Checking these Twice

 

Fledgling Northern Cardinal
brought into the feeder by dad yesterday

Fall migration is moving forward...and so are the birds...only southward. 

Because of this I check the Cornell resources below fairly frequently to see what might be passing through our area and when. My personal exciting finds do not always coincide with peak migration nights, but often they do.

Yesterday, or really this morning, I got a nice surprise when I reported a Nashville Warbler. They show up around here fairly often, but I was still happy to spot it in a small mixed flock of warblers over on the land bridge between the cow barn and the house yesterday afternoon. However, I had no idea that it was the first one reported in the county for the year until this morning when I checked the county eBird page.

Cool! Now to find a Canada Warbler. I have only ever seen a fleeting view of one, which I didn't report as it was indeed only seen for about half a second, and not very well. Necklace on breast is diagnostic but...

Swainson's Thrush in the Honey Locust

Anyhow, linky, links:

Migration forecast for home.

Migration forecast for the whole country

Who's flying when

Our county top 100 page

Right now I am just waiting for the sun to come up. When it does I will dry the dew off the lawn chair by the car with the good view of the old honey locust and the Winesap apple, and a partial view of the nearly dead blue spruce. I will park my butt there for a while and look up, usually getting a nice case of warbler neck.

Those three trees catch a lot of the insectivore traffic most mornings though so.... 

After I watch them for a while, if things get quiet, I will walk over to the the barn and maybe up the hill a bit, and then down the driveway. I think there is a rough average of around 26 species or so most mornings, with good days yielding over 30. 

The cow barnyard and the cluster of weeds down by the heifer yard gate are good for sparrows. Right now that is mostly Song Sparrows with a few Field Sparrows (cutest little things you ever saw) thrown in, but later you never know what you might see. I check there almost every day.

Sky's getting white in the East. It won't be long now.

Common Yellowthroat in the yard