size place

There were a dozen or more birds in the 'migration trap' this morning and I think every one of them was a Common Yellowthroat. The only other warblers I could get my binoculars on were Blackpolls moving with the parids (titmice and chickadees).

One of the most attractive spots on the property was a forest glade dominated by a large Pitch Pine, various oaks, maples and tupelos and a lot of vines. The Pitch Pine, already leaning from winter storms, went over in Hurricane Irene and took a lot of the surrounding vegetation down with it. The lovely forest glade is, alas, no more. However, the jumble of hurricane destruction -- surrounded now by leafless trees of various denominations -- is proving to be quite birdy. The wrens in particular like this vegetative wreckage. The other day I thought one of them was a Winter Wren but it somehow turned into a plain ol' House Wren. But this morning I had good looks a undoubted Winter Wren with its stubby tail, striped belly, sparkly plumage and tiny size.

Not very far away, Marsh Wrens were calling in the reeds. Clapper Rail was back in the middle of the marsh with a yellowlegs which looked like a Lesser but which had apparently just called like a Greater. The solution to this conundrum came a moment later when a calling Greater Yellowlegs came flying in and landed right next to his smaller cousin.

Eric Salzman