No time to post these days ... of course, "The Wall" came crashing down on with the overnight rain Tuesday/ Wednesday -- the first Big Drop of the season (and one of the most spectacular in recent memory), and , well, welcome back.
So, briefly, some species and some dates over the last two weeks or so:
Chimney Swifts - 05 05
Warbling Vireos (4-6) - 08 05
the usual swallows (Tree, Barn, Rough-winged, in that order, from mid-April, early May (Barn) and RW a few days later
Winter Wrens (3-4) 05 05
Ruby-crowned Kinglets fading away
Hermit, Swainson's, Wood Thrushes - 05 05, 10 05, 10 05 respectively
Brown Thrasher - 04 05
Parulids::
Nashville, N. Parula, Yellow (08 05) Chestnut-sided, Magnolia, Cape May, BT Blue, BT Green, Palm (05 05), B&W - 10 05
Other:
Chipping (late April), Savannah (Woodbine Park) 08 05, White-throated (late April), White-crowned Sparrows (05 05), Rose-breasted Grosbeaks (08 05), Indigo Buntings (10 05)
Bobolinks (2 -Woodbine Park 08 05), Baltimore Orioles (07 05)
Aunt Margaret (she was at the bay before dawn ... if you saw a small woman wearing a large white Stetson and sporting a rather ornate monocle standing still and writing furiously in a tattered journal -- I've pleaded with her about how such attire might frighten people, but there's no stopping her -- well, that's Marge) showed me digital images (not to be confused with photographs, he added grumpily ...) of a female N. Mockingbird on "Fast Eddie's" territory ( "Fast Eddie" being the loquacious male who patrols near the washroom building in Woodbine Park. A little anthropomorphism here, but go have a look and you'll understand.). I agree with her on that call (it's dangerous to disagree ...), simply because Eddie was nearby, and this other, quiet mocker is still in one piece. Predictably, Marge began shrieking quite a bit during the replay, and my head is still pounding, but I managed to sort out his new medley: mockingbird, mockingbird, blue jay ('piping' - various versions), blue jay calls (apparently his favourite these days), killdeer, killdeer, red-winged blackbird ('konk-la reeeeee' - perfected), robin (full song) and a few more mimid bits.
Well, that's all for now ... the information board in the park (at the washroom buildings) will soon have Park biology updates, which reminds me ... Eastern Garter Snake; Leopard Frogs (quite a choir), Cabbage and Red Admiral butterflies ... I'm falling asleep now.
