Little Gap and a Pond Run ~ September 29, 2026

It's getting late for a Connecticut Warbler, but I tried again this morning at Little Gap. It was still cool and cloudy as the nor'easter hadn't moved away far enough. I had no luck with the Connecticut, but I did see 5 Sharp-shinned Hawks, an adult Bald Eagle, 2 Northern Flickers, an Eastern Phoebe, 2 Red-eyed Vireos and a Blue-headed Vireo, 3 Common Ravens, 2 Ruby-crowned Kinglets, a Brown Creeper, a Northern House Wren, 5 Ovenbirds, a Scarlet Tanager, and warblers that included 3 Northern Parulas, 3 Cape Mays, a Black-throated Blue, and a Black-throated Green Warbler.

Eastern Phoebe

Scarlet Tanager

Black-throated Blue Warbler

Black-throated Green Warbler

Heading back home, I checked out the Regency Boulevard retention ponds, which held 2 Green-winged Teal, a Wood Duck, a Pied-billed Grebe, around 25 Tree Swallows and 8 Northern Rough-winged Swallows, and around 20 American Goldfinches.

Green-winged Teal

Wood Duck

Pied-billed Grebe

The Trio Farms Boulevard retention ponds held a Double-crested Cormorant, a Pied-billed Grebe, and a Great Blue Heron among the Canada Geese and Mallards.

Pied-billed Grebe

Over at Green Pond, I found a Great Blue Heron, 2 Northern Flickers, a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, a male and a female American Kestrel, an Eastern Phoebe, 11 Blue Jays, 21 Northern Rough-winged Swallows, 2 Eastern Bluebirds, 9 Cedar Waxwings, a Yellow-rumped Warbler, and a Black-throated Green Warbler.

A male (left) and a female (right) American Kestrel.

A female American Kestrel.

Cedar Waxwing

Yellow-rumped Warbler

I also saw a Rock Pigeon that had a green band on its left leg.

A banded Rock Pigeon.

The last stop was at the Newburg Road retention pond where one Greater Yellowlegs remained along with 3 Tree Swallows.

Greater Yellowlegs

The grassy field between the pond and the hospital held 21 Killdeer and 16 Horned Larks.

Killdeer

Horned Larks

---

Storm Birding ~ September 27, 2026

I checked out some areas to see if the "nor'easter" might have pushed some coastal birds into our area. The Newburg Road retention pond held a Greater Yellowlegs, a Great Blue Heron, 4 Killdeer, a Belted Kingfisher, 3 Eastern Bluebirds, 2 Palm Warblers, and a 'fly-by' Lesser Black-backed Gull.

Lesser Black-backed Gull

Two Wood Ducks were present at Green Pond along with a Solitary Sandpiper.

Wood Ducks

Solitary Sandpiper

Between the two retention ponds along the paved path, I found a Northern Flicker, 3 Eastern Phoebes, an Indigo Bunting, and a nice count of 13 Eastern Bluebirds.

A Northern Flicker showing its yellow feather shafts.

Indigo Bunting

Eastern Bluebird

---

The Ponds Route ~ September 25, 2026

After an eye doctor appointment, I drove up to the Regency Boulevard retention ponds. The south pond held 2 Green-winged Teal. I walked along the wooded edge along Steuben Road and found my first Yellow-bellied Sapsucker and Lincoln's Sparrow of the season, but was unable to get a photo of either one. Also found there were an Eastern Wood-Pewee, an Eastern Phoebe, a Northern House Wren, some Gray Catbirds and American Goldfinches, a Chipping Sparrow, a Red-winged Blackbird, a Blackburnian Warbler, and a few Indigo Buntings.

A female Indigo Bunting.

The Silver Crest Road pond had a Great Blue Heron and about 250 more Canadas.

The Trio Farms Boulevard retention ponds held 2 Double-crested Cormorants among around 250 Canada Geese.

Over at Green Pond, the 6 Snow Geese continued to survive by the pond. I counted 21 Northern Rough-winged Swallows zipping over it and landing on the nearby wires.

Northern Rough-winged Swallows

A male American Kestrel was perched on the far side of the retention pond along Farmersville Road.

A distant male American Kestrel.

Six Eastern Bluebirds were also perched along the fence.

The Newburg Road retention pond continued to hold 3 Greater Yellowlegs, 2 Green Herons, a Great Blue Heron, and 5 Killdeer. The tiny wooded and brushy patch by the pond produced 3 Eastern Bluebirds and a Gray Catbird.

---

Jacobsburg State Park and the Newburg Pond ~ September 23, 2026

I was hoping to go up to Little Gap this morning, but the strong winds made me change my mind and head to Jacobsburg State Park instead. After getting out of the car at the Henry's Wood parking lot, I immediately found a bunch of warblers right behind the car and ended up spending the next twenty minutes only able to identify about half the birds that were passing through. The identified ones included one Ruby-crowned Kinglet plus 3 American Redstarts, 5 Northern Parulas, 4 Black-and-white Warblers, 2 Magnolia Warblers, a Chestnut-sided Warbler, and a Black-throated Green Warbler.

Along the creek beyond the historical buildings, I found a Great Blue Heron, a Cooper's Hawk, a Hairy Woodpecker, 3 Northern Flickers, an Eastern Wood-Pewee, one Brown Creeper, 3 Gray Catbirds, 3 Eastern Bluebirds, and 3 American Goldfinches.

Eastern Wood-Pewee

Birds seen flying by included 13 Turkey Vultures, 34 Blue Jays, 2 Common Ravens, and 11 Cedar Waxwings.

I drove over to the Boulton section of the park where I found two more groups of birds that contained a Northern Flicker, 2 Eastern Wood-Pewees, 4 Gray Catbirds, an American Goldfinch, one Red-eyed Vireo, and nine species of warblers that included 3 Black-throated Blues, 3 Chestnut-sideds, a Blackburnian Warbler, 4 Northern Parulas, 3 American Redstarts, 3 Black-and-white Warblers, 3 Black-throated Greens, a Bay-breasted, and a Magnolia Warbler.

Black-throated Blue Warbler

Chestnut-sided Warblers

Blackburnian Warbler

Northern Parula

A Cooper's Hawk eventually flew in and ended any chance for more sightings.

Cooper's Hawk

I stopped at the Newburg Road retention pond, which held 3 Greater Yellowlegs, 2 Green Herons, and 3 Killdeer. An American Kestrel also flew by while I was there.

American Kestrel

---