatchers, are up to three Eastern Kingbirds, and five Western Kingbirds.  Two Neotropic Cormorants were on their normal snag off Goose island sunning themselves.

There are two Mallard families, and more than enough going on where there are ripe mulberries, which means that the migrant fruit eaters are getting their fills.  That also means that raptors like the Red-shouldered Hawk that was out today is finding numbers of songbirds to attempt to prey upon.

A pair of Greater Roadrunners were a sight for sore eyes in the Kicker field.  This is where our lone resident Killdeer is also hanging its hat since we have no available gravel or bare cement for camouflaged eggs.

The male Bell's Vireo was back to protecting his territory by the northeast martin house.

I was first greeting by a very social Carolina Chickadee that gave several poses, along with Swainson's Thrush, Northern Cardinal, and the Rose-breasted Grosbeak activity dining upon the mulberries that were ripe or close to it.

The Pileated, Red-bellied, and Northern Flicker were not far from all the action.

The longer that I waited, the more birds I heard in the woods, like the White-eyed Vireo, Great Crested Flycatcher, Northern Parula, Indigo Bunting, Blue Grosbeak,  Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Ruby Crowned Kinglet, and Prothonotary Warbler.  It was birdy, pleasantly breezy, and all was well until the Red-shouldered Hawk that I spied going into the Kicker field earlier, showed up here.  Prior to its arrival, many of the mentioned birds exited south, and an Ovenbird and Kentucky Warbler were even flushed.  The Red-shoulder was first seen on the ground, but missed whatever it was, then came right past me.  It was probably what saved the warblers.

When it left, also heading south, I knew my chances for more photos were over for. while.  The hawk was on the power lines and while I was readying to get a shot of it, it headed further north by the northeast martin house and planted itself there.  All ten Purple Martins were in the sky dive bombing it, and as I came around, it again fled, perching a little north while it again perched on the low power lines.  Round the bend, it headed back to Kicker.  I don't think the juvenile got anything to eat during all that action.

However, it was a 60 species morning for me and I added the Ovenbird and Kentucky Warbler to my numbers today.