FALLOUT!

Wow -and when I thought nothing could top yesterday! I started at the Sykesville scrublands in Carroll Co. in hope for Blue-winged Warbler and other goodies. Lots of Yellow-breasted Chats (right), no less than four singing ALDER Flycathers, a migrant Lincoln's Sparrow, Wilson's Warbler, Yellow Warbler, and two Northern Waterthrushes.It soon became apparent that there was a strong overhead flight of warblers this morning, so I hurried to Soldier's Delight and boy was it busy!! The woods were dripping with warblers and thrushes and I had a hard time discerning the overlapping songs of Magnolias, Chestnut-sideds, Black-throated Greens and Blues, Blackburnians, Bay-breasteds (yes, there were several of them today as well - even two females!), Ovenbirds, Redstarts, and Black-and-Whites. I also saw both male and female Canada Warbler AND had a close encounter with a migrant MOURNING WARBLER;o) Last but not least, I also got great looks at a late migrant Blue-headed Vireo.

23 Wood-warbler Day!

After a successful morning at McKeldin I drove to Soldier's Delight in Baltimore Co. and added five more warbler species to the day's list: Prairie Warbler, Pine Warbler, Bay-breasted Warbler, Hooded Warbler and Yellow-breasted Chat!

Pair of Hooded Warblers
Male Black-throated Green Warbler
Male Black-throated Blue Warbler
One of FIVE male Bay-breasted Warblers seen hanging out by the closed off mine along the Choate Mine trail. Can't wait to see what tomorrow brings!

Warblers galore @ McKeldin

Worm-eating Warbler
Baby Brown-headed Cowbird

My day of birding got a late start this morning so I decided to go to the McKeldin area of Patapsco Valley SP. Between 8:00AM and 1:00PM I tallied 18 species of warblers!!!, all 4 expected species of wood-thrushes, 1 Yellow-bellied Flycatcher, plenty of Baltimore Orioles, Scarlet Tanagers, and Indigo Buntings. Also came across a newly-fledged Brown-headed Cowbird but never got to see its foster parents.

A magnificent male Northern Parula
Cerulean Warbler - a specialty at McKeldin
A second-year male Black-and-White Warbler (note the limited black in throat)

Before the storm

While walking the dogs in the humid and hot weather (90 degrees F /32 degrees C) and looming thunderclouds this afternoon I spotted two Common Nighthawks migrating north overhead. An hour sky watch from our deck before the rain and thunder hit yielded 12 more Nighthawks heading N!!

Patapsco Valley - The Oasis next door

I feel extremely fortunate to have such a beautiful wildlife corridor like the Patapsco river running right past our neighborhood. I have made a pledge to myself to do most of my birding locally this year, and what better place to do so that than in the vast woodlands along the Patapsco Valley. Every spring and fall we witness a strong flight of raptors, geese, loons and cormorants along the river corridor and the woods are filled with woodpeckers, flycatchers and wood-warblers; my favorite group of birds.