051720 Male Orchard Oriole
Eastern Kingbird
This was an average day with a little over two miles covered, about as far as the rest area. The most noteworthy item was the Bald Eagle. Three Eastern and five Western Kingbirds were counted, as well as the Bell's Vireo around the Cove. Winds were from the NNW at 14 mph and the forty-two Cedar Waxwings were picking mulberries like fiends. There are several more trees and bushes producing fruit this year, feeding more birds than last year. One Green Heron was counted, just passing and eyeballing The Cove with no real time spent trying to find Green Heron nests. One immature American Robin was found in a bald cypress, and all the common birds are nesting.
It was ironic that the Eastern and Western Kingbirds and Scissor-tailed Flycatchers (all flycatchers) were actually not perching far from one another. They are behaving like non-breeders at this point, like they would be on their wintering grounds. If they had eggs and young, they would not be this social!
Immature American Robin
Traill's Flycatcher #1
Traill's Flycatcher #3
Yellow Warbler
Double-crested Cormorant
Female Orchard Oriole
Great Crested Flycatcher
Immature American Robin #2
Today started off very well, a little cooler than the day before, winds from the north at 8 mph with a flat barometer. Expecting to see activity, I was not disappointed. A pair of Eastern Kingbirds were found at Heron Cove, along with a few Yellow Warblers, a couple of Barn Swallows were moving through the area, and there were a handful of Cliff Swallows. Looking at the side of the Lakeview Road Bridge, there were few mud nests, which is unusual. No Green Herons were seen or heard today. On the return trip home, writer even went to the waters edge, but saw none of the Green Herons.
Cedar Waxwings mostly picked all ripe mulberries, but there were a forgotten few that immature American Robins ate. Usually they are on a strict protein diet, but the three that I have seen are well flighted, and at least two birds (one above) are losing their juvenal plumage. This bird is a good five weeks old.
There are still several Least Flycatchers still with us, as well as three Black Terns that were found well before 0700. Four Turkey Vultures were riding early thermals, and both European Starlings and Great-tailed Grackles have young that are successfully making their way in the world foraging for their own food. Five Fish Crows had their morning meeting, splitting into two groups. Both Baltimore and Orchard Orioles have been represented in their new trees. The Baltimore Oriole used to nest in the large oak by the east restrooms, but now it appears that the Orchard Orioles are there now, and one pair of Western Kingbirds are possibly not going to nest on a wooden telephone pole this year.
Today we had four Bell's Vireos! One at Heron Cove, a pair just north of the culvert drainoff to Boomer Lake across from the Kicker offices. These two were performing the chase ritual, and the historic male (who could also be paired, as he is usually the first to be as well as the eldest with the best territory). There is a bit of a story with that. Last year the tall metal power poles were put in, which destroyed some of the original territory. This pair then moved over to west of the Kicker offices. The assumption is that the original pair returned to the main territory, while the young male returned to to his birthplace and just found himself a mate and is now courting her.
Also within this active area today was a traditional Warbling Vireo pair, a pair of Common Yellowthroats with a very active female today, multiple Yellow Warblers, a late Yellow-rumped Warbler, and a Least Flycatcher. I believe there was another flycatcher in the top of the cottonwoods, but he didn't call and my view wasn't good enough to be able to get a halfway decent glance. Therefore, I was unable to count an assumption.
A trip was also made to the wooded area north of Airport Road. No Swainson's Thrushes were found, but a late Eastern Towhee was sounding off, though unseen. There were also Northern Cardinals, Yellow Warblers, Great-tailed Grackles, and European Starlings in the wood, as well as a Mallard Drake. It was pretty quiet out there this morning.
Flycatchers can be so confusing, especially if they don't vocalize. Today there are three photos posted as I wasn't sure which flycatcher I had and it was necessary to get shots from as many angles as possible to try to determine what the bird was. It was either a Willow or an Alder Flycatcher, which are both in this area now. It was last year (I think) that I photographed the willow, which was south of this location at the beginning of this two acre land plot. It made sense. This year, I finally was able to capture the Traill's, which is what both species were once called, until they were renamed Willow and Alder Flycatchers. As of now, I'm still trying to get a photograph of the Alder Flycatcher, which will happen sooner or later. Unless these species vocalize, it is impossible to determine what they are.
On the return trip, there was a nice male Double-crested Cormorant with his crests that was photographed.
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