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