Pumps and Rumps!

Pumps and rumps! Lots of birds came in on the cold weather of the past two days. Not surprisingly, the dominant species was Yellow-rumped Warbler (a.k.a. Myrtle Warbler) with dozens, maybe hundreds of birds active mostly in the shrub layer between the woods and the pond (or marsh). With them were a number of Palm Warblers of the Western variety, with yellow undertail coverts but otherwise dull brownish gray (lightly streaked on the breast) and non-stop tail-pumping.

Otherwise, most of the other arrivals were sparrows: Song, Swamp, a few Chipping, White-throated and at least one Lincoln's. The Palm Warbler and the Lincoln's Sparrow were new for the season (Lincoln's Sparrow is uncommon in these parts -- or, at least, uncommonly identified).

Also seen: Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Brown Creeper, several Eastern Phoebes, at least one large raptor (probably a Red-tailed Hawk), American Goldfinches, and House Finches. There were many woodpeckers yesterday (all four breeding species including Hairy) but few today. Wonder why. And where did all the Yellow-belied Sapsuckers go? They were all over the place a couple of days ago.

Eric Salzman