two old friends

I was at the head of the marsh this morning and decided to try and pish up the young Yellowthroats that have been hanging out there ('pishing' is a technical term that birders use for the little sounds they make to coax small birds out of hiding) There was some response from the Yellowthroats although the only one I actually saw was the adult male. But an entire family of Carolina Wrens popped out almost immediately followed by -- surprise! -- a singing House Wren followed by -- surprise! surprise! -- two Yellow Warblers, at least one of which looked like a young bird. House Wren and Yellow Warbler are old friends that have not been in evidence recently although I suspect that they must be breeding somewhere in the neighborhood; I typically see and hear them in early May and then again around now -- mid July.

There is a lot of Osprey activity and I suspect that a second Weesuck Creek pair may be forming. I'm also seeing a single Green Heron almost every morning but the bird generally disappears by flying into the woods. Saw a Yellow-crowned Night-Heron flying over but the morning tide in the pond is high these days and there are no congenial mud banks. Yellow-crowned Night Heron probably also nests somewhere in the neighborhood

Eric Salzman