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| Red-eyed Vireo Vireo olivaceus |
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| juvenile American Robin Turdus migratorius |
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| juvenile American Robin Turdus migratorius |
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| juvenile Chipping Sparrow Spizella passerina |
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| Gray Catbird Dumetella carolinensis |
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| Boing! |
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| Indigo Bunting Passerina cyanea |
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| Zoom! |
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| Yellow-throated Vireo Vireo flavifrons |
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| Whoosh! |
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| Eastern Phoebe Sayornis phoebe |
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| Turkey Vulture Cathartes aura |
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| Turkey Vulture Cathartes aura |
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| Ruby-throated Hummingbird Archilochus colubris |
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| Eastern Chipmunk Tamias striatus |
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| Judgemental Groundhog |
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| Interesting view of 'crown shyness' |
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| Gnome traps are cruel, and must be banned |
Mount-Royal Cemetery, July 7, 2021
Knocked the dust off the binos yesterday, to see what was kicking around in Mount-Royal Cemetery. We logged 29 species in five hours, under cloudy skies, and lovely room temperature weather with periods of non-rain rain.
The juvenile birds were everywhere. Young Chipping Sparrows were seen jousting with Gypsy Moths. Red-eyed Vireos and Great Crested Flycatchers were also getting after the moths, and I noticed several duels between adult and juvenile birds of those two species. I’m guessing they were being forcefully weened. Maybe the super-abundance of Gypsy Moths is leading some birds to push for an opportunistic second brood?
In several areas, juveniles of several species were testing out their wings in what I call ‘nurseries.’ These are small, enclosed wooded areas with tight canopy cover, where the younglings toddled around under cover, while adult birds perched up top, looking bored, yet alert.
Other highlights: Turkey Vultures feeding on Groundhogs, a Yellow-throated Vireo seen by the apple trees on Mountain View, and a Black-billed Cuckoo briefly heard up by Pine Hill Side, before the mowers started up.
