Rails a-calling

Yellow-rumped Warblers continued to dominate the early-morning scene at Weesuck Creek; there must have been 20 or even 30 of them for each non-Yellow-rump in the mix. Nevertheless there were other birds and some of them were of considerable interest. There were at least two different rails calling from the marsh or, at any rate, two different calls. One of them was the Descending Cackle heard, as yesterday, before dawn and suggesting that there are still Yellow Rails about! The other was a loud, rather random series of croaks or 'kiks' that may have been from a Virginia Rail. Of course, I went splashing and mucking about in the marsh without flushing anything at all -- not once but twice!

Are rail calls difficult? Are rails difficult? You bet'cha!

The very first bird in the morning, even before sunrise, was a Blue-gray Gnatcatcher which came zipping across the marsh and landed kerplunk high on the leafless oak that stands sentinel at the marsh corner. Both kinglets turned up; yesterday, I thought I heard the high pitched 'see-see-see' of the Golden-crowned but this morning I actually saw the bird along with a lot of Ruby-crowns. Amidst the crowds of Yellow-rumps, I was able to pick out only two other warblers: a Blackpoll (with streaks on the back) and a Pine (no streaks on the back). Three Cedar Waxwings in juvenile plumage perched on top of the bare branches of the big Tupelo at the head of the marsh was an unusual sight; they looked almost white in the bright morning sunlight. Eastern Phoebes continue to haunt the entire area at the eastern edge of the woods facing the marsh and pond.

Eric Salzman