Checking the Local Ponds ~ May 20, 2026

After a morning appointment, I checked Green Pond, finding 19 Snow Geese, which is less than what had been there. I don't know if some birds actually left or if they are falling prey to the local foxes. Other birds found there included a Killdeer, 3 Spotted Sandpipers, 5 Least Sandpipers, a Great Blue Heron, an Eastern Bluebird, and a pair of Eastern Kingbirds.

Eastern Kingbird

The next stop was at the Tatamy Exit retention pond, which produced 4 Killdeer, 3 Semipalmated Plovers, a Spotted Sandpiper, 13 Least Sandpipers, a 'fly-by' Great Blue Heron and Osprey, and 2 Northern Rough-winged Swallows.

Spotted Sandpiper

An Osprey was sitting on the nest along the Nazareth-Tatamy Road, and the Hollo Road retention pond held a Spotted Sandpiper, 4 Least Sandpipers, a Great Blue Heron, and 2 Northern Rough-winged Swallows.

In the early evening, my hummingbird feeder attracted a female and, later, a male.

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A Probable Golden-winged Warbler off National Park Drive ~ May 19, 2026

I again birded National Park Drive. I recorded Osprey, Pileated Woodpecker, Northern Flicker, Eastern Wood-Pewee, Eastern Phoebe, Great Crested Flycatcher, Yellow-throated and Red-eyed Vireo, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Brown Thrasher, Eastern Bluebird, Veery, Wood Thrush, Cedar Waxwing, Field and Chipping Sparrow, Baltimore Oriole, Scarlet Tanager, Indigo Bunting, and warblers that included Ovenbird, Blue-winged, Blackpoll, Black-and-white, and Hooded Warblers, Common Yellowthroat, American Redstart, and Northern Parula. A White-eyed Vireo was a pleasant surprise.

White-eyed Vireo

The other surprise was a probable Golden-winged Warbler. I say "probable" because I heard this bird singing the Golden-winged Warbler song for several minutes, but I never could visually find the bird. Unfortunately because of that, I couldn't positively rule out that this wasn't a Blue-winged or a hybrid singing a Golden-winged song. I have a Merlin recording that identified the bird as a Golden-winged eleven times!

The Tatamy Exit retention pond held 2 Killdeer, 4 Semipalmated Plovers, 9 Least Sandpipers, and 3 Northern Rough-winged Swallows.

A Semipalmated Plover showing the webbing between its toes, which is what "semipalmated" means.

Semipalmated Plover

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Eastern Whip-poor-wills Atop the Blue Ridge ~ May 18, 2026

My goal late today was to check for Eastern Whip-poor-wills on the Blue Ridge. First, I stopped at the Tatamy Exit retention pond and saw 3 Killdeer, 4 Semipalmated Plovers, a Spotted Sandpiper, a Lesser Yellowlegs, 24 Least Sandpipers, and 2 Northern Rough-winged Swallows.

I continued on up to the Katellen Trailhead, getting there around sunset, and started the roughly 3/4-mile hike up the side of the mountain. Along the way, I heard Pileated Woodpecker, Wood Thrush, and Scarlet Tanager. At 8:36 PM, just below the Leroy Smith Shelter, I heard the first Eastern Whip-poor-will starting its seemingly unending call. A second one started up soon after, and I'm pretty sure I heard a distant third one. After about 15 minutes there, I carefully descended back down to the car using a flashlight.

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Another Trek for Gray-cheeked Thrush ~ May 17, 2026

I started at Bear Swamp to see if I could find a Gray-cheeked Thrush. I walked the archery section and the boardwalk on the north side of the road, recording Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Red-shouldered Hawk, Hairy and Pileated Woodpecker, Great Crested Flycatcher, Yellow-throated and Red-eyed Vireo, Eastern Bluebird, Veery, Wood Thrush, Chipping and Swamp Sparrow, Ovenbird, Tennessee, Magnolia, Chestnut-sided, Northern Yellow, Black-and-white, Blackburnian, and Black-throated Green Warblers, Northern Waterthrush, Common Yellowthroat, American Redstart, and Northern Parula, but no Gray-cheeked.

While contining the search along National Park Drive, I found Chimney Swift, Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Cooper's Hawk, Pileated Woodpecker, Northern Flicker, Eastern Wood-Pewee, Acadian Flycatcher, Great Crested Flycatcher, Eastern Kingbird, Yellow-throated and Red-eyed Vireo, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Wood Thrush, another nice count of 11 Swainson's Thrushes, Chipping Sparrow, Baltimore Oriole, Scarlet Tanager, Indigo Bunting, and warblers that included Ovenbird, Worm-eating, Tennessee, Hooded, Magnolia, Blackpoll, Bay-breasted, Black-and-white, Blackburnian, Black-throated Green, Chestnut-sided, Yellow-rumped, Northern Parula, Common Yellowthroat, American Redstart, and Louisiana Waterthrush.

Ruby-throated Hummingbird

Swainson's Thrush

However, the best bird there was an Olive-sided Flycatcher that was perched on a snag along the road near the Slateford Falls area. I had just got done talking with Bob and Jennifer McBride, and they were driving away when I spotted this bird. Instead of getting photos of it, I hollered toward their car and the bird flew off, never to be refound even though I spent an additional 15 minutes looking for it. It had the big head, the dark vest with the white stripe down the middle, and the very short tail.

The Tatamy Exit retention pond contained 3 Killdeer, 3 Semipalmated Plovers, 21 Least Sandpipers, and 2 Northern Rough-winged Swallows while the Hollo Road retention pond held a Killdeer, a Spotted Sandpiper, a Least Sandpiper, and 2 Northern Rough-winged Swallows.

Of the 24 Snow Geese lingering at Green Pond, two of them appear to be "Lesser" Snow Geese. They are a bit smaller with shorter necks and smaller bills.

An apparent "Lesser" Snow Goose among the expected "Greater" Snow Geese.

Other birds noted in the Green Pond area included Killdeer, Spotted, Solitary, and Least Sandpiper, Northern Flicker, Eastern Kingbird, and Tree Swallow.

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A Morning With Northampton County Birders ~ May 16, 2026

At 6:30 AM, I met up with Adam Miller, Stephen Kloiber, Megan Davis, and Guy deBruyn to bird a few Upper Mount Bethel locations. We went to Bangor Vein Road to check for Prothonotary Warbler but found Canada Warbler, Northern Yellow Warbler, and Common Yellowthroat instead.

We then went to National Park Drive where we also ran into Mike and Corinne Schall. There, we found 55 species that included Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Chimney Swift, Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Osprey, Red-shouldered Hawk, Pileated Woodpecker, Eastern Wood-Pewee, Acadian and Least Flycatcher, Eastern Phoebe, Great Crested Flycatcher, Yellow-throated, Eastern Warbling, and Red-eyed Vireo, Tree Swallow, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Eastern Bluebird, Wood Thrush, Cedar Waxwing, American Goldfinch, Chipping and Field Sparrow, Baltimore Oriole, Scarlet Tanager, Indigo Bunting, and 17 species of warblers that included Ovenbird, Worm-eating, Blue-winged, Blackpoll, Blackburnian, Black-and-white, Bay-breasted, Hooded, Tennessee, Magnolia, Chestnut-sided, Yellow-rumped, Canada, Louisiana Waterthrush, Common Yellowthroat, American Redstart, and Northern Parula. There was also a nice count of 8 Swainson's Thrushes.

Swainson's Thrushes

And the following photo's orientation is correct. I saw this White-breasted Nuthatch hanging completely upside-down on an outer branch of a tree and got this photo of it.

White-breasted Nuthatch

Adam Miller and I then went to the Arrow Island Overlook and walked that loop, which produced Pileated Woodpecker, Eastern Phoebe, Red-eyed Vireo, Wood Thrush, Ovenbird, Hooded, Tennessee, and Northern Yellow Warbler, American Redstart, Northern Parula, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, and 4 more Swainson's Thrushes, raising the morning's total to 12.

The Tatamy Exit retention pond held a high count of 6 Semipalmated Plovers, a Killdeer, one Spotted and one Solitary Sandpiper, 3 Lesser Yellowlegs, and 21 Least Sandpipers. Two Spotted Sandpipers, 2 Lesser Yellowlegs, and a Least Sandpiper were at the Hollo Road retention pond.

Green Pond held 24 continuing Snow Geese. In the ponds along the paved path were 3 Killdeer, 7 Spotted Sandpipers, 2 Solitary Sandpipers, and 9 Least Sandpipers. Also in the area were Eastern Kingbird, Eastern Warbling Vireo, and Tree and Barn Swallow.

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Searching for a Gray-cheeked Thrush ~ May 15, 2026

Having seen almost all of the warbler species, I focused more on trying to find a Gray-cheeked Thrush. I went back to National Park Drive and checked some of the thrush habitats there. I found 3 Swainson's Thrushes but no Gray-cheeked. Also seen there were Pileated Woodpecker, Eastern Wood-Pewee, Yellow-throated and Red-eyed Vireo, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Veery, Wood Thrush, Scarlet Tanager, Indigo Bunting, and warblers that included Ovenbird, Tennessee, Magnolia, Bay-breasted, Blackpoll, Black-and-white, Yellow-rumped, American Redstart, Northern Parula, and Louisiana Waterthrush.

Red-eyed Vireo

A stop at Lake Minsi produced Double-crested Cormorant, Eastern Kingbird, Purple Martin, and 5 Bank Swallows and one Cliff Swallow among the Tree, Barn, and Northern Rough-winged Swallows.

At nearby Bear Swamp, I found Osprey, Hairy Woodpecker, Great Crested Flycatcher, Red-eyed Vireo, Common Raven, Eastern Bluebird, Veery, Wood Thrush, Ovenbird, Northern Waterthrush, Common Yellowthroat, American Redstart, and Magnolia Warbler.

The Tatamy Exit retention pond held 4 Semipalmated Plovers, 3 Spotted Sandpipers, 4 Lesser Yellowlegs, 19 Least Sandpipers, and 2 Northern Rough-winged Swallows.

There were still 26 Snow Geese at Green Pond. Also in the ponds along the paved path were 2 Spotted Sandpipers, 2 Solitary Sandpipers, 2 Greater Yellowlegs, one Least Sandpiper, and an Eastern Kingbird. A Great Blue Heron was in the wooded pond by the intersection.

Great Blue Heron

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Some Warblers, Swainson's Thrushes, and a Late Merlin ~ May 14, 2026

I started the day at the Kirkridge area and finally found a Cerulean Warbler there among Pileated Woodpecker, Great Crested Flycatcher, Yellow-throated Vireo, Wood Thrush, Black-and-white and Bay-breasted Warbler, American Redstart, and Scarlet Tanager.

I did a quick walk at Bear Swamp to look for thrushes. I was hoping for Gray-cheeked Thrush, but the only birds I had there were Wood Thrush, Louisiana Waterthrush, and an Ovenbird carring nesting material.

An Ovenbird with nesting material.

I drove all the way to the east end of National Park Drive and parked there. Again I was hoping for Gray-cheeked Thrush, so I walked a section of the woods that was favorable for them. I did find a bunch of thrushes, but they all had eye rings. I officially counted 7 Swainson's Thrushes, but there were probably more like nine.

Swainson's Thrush

While in the woods, I also heard Eastern Wood-Pewee, Great Crested Flycatcher, Wood Thrush, Scarlet Tanager, Ovenbird, Black-and-white and Tennessee Warbler, American Redstart, and Northern Parula.

I then walked back the divided road and along some of the back fields. Along the way, I saw Eastern Bluebird, American Goldfinch, Field and Chipping Sparrow, Baltimore Oriole, and a few Indigo Buntings, but the highlight there was a Prairie Warbler feeding in the brushy edge of the one field.

Prairie Warbler

Other notables found along the road on the way in and out included Eastern Phoebe, Yellow-throated and Red-eyed Vireo, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, and warblers that included Hooded, Blue-winged, Worm-eating, Magnolia, Bay-breasted, Yellow-rumped, Black-throated Green, Louisiana Waterthrush, and Common Yellowthroat.

On the way back, I walked a short section of the Plainfield Township Recreation Trail by Knitters Hill Road. Birds found there included Barn Swallow, Gray Catbird, Eastern Bluebird, Baltimore Oriole, Common Yellowthroat, Northern Yellow Warbler, and a calling Willow Flycatcher.

Willow Flycatcher

The Tatamy Exit retention pond held 4 Semipalmated Plovers, 2 Spotted Sandpipers, a Solitary Sandpiper, 3 Lesser Yellowlegs, 19 Least Sandpipers, and 2 Northern Rough-winged Swallows.

I counted 25 continuing Snow Geese at Green Pond. A Great Blue Heron and a Green Heron were also there. Birds in the ponds along the paved path included 9 Spotted Sandpipers, 10 Least Sandpipers, Eastern Kingbird, and one Bank Swallow among Tree, Barn, and Northern Rough-winged Swallows, but the surprise of the day was a late Merlin that came in and targeted the Least Sandpipers but came up empty.

Merlin

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