a good morning's worth

A lot of birds came in last night and this morning's birding was as good as it's been. Halfway through my walk, Eileen Schwinn came by and the morning walk went into Phase 2 with even more birds.

For starters, there was a notable flight of Eastern Wood-pewees; the birds were widely scattered and I could even hear 'pee-a-wee' songs. Alongside the Pewees were some Eastern Phoebes, mostly the young ones with yellow bellies. With the exception of the Black-and-white Warbler, the fall warblers in sight had distinctive yellow patches: many American Redstarts of the type often called Yellowstarts, Common Yellowthroat, Black-throated Green Warbler, Parula Warbler and a mysterious warbler that I think was a juvenile female Blue-winged Warbler -- bright yellow breast but then white from the lower belly to the undertail, white wing bars, yellow face with some variation around the eye. I only saw this bird from underneath but the face was yellow enough that I thought for a moment that it might be a Prothonotary Warbler! 

Add to the flycatchers and warblers a number of Red-eyed Vireos, an Eastern Towhee, Baltimore Oriole, dozens (maybe hundreds) of Mourning Doves, many Northern Flickers and troupes of screaming Blue Jays and you have a good morning's worth of birds.

Eric Salzman