Hi. I have had a few happy sitings this summer just a few steps and short car ride from our house near Zephyr.
The most exciting for me was the Black Billed Cuckoo. I have tried unsucessfully to see this bird for quite some time now and it had become a bit of a nemisis but on July 7th as I was driving some of my daughters teenage friends home one flew right in front of my car and into some trees near the edge of the road. I quickly dropped off the remaining friends and grabbed my binoculars and headed back to the spot fully NOT expecting to see it. However, when I arrived it flew onto a nearby and exposed low branch and proceeded to sit there turning every now and then so I could view all sides and then even sang for me! It was still there half and hour later when I had to go. It would seem I was really meant to see that bird that day!
On July 17th I was treated to a whole family of Mourning warblers while I sat on a stream bank letting my dogs have a cool down from our walk. They were in a close by cedar tree and while the male and female were quite aggitated by our presence and made alot of loud spitting noises, the juviniles were merely curious and kept coming out on the branches to check us out, only to be scolded back into hiding by 'dad'. It was very entertaining!
And in the Elred King tract of the York Reg. forest on hwy. 48 I saw a Scarlet Tanager. I only saw one but there were definatley two singing.
Those are my most notable.
I was thinking of doing a day trip a little further a feild- Has anyone been to the Carden plain/alvar in Kirkfeild? Is it worth the trek?
Happy birding
Brenda
