Mourning Morning

Blackburnian Warbler Setophaga fusca

Bay-breasted Warbler Setophaga castanea

Bay-breasted Warbler Setophaga castanea

Philadelphia Vireo Vireo philadelphicus

Eastern Wood-Pewee Contopus virens

American Robin Turdus migratorius

Turkey Vulture Cathartes aura

Eastern Cottontail Sylvilagus floridanus

Eastern Cottontail Sylvilagus floridanus

Mourning Warbler spot

NDG, May 23, 2026

Best of the morning was my first warbler of the day. Something dark flushed from next to a steep, damp wooded trail, and ended up in some deep undertangle. After a minute or so, it relocated, and I got a quick look at an elongated, elegant bird with a greenish back, grey head, and a yellow belly contrasting with a black bib. Mourning Warbler! After the briefest of moments, it vanished. I never saw it fly off, but it did not reappear in spite of a silent 30-minute stakeout. It was my first record of the enigmatic species for the site (Warbler #20, Species #86). It’s been 10 years since I saw one properly… https://snowyowllost.blogspot.com/2016/05/o-canada-warbler.html

-->Other stuff

-27 species in 2 hours

-13 degrees and overcast

-2 personal first-of-year vireos: a pair of Philadelphia Vireos chasing each other through the treetops, and the return of the Red-eyed Vireos

-Warblers: 1 Mourning Warbler, 2 American Redstart, 10+ Bay-breasted, 1 Black-throated Green, 1 Magnolia, 1 Blackburnian

-No Tennessee Warblers in spite of hearing them ‘all over NDG’ earlier in the week

-A pair of Eastern Wood-Pewees

-3 Blue Jays moving overhead

-Eye bugs in full effect

-4-5 active Eastern Cottontails

Warbler Wane

Cooper’s Hawk Accipiter cooperii

Turkey Vulture Cathartes aura

Black-throated Blue Warbler Setophaga caerulescens

Blue-headed Vireo Vireo solitarius

Eastern Phoebe Sayornis phoebe

Northern Flicker Colaptes auratus

Chimney Swift Chaetura pelagica

NDG, May 16

-‘Just’ 28 species in 2 hours (2 warblers)

-I know the warbler pulse is still fully underway - I just didn't spot many this morning

-12 degrees and sunny, felt cool…last of the cool

-The trees have almost fully leafed out

-The little bugs that fly into eye holes are have started back up

-Single ('solitary') Blue-headed Vireo on the way in was my first of the year

-One singing Eastern Phoebe

-A flyover Red-winged Blackbird was my first confirmed record for the site (Species #85)

-No warblers for most of the outing, until I heard a Yellow-rumped Warbler on the way out

-A block from home, in a small church park area, several Rose-breasted Grosbeak (1 male and 2 females) and a Black-throated Blue Warbler were a nice way to cap off the walk. The Grosbeaks flew off in a hurry, whereas the warbler lingered high in the treetop, snatching at insects. I called Rose-breasted Grosbeaks ‘Cutthroat Finches.’

Warbler Shrapnel

Blackburnian Warbler Setophaga fusca

Black-throated Blue Warbler Setophaga caerulescens

Yellow-rumped Warbler Setophaga coronata

Magnolia Warbler Setophaga magnolia

Magnolia Warbler Setophaga magnolia

Magnolia Warbler Setophaga magnolia

Black-and-white Warbler Mniotilta varia

Black-and-white Warbler Mniotilta varia

Nashville Warbler Leiothlypis ruficapilla

Northern Cardinal Cardinalis cardinalis

Warbling Vireo Vireo gilvus

Chipping Sparrow Spizella passerina

Pileated Woodpecker Dryocopus pileatus

Blue Jay Cyanocitta cristata

Northern Flicker Colaptes auratus

Mallard Anas platyrhynchos

Canada Goose Branta canadensis

Woodchuck/Groundhog/Siffleur Marmota monax

Sleepy thumbs-up - yay birds

Nettle babies

NDG, May 9, 2026

-The second week of May is a high holy holiday for birders, so I set out proper early to see if I could pick up any warbler shrapnel from the mountain…and found it!

-Started clear and 5 degrees at dawn…gloves were needed…it was cool in the breeze but I didn’t feel a thing, amidst the scorching heat of shimmering waves of white-hot warblers

-Quickly cooled and clouded, and by 7:15am it was pretty quiet

-Grey Catbird heard on the way in (2nd for the site)

-Warbling Vireo singing (I wonder if they will nest there again this summer)

-10+ White-throated Sparrow, 40+ Chipping Sparrows

-8 Ruby-crowned Kinglets

-19 Blue Jays headed north

-1 Red-breasted nuthatch

-1 Pileated Woodpecker chopping at a tree

-1 Chimney Swift

-9 warbler species

-2nd warbler wave consisted of mostly Yellow-rumped Warblers, with a few Nashville (2nd most abundant warbler on the day) sprinkled in, headed due north

-Walked out with a huge grin

-33 species in 2.5 hours

Warblers 9:

-Blackburnian Warbler (2 – I got swooped by one, it was awesome)

-Magnolia Warbler (3)

-Tennessee Warbler (1)

-Yellow-rumped Warbler (20+)

-Ovenbirds singing (2 – my 84th species for the site, 19th warbler species)

-Black-throated Blue Warbler (1 male)

-Nashville Warbler (8)

-Black-and-white Warbler (1)

-Yellow Warbler (1)

Brollybirding

Eastern Bluebird Sialia sialis

Eastern Bluebird Sialia sialis with Yellow-Rumped Warbler Setophaga coronata

Yellow-Rumped Warbler Setophaga coronata

Song Sparrow Melospiza melodia

(with nesting material)

White-throated Sparrow Zonotrichia albicollis

Chipping Sparrow Spizella passerina

Northern Flicker Colaptes auratus

Mallard Anas platyrhynchos

Eastern Grey Squirrel Sciurus carolinensis

The Rain Tree

Flower Moon

NDG, May 2, 2026

-Spring migration continues, as is tradition

-Steady rain in the early morn, 4 degrees then warming, cozygloomy

-21 species in 1hr 45min

-Birding with an umbrella is surprisingly easy, after some physical humour false starts – it’s all about balance

-A pair of Eastern Bluebirds was nice to see in the rain, my second (third?) record of this species at the site

-A respectable trickle of Yellow-rumped Warblers on the way in, high single digits

-Three dozen Chipping Sparrows, vocal and bold

-Song Sparrows building nests and acting territorial in several spots

-Several White-throated Sparrows and Dark-eyed Juncos about

-Ruby-crowned Kinglets on the edges

-A few Northern Flickers, but numbers are down

-Cooper’s Hawk and House Finch on the way out

NDG, May 5

-First-of-year Chimney Swift down by the tracks (last year's personal FOY CHSW was on May 6)