Wednesday, May 15, 2024

Mourning Warbler at Jacobsburg State Park ~ May 15, 2024

I saw a text from Adam Smith that he had found a Mourning Warbler at Jacobsburg State Park. I had an appointment that I had to go to in the late morning but, afterwards, I decided to take a "long shot" and see if I could refind it. It was at best a "long shot" because I didn't get there until around 1:00. Not only was it the middle of the day, but this warbler is known for skulking in the brush and is tough to find even when it is singing. Chances are it wouldn't be singing this late in the day, so the odds weren't good.

I got to the area where Adam had the bird. An Ovenbird was the only bird singing. I quietly stood there for a while, watching for movement. Two Wood Thrushes were the only birds seen moving around. I 'spished' a couple times and then stood quiet again. When I 'spished' the third time, I noticed a warbler-sized bird zip by me across the trail and land in some vines on the other side. It was the Mourning! I slowly brought my camera up and got this photo.
It worked its way up the vines and surprisingly perched for about 30 seconds, allowing me to get more photos of this normally-sneaky bird.

It eventually flew back across the trail back to the same area it came from. It never did make a sound during the five minutes I was there.

I left there and headed for Green Pond to see if the 4 Glossy Ibis that I found there yesterday were still present. They were, but most of the shorebirds I saw there yesterday had moved on.

Tuesday, May 14, 2024

Four Glossy Ibis at Green Pond ~ May 14, 2024

I got up fairly early and drove up to National Park Drive near Delaware Water Gap. From there, I parked and walked out the trail towards the Arrow Island Overlook. Along the way, I heard the constant singing of Red-eyed Vireo, Wood Thush, and Ovenbird, plus Scarlet Tanager, Louisiana Waterthrush, and Worm-eating, Tennessee, and Hooded Warbler. Also there were Eastern Wood-Pewee, Baltimore Oriole, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Indigo Bunting, and other warblers that included Black-and-white, Chestnut-sided, American Redstart and, finally, the one I was mainly looking for, a Bay-breasted Warbler. I was fortunate to get one mediocre photo of this bird that I often seem to have trouble finding in Spring.
Just before getting back to the car, I heard a Yellow-billed Cuckoo calling its "kuh-kuh-kuh-kuh-kowlp-kowlp" call. At the parking lot, I ran into Adam Smith. I asked him what his plans were and he said he was going to try and find Cerulean Warbler at Kirkridge. I was actually thinking about doing the same thing, so he followed me up there. We parked and walked down the road. We heard Yellow-throated Vireo, Worm-eating and Hooded Warbler, and then a Cerulean. Adam found a second bird singing on the opposite side of the road from the first bird. I got the usual photos of them way up near the tops of the trees.

While checking out the Ceruleans, a Black-billed Cuckoo called nearby. It's not often that you get both species of cuckoos on the same day.

I stopped at Lake Minsi to check the lake. While scanning the east side, I noticed two Bank Swallows flying around together. I got two poor, long distance photos of them.

Also there were several Purple Martin pairs checking out the gourds. I got back home around 1:00 PM. I had an appointment at the Subaru dealership at 3:00. After that, I drove the short distance to the Regency Boulevard retention ponds. There were a few Killdeer, and Spotted and Solitary Sandpiper, but not much else.

I stopped at the Steuben Road site at Little Creek Drive. There, I found the two young Killdeer with their parents plus 2 Solitary Sandpipers and 11 Least Sandpipers.
My last stop on the way home was the flooded field by Green Pond. There, in a tight group, were four Glossy Ibis, all in breeding plumage! I slowly got out of the car and stood at the back of it, using it as a shield from them.

After about 20 minutes, they worked their way within about 25 feet of me, so close that I could barely keep one of them in the camera frame.

Soon after Scott Singer stopped and was getting photos of them when I left. It was a nice end to a good day.
Edit: All four Glossy Ibis were still there on the morning of the 15th.

Friday, May 10, 2024

Two Dunlin at Green Pond ~ May 10, 2024

On the way back from my mom's, I stopped to check the flooded field by Green Pond. I'm glad I did because I spotted 2 Dunlins in breeding plumage.

Also present were one Greater Yellowlegs, 12 Lesser Yellowlegs, a Solitary Sandpiper, a Spotted Sandpiper, 24 Least Sandpipers, a Killdeer, and a Cooper's Hawk that stirred the pot a few times.

Thursday, May 9, 2024

Jacobsburg State Park and Green Pond ~ May 9, 2024

I went to Jacobsburg State Park see if the good warbler movement noted yesterday would continue today. When I parked at the visitor center, the first bird I saw was an adult White-crowned Sparrow.

A pair of Brown Thrashers, Wood Thrushes, and Gray Catbirds fed along the trail. Soon after I started my walk, I ran into Adam Miller who was searching through a group of birds that included Red-eyed Vireo, Great Crested Flycatcher, Tufted Titmouse, Northern Parula, plus Magnolia, Black-and-white, Black-throated Blue, and Yellow-rumped Warbler. Scarlet Tanagers and Baltimore Orioles were also nearby. A Green Heron was spotted circling unusually high overhead.

A first-year male Indigo Bunting was seen still wearing its blotchy blue and gray plumage. A Northern Parula preened at eye level along the creek.

Next to the Boulton parking area, Adam spotted a Wilson's Warbler in some brush. It eventually came out into view, allowing me to get these photos of it.

An Eastern Wood-Pewee perched on a dead branch near the Henry's Woods parking lot.

Two Spotted Sandpipers were along the creek below the bridge.
Also along the creek behind the buildings across the road from the visitor center were two Common Mergansers.

In the nearby brush, a Magnolia Warbler constantly flitted around and played hide-and-seek, making it impossible to get a photo of the whole bird.
Solitary Sandpiper, Great Blue Heron, Sharp-shinned Hawk, Pileated Woodpecker, Eastern Phoebe, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Eastern Bluebird, White-throated Sparrow, Ovenbird, Louisiana Waterthrush, Common Yellowthroat, American Redstart, and Yellow Warbler helped bring my morning's species total up to 59, 12 warbler species among them.

I stopped at Green Pond on the way home. It was still holding a good amount of shorebirds. I counted 26 Lesser Yellowlegs, 2 Greater Yellowlegs, 11 Solitary Sandpipers, 44 Least Sandpipers, 2 Spotted Sandpipers, 2 Killdeer, and a Wilson's Snipe.

Wednesday, May 8, 2024

National Park Drive and the Totts Gap Conservation Area ~ May 8, 2024

I decided to get up a little earlier than normal because I wanted to bird National Park Drive in the Delaware Water Gap Recreation Area. Soon after I started down the road, I saw Adam Miller looking up into the trees and ended up joining him for the morning. Present there in those trees were Scarlet Tanager, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Northern Parula, and Cape May, Blackburnian, Yellow-rumped, and Blue-winged Warbler. Farther down the road, we found Pileated Woodpecker, Great Crested Flycatcher, Red-eyed Vireo, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Wood Thrush, Ovenbird, and Ruby-throated Hummingbird.
We walked the Slateford Loop Trail, which heads towards the Arrow Island Overlook. That area produced Northern Flicker, Yellow-throated and White-eyed Vireo, Swainson's Thrush, Baltimore Oriole, Scarlet Tanager, and 16 species of warblers that included Yellow, Hooded, Ovenbird, Blue-winged, Worm-eating, Tennessee, Cape May, Blackpoll, Yellow-rumped, Chestnut-sided, Black-and-white, Black-throated Blue, Black-throated Green, American Redstart, Northern Parula, and Common Yellowthroat. I was lucky to get a photo of the White-eyed Vireo through a small opening in the brush.
We then walked the trail back to the historical farm site. Along the way, a Hooded Warbler let me get two average photos of it.

At the farm, a Black Vulture emerged from of an opening in one of the outbuildings, which pointed toward it being a probable nest site.

Back at the car, an Indigo Bunting perched in a nearby tree.
When we left the area, my checklist totaled 48 species that included a nice total of 17 warblers.

My last stop was at the Totts Gap Conservation Area where I saw 2 Ospreys, a pair of American Kestrels, and 2 Bobolinks.

I got some mediocre, long distance photos of the Bobolinks.