ABB: May 5-11

[dclark32]

Just back from ABB, which I birded from 1:15-3.  A few new arrivals, and 6 species of warbler.

Palm Warbler - 5
B&W Warbler - 2, maybe 3
Ovenbird - 1
Nashville Warbler - 1
Yellow Warbler - 1
Yump - abundant
Gnatcatcher - 4, in two pairs
Least Flycatcher - 1, associating with the warbler flock to the east of the marina; calling incessantly.
House Wren - 1, in the woodlot bordering the east side of the marina.  Be aware that there's also a Winter Wren in the general area, though lately I've been seeing it in the path along the fence.
Accipiter Sp. - Very brief, distant view.

[nkwali]

I was there from 8:30-10:30 this morning:
Saw most of the same reported in the afternoon.
And:
winter wren (path along the fence)
eastern towhee
hermit thrush
white-throated sparrow
song sparrow
black-capped chickadee
american goldfinch
downy woodpecker
belted kingfisher
ruby-crowned kinglets

[mr.sharp-photo]

i was there briefly at 11. wasn't feeling it, so i left quickly (colder there than the wet woods!).
saw something near the parking lot and i have no clue what it is. will post a pic later. white eye ring, faint yellow body, blue top. doesn't look like a nashville warbler due to the faintness of the yellow

[Steve Hood]

Could it have been a Blue-headed Vireo?

[mr.sharp-photo]

Could it have been a Blue-headed Vireo?

it was (see the ID board)

[dclark32]

On wheels this morning...took me half an hour just to walk from Lakeshore Blvd. to the parking lot because the trees were so full with birds.  Pretty much all the same birds as yesterday (though Blue-headed Vireo continues to evade me) with the following new arrivals:

Black-throated Blue Warbler - 1
Black-throated Green Warbler - 1
Rose-breasted Grosbeak - 1
Wood Thrush - 1

Others of note:

Field Sparrow - 1
Eastern Phoebe - 1
House Wren - 2, maybe 3
Palm Warbler - 8+
RC Kinglet - abundant
GC Kinglet - 2
Rough-winged Swallow - 10ish... but confirmed breeding in the park, as I found them occupying nest cavities dug out of the embankment facing the lake.  Also a probable Cliff Swallow among them.
Swamp Sparrow - 1
Ovenbird - 1... now hanging around the trail that runs along the fence bordering the marina.

Final tally for the morning was 55 species, checklist on ebird; decent day.

Doug Clark

[nkwali]

From midmorning today:

Field sparrow - 1
Palm warbler - 3
RC kinglet - lots
blue-gray gnatcatcher
house wren - 1
yellow rumped warbler - lots
black-and-white warbler - 1
rough-winged swallow - watched them adding material to some of the nest cavities on the embankment
belted kingfisher (seems like a pair hanging out on the point)
american goldfinch - 1
hermit thrush - 1

[dclark32]

This morning's update, having birded the park from just before 6 to 7:15 or so.  Very cool morning, with wind that seemed stronger than the weather report led me to believe prior to going out.  As such, overall numbers were low, but with decent variety and I managed to get my 100th species for Ashbridge's Bay for the year.  Four species of warbler (Yump, Palm, B&W & Ovenbird), and White-crowned Sparrows arrived in force overnight.  Other highlights:

Empidonax Sp. - 1 (probably a Least)
Wilson's Snipe - 1, flushed near the parking lot
Thrasher - 4+
Gnatcatcher - 3+
Common Loon - 2
Towhee - 1
House Wren - 1
Wood Thrush - 1

Non-bird observation:  first raccoon of the year, running about the marina, plus another sighting of the otter/muskrat that's been hanging about for a while (if somebody else has seen it and knows what it is, I would be curious to hear).

DC

[nana]

and add Lincoln's Sparrow, Great Egret and Catbird to the ABB list today

[Rotarran]

Hi Nana,

Thanks for the report...I'm still looking for a Lincoln's Sparrow (lifer for me)...can you let me know where abouts you spotted it?  Thank you kindly  

[Rotarran]

Thanks again Nana for the precise directions.  I found the little guy just a bit down from where you saw him, closer to the end of the fence near the water.  Very skittish...I had to be very patient until he came out.

I also saw:
- two Brown Thrashers
- Nashville Warbler
- a few YR Warblers
- a BG Gnatcatcher
- House Wren
- several Hermit Thrushes
- two Kingfishers
- a Warbling Vireo
- and a very vocal flyby by what surely was one of the Unwin Ravens.  He was being harassed by quite a few RW Blackbirds.  Now he knows how the RTH feels   :wink:

Pic I took of the Lincoln's Sparrow:

[dclark32]

Just back from Ashbridge's Bay, having birded it from 9:30-11.  Light winds and sunshine made for decent birding, with the vast majority being concentrated in the driveway - massive mixed flock of everything.  Side note: if you start birding at the parking lot and make your way towards the lake right away, you're really missing out by not walking the driveway, the corner with the cedar trees in particular.  I've consistently found this stretch to be the most productive area in the park for passerines and today was the most glaring example of that.

Anyways, came up with nine species of warbler:  Yump (10-15), Yellow (2), Black-throated Green (3+), Ovenbird (2), Black-throated Blue (1), Palm (1), Nashville (1), B&W (1) & Northern Parula (1).  First Baltimore Oriole of the year, and re-found the Lincoln's Sparrow and Catbird.  Bonus sighting of the Spit's Kestrel flying over after what appeared to be a successful hunt.  Other than that, all the usual fare for the more part.

Til next time folks!

DC

[nkwali]

This afternoon 12:30-2:30 at ABB:
Thanks for the suggestion to bird the driveway. The vireo and ovenbird were there.

black-throated green warbler (1)
blue-headed vireo (1)
ovenbird (1)
yellow-rumped warbler (lots)
Lincoln's sparrow (1)
house wren (3)
palm warbler (2)
Baltimore oriole (1)

Red-tailed hawk was chased into a tree by the driveway by a couple of red-winged blackbirds. A black squirrel already in the tree started scolding it. The hawk from within the tree went after the squirrel. The hawk ended up on the ground without the squirrel. I haven't seen a hawk try to hunt like that before.

[dclark32]

Another very busy morning at Ashbridge's Bay today, having birded it from 7:30-9:15 or so, with an obvious push of migrants overnight.  By far the largest concentration of birds was again in the aforementioned section of the driveway with the cedar trees that run along the fence bordering the marina, near the inlet and the marshy area around it (I don't feel like tallying up what I saw just at this location, but it was a lot and included 10 species of warblers - not bad for an area that's no more than 100 square feet), with a smaller concentration in the northernmost prong of the southwest tip

Highlights were as follows, with new arrivals in bold:

Warblers - Yump (lots and lots), Yellow (5), Palm (5+), Nashville (4) Yellowthroat (3) , Black-throated Blue (2), B&W (1), Parula (1), Ovenbird (1), Magnolia (1), Black-throated Green (1), Pine (1), Warbler Neck (sadly - but the price we pay for large numbers of warblers I suppose)

Other highlights:

Eastern Kingbird (3)
Baltimore Oriole (5+)
Catbird (2)
Lincoln's Sparrow (1)
Warbling Vireo (4+)

Good birding all!

DC

[mr.sharp-photo]

Warbler Neck (sadly - but the price we pay for large numbers of warblers I suppose)


DC

what's this?