It was foggy with some drizzle when I arrived at the Knitters Hill Road section of the Plainfield Township Recreation Trail. A Willow Flycatcher called from the back of the marshy area with the cattails. When I got to the woods, I came across a nice-sized group of warblers and others working the treetops. There, I picked out Red-eyed Vireo, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Scarlet Tanager, and warblers that included Nashville, Tennessee, Blackpoll, Bay-breasted, Blackburnian, and American Redstart, but probably missed several others. Condition made photos tough, so I only got this poor photo of the Blackburnian.
Also found there were Common Raven, Great Crested Flycatcher, Warbling Vireo, Wood Thrush, Cedar Waxwing, Baltimore Oriole, Yellow Warbler, and Common Yellowthroat.
I stopped at the Nazareth Quarry where some birders were looking for the loon that I had found yesterday. It had been raining on and off, and it started up again soon after I got there. Adam Miller was there and Corey Husic arrived soon after. As the rain got heavier, a group of 21 Double-crested Cormorants dropped into the quarry.
At least one Common Loon was also there, but I didn't see anything that looked like my bird from yesterday.
Friday, May 16, 2025
Thursday, May 15, 2025
Possible Pacific Loon and a Glossy Ibis! ~ May 15, 2025
I walked out onto the back porch this morning and heard a Blackpoll Warbler singing in the neighbor's spruce trees. After about 15 minutes of watching, it finally came out onto the edge of one of the spruces where I grabbed these photos of it.
A check of the Regency Boulevard retention ponds revealed an American Coot in the corner of the south pond.
The only other birds of note were 6 Killdeer and 2 Spotted Sandpipers.
I had an hair appointment with my daughter in Nazareth to cut the little bit of hair that I have left, but I had enough time to stop at the Nazareth Quarry beforehand. I found 3 Double-crested Cormorants and then spotted a loon about a third of the way out the quarry. Through my camera, it just didn't look right for a Common, but the distance was tough. I blasted away with my camera because I had to meet my daughter soon afterwards. I also tried some digiscope shots, but they pretty much turned out useless. Here are the best ones I got with my camera.
The back was dark, the back of the neck seemed lighter than its back, and I didn't see any white around the eye. The bill seemed thin and chiseled. The head seemed rounded with a contrasting border along the side of the neck that divided the white throat from the rear half of the neck, and a sharp line through the eye divided the white cheek from the dark top half of the head. It didn't match the neck pattern of the Common or Red-throated in any way. I returned after the visit with my daughter, hoping to get better photos but couldn't refind it. If accepted, this bird would represent the 1st Northampton County record.
I went over to the Hollo Road pond and found a Glossy Ibis on the near left side of the pond!
I sent out a text about it. It eventually flew to the back where Adam Smith and Megan Davis eventually showed up and saw it there. A Pied-billed Grebe was also there.
A check of the Regency Boulevard retention ponds revealed an American Coot in the corner of the south pond.
The only other birds of note were 6 Killdeer and 2 Spotted Sandpipers.
I had an hair appointment with my daughter in Nazareth to cut the little bit of hair that I have left, but I had enough time to stop at the Nazareth Quarry beforehand. I found 3 Double-crested Cormorants and then spotted a loon about a third of the way out the quarry. Through my camera, it just didn't look right for a Common, but the distance was tough. I blasted away with my camera because I had to meet my daughter soon afterwards. I also tried some digiscope shots, but they pretty much turned out useless. Here are the best ones I got with my camera.
The back was dark, the back of the neck seemed lighter than its back, and I didn't see any white around the eye. The bill seemed thin and chiseled. The head seemed rounded with a contrasting border along the side of the neck that divided the white throat from the rear half of the neck, and a sharp line through the eye divided the white cheek from the dark top half of the head. It didn't match the neck pattern of the Common or Red-throated in any way. I returned after the visit with my daughter, hoping to get better photos but couldn't refind it. If accepted, this bird would represent the 1st Northampton County record.
I went over to the Hollo Road pond and found a Glossy Ibis on the near left side of the pond!
I sent out a text about it. It eventually flew to the back where Adam Smith and Megan Davis eventually showed up and saw it there. A Pied-billed Grebe was also there.
Monday, May 12, 2025
National Park Drive and the Martins Creek Nature Trail ~ May 12, 2025
This morning, I birded National Park Drive. A Swainson's Thrush was seen in the middle of the road.
I drove to the end of the road where it's barricaded and birded there, finding Red-eyed Vireo, American Redstart, and Blackpoll, Blackburnian, and Yellow-rumped Warbler. On the way back out, an Acadian Flycatcher was heard calling upstream from the Laurel Hill Road intersection. Farther along, I was surprised to see two Great Crested Flycatchers fighting each other on the side of the road.
The battle, apparently over territory, went on for over 5 minutes. It looked like the bird on the bottom was getting the worst of it, but they suddenly parted, and both flew off into the woods.
A Hooded Warbler was actively calling about halfway back to the main road.
Almost back to the paved road, I pulled over and got out of the car when I heard a Magnolia and a Canada Warbler. Chris Hess, another birder, pulled up and joined me. That's when a Black-billed Cuckoo called several times just out of sight. And right after that, two Barred Owls began calling back and forth to each other!
Other birds found along the road included Pileated Woodpecker, Eastern Phoebe, Yellow-throated and Blue-headed Vireo, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Wood Thrush, Field Sparrow, Scarlet Tanager, Indigo Bunting, and six additional warblers, totalling thirteen for the morning. They were Ovenbird, Northern Parula, Louisiana Waterthrush, Common Yellowthroat, and Blue-winged and Black-and-white Warbler.
I left there and headed over to the Martins Creek Nature Trail, originally known as the Tekening Trails. And now, it has apparently been renamed the John M. Mauser Nature Education Trail System. That's a mouthful, so I will continue to call it the Martins Creek Nature Trail. There, I found Eastern Phoebe, Great Crested Flycatcher, Eastern Kingbird, Red-eyed Vireo, Wood Thrush, American Goldfinch, Baltimore Oriole, Ovenbird, Blue-winged and Yellow Warbler, Common Yellowthroat, American Redstart, Northern Parula, Scarlet Tanager, Indigo Bunting, and at least two White-eyed Vireos.
I drove to the end of the road where it's barricaded and birded there, finding Red-eyed Vireo, American Redstart, and Blackpoll, Blackburnian, and Yellow-rumped Warbler. On the way back out, an Acadian Flycatcher was heard calling upstream from the Laurel Hill Road intersection. Farther along, I was surprised to see two Great Crested Flycatchers fighting each other on the side of the road.
The battle, apparently over territory, went on for over 5 minutes. It looked like the bird on the bottom was getting the worst of it, but they suddenly parted, and both flew off into the woods.
A Hooded Warbler was actively calling about halfway back to the main road.
Almost back to the paved road, I pulled over and got out of the car when I heard a Magnolia and a Canada Warbler. Chris Hess, another birder, pulled up and joined me. That's when a Black-billed Cuckoo called several times just out of sight. And right after that, two Barred Owls began calling back and forth to each other!
Other birds found along the road included Pileated Woodpecker, Eastern Phoebe, Yellow-throated and Blue-headed Vireo, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Wood Thrush, Field Sparrow, Scarlet Tanager, Indigo Bunting, and six additional warblers, totalling thirteen for the morning. They were Ovenbird, Northern Parula, Louisiana Waterthrush, Common Yellowthroat, and Blue-winged and Black-and-white Warbler.
I left there and headed over to the Martins Creek Nature Trail, originally known as the Tekening Trails. And now, it has apparently been renamed the John M. Mauser Nature Education Trail System. That's a mouthful, so I will continue to call it the Martins Creek Nature Trail. There, I found Eastern Phoebe, Great Crested Flycatcher, Eastern Kingbird, Red-eyed Vireo, Wood Thrush, American Goldfinch, Baltimore Oriole, Ovenbird, Blue-winged and Yellow Warbler, Common Yellowthroat, American Redstart, Northern Parula, Scarlet Tanager, Indigo Bunting, and at least two White-eyed Vireos.
Sunday, May 11, 2025
My L.V.A.S. Walk at Plainfield Township Recreation Trail ~ May 11, 2025
I led a Lehigh Valley Audubon Society bird walk at the Knitters Hill Road section of the Plainfield Township Recreation Trail. It was pretty slow as far as migrants, but we did tally 57 species. Among the 12 species of warblers were Blackpoll, Blackburnian, and two Bay-breasteds.
Here's the list of 57 species:
Mallard
Common Merganser
Rock Pigeon
Mourning Dove
Chimney Swift
Green Heron
Great Blue Heron
Black Vulture
Turkey Vulture
Red-tailed Hawk
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Pileated Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Great Crested Flycatcher
Eastern Kingbird
Warbling Vireo
Red-eyed Vireo
Blue Jay
American Crow
Fish Crow
Common Raven
Tufted Titmouse
Barn Swallow
White-breasted Nuthatch
Northern House Wren
Carolina Wren
European Starling
Gray Catbird
Eastern Bluebird
Wood Thrush
American Robin
American Goldfinch
Field Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow
Eastern Towhee
Orchard Oriole
Baltimore Oriole
Red-winged Blackbird
Brown-headed Cowbird
Common Grackle
Ovenbird
Northern Waterthrush
Black-and-white Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
American Redstart
Northern Parula
Bay-breasted Warbler
Blackburnian Warbler
Yellow Warbler
Blackpoll Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Black-throated Green Warbler
Scarlet Tanager
Northern Cardinal
Here's the list of 57 species:
Mallard
Common Merganser
Rock Pigeon
Mourning Dove
Chimney Swift
Green Heron
Great Blue Heron
Black Vulture
Turkey Vulture
Red-tailed Hawk
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Pileated Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Great Crested Flycatcher
Eastern Kingbird
Warbling Vireo
Red-eyed Vireo
Blue Jay
American Crow
Fish Crow
Common Raven
Tufted Titmouse
Barn Swallow
White-breasted Nuthatch
Northern House Wren
Carolina Wren
European Starling
Gray Catbird
Eastern Bluebird
Wood Thrush
American Robin
American Goldfinch
Field Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow
Eastern Towhee
Orchard Oriole
Baltimore Oriole
Red-winged Blackbird
Brown-headed Cowbird
Common Grackle
Ovenbird
Northern Waterthrush
Black-and-white Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
American Redstart
Northern Parula
Bay-breasted Warbler
Blackburnian Warbler
Yellow Warbler
Blackpoll Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Black-throated Green Warbler
Scarlet Tanager
Northern Cardinal
Saturday, May 10, 2025
THREE Olive-sided Flycatchers and a Wilson's Warbler ~ May 10, 2025
Megan Davis texted Adam Miller and I last night to see if we'd be interested in birding together today. We decided to meet at the west parking lot at Lake Minsi at first light and then bird National Park Drive. In the short time we were at Lake Minsi, we had 2 Ospreys, 2 Bald Eagles, 4 Wood Ducks, one Spotted and one Solitary Sandpiper, a Pied-billed Grebe, a Great Blue Heron, a Baltimore Oriole, a Cape May Warbler, and the expected Purple Martins and Tree, Barn, and Northern Rough-winged Swallows.
There was a lot of singing right at the intersection of Totts Gap Road and National Park Drive. We picked out Red-eyed Vireo, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, American Goldfinch, White-throated and Chipping Sparrow, Baltimore Oriole, Scarlet Tanager, and warblers that included Tennessee, Yellow-rumped, Black-and-white, Black-throated Green, Northern Parula, and American Redstart.
Another stop a little farther down the road held Great Crested Flycatcher, Eastern Kingbird, Field Sparrow, Chestnut-sided Warbler, Common Yellowthroat, and an Olive-sided Flycatcher! I got some photos of this distant bird, including one where it's stretching its wings.
A few more stops along the road produced Wild Turkey, Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Pileated Woodpecker, Eastern Phoebe, Yellow-throated Vireo, Wood Thrush, Eastern Towhee, Ovenbird, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Indigo Bunting, and warblers that included Nashville, Canada, Magnolia, Blackpoll, and Black-throated Blue. A Swainson's Thrush was also seen feeding pretty high up in the canopy as I have seen Swainson's do several times over the last few years.
We parked and walked the old road out to the old homestead. Worm-eating Warbler, Northern Waterthrush, Blue-winged Warbler, and Louisiana Waterthrush were noted. When we got to the overgrown field, I checked the snag where I had found an Olive-sided Flycatcher four days before and was really surprised when I realized there was another Olive-sided on that same snag! The first photo shows the bird with a carpenter bee.
While photographing the flycatcher, a Wilson's Warbler was seen along the field's edge and a pair of Common Loons circled overhead.
The area around the residence by the one-lane bridge yielded Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Broad-winged and Cooper's Hawk, Tree and Northern Rough-winged Swallow, Eastern Bluebird, and a lingering Ruby-crowned Kinglet. A little farther west from there, we encountered our third(!) Olive-sided Flycatcher! This one caught a hummingbird moth.
A walk out the trail from the last parking lot in increasing winds produced Hooded Warbler, 2 Common Ravens, and an adult Bald Eagle.
I ended up with 20 species of warblers among 70 total species for the National Park Drive section.
We also did a fairly quick late-morning walk at Bear Swamp where we had Yellow-throated and Red-eyed Vireo, Purple Martin, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Ovenbird, American Redstart, and Common Yellowthroat.
Here's the list of the 70 species found at National Park Drive:
Mallard
Wild Turkey
Mourning Dove
Yellow-billed Cuckoo
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Common Loon
Turkey Vulture
Cooper's Hawk
Bald Eagle
Broad-winged Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Pileated Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Olive-sided Flycatcher (THREE of them)
Eastern Phoebe
Great Crested Flycatcher
Eastern Kingbird
Yellow-throated Vireo
Red-eyed Vireo
Blue Jay
American Crow
Fish Crow
Common Raven
Black-capped Chickadee
Tufted Titmouse
Tree Swallow
Northern Rough-winged Swallow
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Northern House Wren
Carolina Wren
Gray Catbird
Eastern Bluebird
Swainson's Thrush
Wood Thrush
American Robin
American Goldfinch
Chipping Sparrow
Field Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Eastern Towhee
Baltimore Oriole
Brown-headed Cowbird
Ovenbird
Worm-eating Warbler
Louisiana Waterthrush
Northern Waterthrush
Blue-winged Warbler
Black-and-white Warbler
Tennessee Warbler
Nashville Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
Hooded Warbler
American Redstart
Northern Parula
Magnolia Warbler
Chestnut-sided Warbler
Blackpoll Warbler
Black-throated Blue Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Black-throated Green Warbler
Canada Warbler
Wilson's Warbler
Scarlet Tanager
Northern Cardinal
Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Indigo Bunting
There was a lot of singing right at the intersection of Totts Gap Road and National Park Drive. We picked out Red-eyed Vireo, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, American Goldfinch, White-throated and Chipping Sparrow, Baltimore Oriole, Scarlet Tanager, and warblers that included Tennessee, Yellow-rumped, Black-and-white, Black-throated Green, Northern Parula, and American Redstart.
Another stop a little farther down the road held Great Crested Flycatcher, Eastern Kingbird, Field Sparrow, Chestnut-sided Warbler, Common Yellowthroat, and an Olive-sided Flycatcher! I got some photos of this distant bird, including one where it's stretching its wings.
A few more stops along the road produced Wild Turkey, Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Pileated Woodpecker, Eastern Phoebe, Yellow-throated Vireo, Wood Thrush, Eastern Towhee, Ovenbird, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Indigo Bunting, and warblers that included Nashville, Canada, Magnolia, Blackpoll, and Black-throated Blue. A Swainson's Thrush was also seen feeding pretty high up in the canopy as I have seen Swainson's do several times over the last few years.
We parked and walked the old road out to the old homestead. Worm-eating Warbler, Northern Waterthrush, Blue-winged Warbler, and Louisiana Waterthrush were noted. When we got to the overgrown field, I checked the snag where I had found an Olive-sided Flycatcher four days before and was really surprised when I realized there was another Olive-sided on that same snag! The first photo shows the bird with a carpenter bee.
While photographing the flycatcher, a Wilson's Warbler was seen along the field's edge and a pair of Common Loons circled overhead.
The area around the residence by the one-lane bridge yielded Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Broad-winged and Cooper's Hawk, Tree and Northern Rough-winged Swallow, Eastern Bluebird, and a lingering Ruby-crowned Kinglet. A little farther west from there, we encountered our third(!) Olive-sided Flycatcher! This one caught a hummingbird moth.
A walk out the trail from the last parking lot in increasing winds produced Hooded Warbler, 2 Common Ravens, and an adult Bald Eagle.
I ended up with 20 species of warblers among 70 total species for the National Park Drive section.
We also did a fairly quick late-morning walk at Bear Swamp where we had Yellow-throated and Red-eyed Vireo, Purple Martin, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Ovenbird, American Redstart, and Common Yellowthroat.
Here's the list of the 70 species found at National Park Drive:
Mallard
Wild Turkey
Mourning Dove
Yellow-billed Cuckoo
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Common Loon
Turkey Vulture
Cooper's Hawk
Bald Eagle
Broad-winged Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Pileated Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Olive-sided Flycatcher (THREE of them)
Eastern Phoebe
Great Crested Flycatcher
Eastern Kingbird
Yellow-throated Vireo
Red-eyed Vireo
Blue Jay
American Crow
Fish Crow
Common Raven
Black-capped Chickadee
Tufted Titmouse
Tree Swallow
Northern Rough-winged Swallow
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Northern House Wren
Carolina Wren
Gray Catbird
Eastern Bluebird
Swainson's Thrush
Wood Thrush
American Robin
American Goldfinch
Chipping Sparrow
Field Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Eastern Towhee
Baltimore Oriole
Brown-headed Cowbird
Ovenbird
Worm-eating Warbler
Louisiana Waterthrush
Northern Waterthrush
Blue-winged Warbler
Black-and-white Warbler
Tennessee Warbler
Nashville Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
Hooded Warbler
American Redstart
Northern Parula
Magnolia Warbler
Chestnut-sided Warbler
Blackpoll Warbler
Black-throated Blue Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Black-throated Green Warbler
Canada Warbler
Wilson's Warbler
Scarlet Tanager
Northern Cardinal
Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Indigo Bunting
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