Little Gap and the Newburg Road Retention Pond ~ September 15, 2026

I again walked Little Gap, still hoping to find a Yellow-bellied Flycatcher or a Connecticut Warbler. I ran into Adam Miller and we both birded our way up to the top of the mountain. Two Red-breasted Nuthatches were found during the several stops.

Red-breasted Nuthatch

Behind the lookout, we found 4 Philadelphia Vireos among 19 Red-eyed Vireos, a Rose-breasted Grosbeak, and 12 species of warblers that included a Tennessee, 3 Cape Mays, 3 Magnolias, 2 Bay-breasteds, a Blackburnian, 2 Chestnut-sideds, 3 Blackpolls, a Black-throated Blue, a Black-throated Green, 3 Ovenbirds, 2 American Redstarts, and a Northern Parula.

Philadelphia Vireos

Birds seen during the morning at the hawkwatch included a Ruby-throated Hummingbird, 2 Ospreys, 4 Sharp-shinned Hawks, 293 Broad-winged Hawks, an Eastern Phoebe, and 2 Common Ravens.

Broad-winged Hawk

I stopped to check the Newburg Road retention pond and found 4 Killdeer, a Lesser Yellowlegs, 3 Least Sandpipers, a Green Heron, a Great Blue Heron, and an immature Red-tailed Hawk that tried unsuccessfully to grab a Mourning Dove and later settled for a caterpillar.

A young Red-tailed Hawk with a caterpillar.

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