Hunter's Garden again

There were warblers singing by my front door when I stepped out this morning at 6:30 am but I didn't bother to figure out what they were because Eileen Schwinn was coming by to pick me up. Today was ELIAS' annual visit to Hunter's Garden, our local mecca for warblers. After all, we had a Cape May there only two days ago so obviously the joint would be jumping.

Alas, that wasn't the case at all. With a lot of effort, the crowd of perhaps 20 eager birders turned up a couple of Blackpolls, a Black-and-White, a Parula and, best of all, a Worm-Eating Warbler (which I never saw). Did someone see a Black-throated Green? If so, it wasn't me. All the other warblers -- Pine, Ovenbird, Common Yellowthroat -- were locals as were the many other colorful or musical birds on site: Scarlet Tanagers (male and female; the female low down gathering nesting material), Baltimore Orioles (including a young first-year male in female-type plumage but making grown-up male sounds), singing Veery and singing Hermit Thrush, at least one pair of Blue-gray Gnatcatchers, many singing Red-eyed Vireos and a single non-singing Warbler Vireo. Also at least three flycatchers (Eastern Kingbird, Eastern Wood-pewee and Great Crested) and a flock of some two dozen Cedar Waxwings. A striking bird was a fly-over calling Raven. Another was a calling Yellow-billed Cuckoo hanging out with -- at least according to some of the group -- a Black-billed Cuckoo.

As Eileen dropped me off back at my place close to noon, the warblers were still singing: Parula, Yellow-rumped Warbler and I don't know what else. Maybe they'll still be here tomorrow morning.

Eric Salzman