Beautiful cool clear weather brought a noticeable arrival of migrants this morning including several firsts of the season: a Ruby-crowned Kinglet (always a delight to see), a White-throated Sparrow, seen and heard (loud alarm chinks), and two female or young Indigo Buntings (best identified by their total lack of any field marks other than their light brownish coloration and finch-like bill). Also more Catbirds seem to have arrived; at least they were all over the place; not just in and around the Tupelos but almost everywhere. A 'new' berry, the so-called Chinaberry, is now ripe and the Catbirds were gulping it down along with a handsome Baltimore Oriole in what I think was an immature male plumage (quite bright yellow-orange). Also taking the Tupelo berries were Robins, woodpeckers (Red-bellied and Flicker), Blue Jays and Crows, Gold- and House Finches. The overall numbers of Robins and Goldfinches seems to be down somewhat as the Tupelo berry resource is devoured by literally flocks of berry eaters.
Two very different flying creatures surprised me by apparently nectaring on the male Groudsel or Baccharis flowers: a somewhat late Ruby-throated Hummingbird and, halleluijah, a Monarch Butterfly.
P.S.: A half a dozen Palm Warblers were at the dried up pond behind the SOFO Museum in the mid-afternoon.
Eric Salzman
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