Squall birding

Rose-breasted Grosbeak Pheucticus ludovicianus

Northern Cardinal Cardinalis cardinalis

Indigo Bunting Passerina cyanea

Black-and-white Warbler Mniotilta varia

Chestnut-sided Warbler Setophaga pensylvanica

Ovenbird Seiurus aurocapilla

Cape May Warbler Setophaga tigrina
(in one of the dead trees by the south entrance)

Mount-Royal Cemetery, (Notre-Dame-des-Neiges Cemetery), September 2, 2019

  Spent 2:00-6:00 P.M. in the cemeteries today, and got thoroughly precipitated upon for the first hour. The sun cracked through after a bit, which brought the bugs out in force, followed closely by the birds.

  The first warbler wave hit in the north end of the NDNC, and there were signs of three more distinct waves in the MRC, all vizzing south. Other highlights included a Yellow-bellied Flycatcher, close looks at Rose-breasted Grosbeaks, eight Cedar Waxwings, and two young Indigo Buntings where the species breeds in the NDNC.

  The mystery of the day went down in Oak Ridge, when I heard a brief and distant trilling/clucking call coming from the NDNC that sounded suspiciously like a Black-billed Cuckoo. The call wasn’t heard again, but an American Crow was heard from the area shortly after – perhaps the first call was mimicry or a crow being a weird jerk?

  The day ended with 34 species, 11 of which were warblers:

Northern Parula- (1 along the north field)

Chestnut-sided Warbler- 3 (3)

Magnolia Warbler- 8 well-dispersed, (3)

Cape May Warbler- 1 (1)

Black-throated Blue Warbler- 1 male in Mountain View

Black-throated Green Warbler- 6 in various spots, (4)

Yellow-rumped Warbler- (1)

Bay-breasted Warbler- 1 on the eastern slope down from Mount Murray

Black-and-white Warbler- (1 along the north field)

American Redstart- 3 (1)

Ovenbird- 2 in the woods just north of Mountain View, along the fence-line where they always seem to reliably end up.