Early Morning Birdy

Cooper’s Hawk Accipiter cooperii

Black-throated Green Warbler Setophaga virens

Yellow-rumped Warbler Setophaga coronata

Red-eyed Vireo Vireo olivaceus

Ruby-crowned Kinglet Regulus calendula

White-throated Sparrow Zonotrichia albicollis

American Robin Turdus migratorius

Pileated Woodpecker Dryocopus pileatus

NDG, September 22, 2025

-Sunny and cool (7 warming to 14)

-30ish species encountered in 2 hours

-At least 6 Black-throated Green Warbler

-1 Magnolia Warbler

-3 Yellow-rumped Warbler

-1 possible Blackpoll Warbler

-A Blue Jay heard

-Single-digit numbers of White-throated, Chipping, and Song Sparrows

-At least a dozen Dark-eyed Juncos

-A Single Red-eyed Vireo was moving with the warblers (perhaps not one of the local breeders?)

-Quick looks at a thrush that was most likely Swainson’s, but I did get brief Grey-cheeked vibes

-Two Eastern Phoebes squabbled in a small woods

-A single Ruby-crowned Kinglet on the way out was the last species recorded on the day

Autumn begins in NDG, September 13, 2025

Chestnut-sided Warbler Setophaga pensylvanica

Chestnut-sided Warbler Setophaga pensylvanica

Gray Catbird Dumetella carolinensis

Gray Catbird Dumetella carolinensis

American Crow Corvus brachyrhynchos

Started slow, but got on some definite signs of autumnal movement in the shadier bits.

A skulky young Gray Catbird was my first for the site (81st species), and my second moqueur at this spot – only need one more for the set – looking at you, Moqueur polyglotte.

18 species in 2 hours, 14 degrees, overcast, winds calm, felt humid.

Also of note:

-Two Swainson’s Thrush.

-The return of Dark-eyed Juncos.

-A White-throated Sparrow with the juncos.

-Single Black-throated Green and Chestnut-sided Warblers were hard work, and I surely missed IDs on a few others, backlit and darty little bastids.

-Four Northern Flickers moving together.

-An upslurred little whistle in the tchway range had me puzzling (Purple Finch? Flycatcher? Tanager? Grosbeak?). I'll figure it out some other day.

Mount Royal Cemetery, September 6, 2025

Magnolia Warbler Setophaga magnolia

Cooper’s Hawk Accipiter cooperii

Merlin Falco columbarius
American Crow Corvus brachyrhynchos

Northern Flicker Colaptes auratus

Did a 3-hour circuit of the Cem with George and Harry, two Saturdays gone.

Started really slow, with no birds, no nothing, anywhere.

Eventually got onto a thin trickle of warblers on ‘Townsend’s Solitaire Ridge’ (G3/G4). There were at least seven Magnolias, along with small numbers of Black-and-white, Blackburnian, Cape May, and a possible Wilson’s.

American Crows were mixing it up with resident Merlins and Cooper’s Hawks.

Still some Eastern Bluebirds and Grey Catbirds around, and a singing REVI on the way out.

Sprinkled on and off, with fairly high winds at times, overcast with flat light.

Many trees were down in the cemetery as a result of some recent strong winds.

Ended up with 21 species.

Rainbirding NDG, August 30

American Redstart Setophaga ruticilla

Song Sparrow Melospiza melodia

-Rainy and 13 - lovely out if you ask me.

-Started slow, but got on a thin warbler trickle in some dense woods. Two American Redstarts and a Black-throated Green Warbler were briefly but well seen, before they lasered through the treetops, as warblers do.

-Had to work for the birds in the rain – really dig through the deep tangles.

-Strong winds made getting on contact calls difficult.

-No sign of the Red-eyed Vireos that oversummer in this location.

-Haven’t seen a Chimney Swift since August 16.

-11 species in 90 minutes.