good timing

At a little after noon today, I happened to wander down to the pond at the precise moment that a Bald Eagle happened to come soaring overhead. This was an adult bird show his white head and tail in strong sunlight. Of course, I dashed back to the house to alert everyone but by the time we all got back down, the eagle had vanished. Two other raptors on the move were Osprey and Red-tailed Hawk.

There were dozens and dozens of Catbirds in the thickets around the head of the marsh early this morning -- yesterday's birds now augmented by new arrivals, all presumably feeding on the feast of berries that have ripened in the vicinity. Other birds participating (and perhaps also recent arrivals) were Northern Flickers, American Goldfinches and several wrens of the two local species. Among the certain migrants were Eastern Phoebe, Red-eyed Vireo and Blue-gray Gnatcatcher. Only two warblers: Common Yellowthroat and Black-and-white.

Eric Salzman