rumps & pumps

I was making my way up the marsh edge which seemed to be populated only by a few Goldfinches, and a handful of Titmice and Chickdess. Suddenly I was surrounded be dozens -- no, hundreds -- of Yellow-rumped Warblers. Had they just come in? Or were they resting, hidden in the reeds only to be woken up by the caress of sunlight (or perhaps also my intrusive presence). Although some of these birds were certainly feeding, others were clearly bathing in the dew that covered everything. Nothing like a fresh dew bath on a chilly October morning! Among these Yellow-rumped throngs I found two tail-pumping Yellow Palm Warblers -- not on the ground (where they are supposed to be) but up in a tree. There are a few shorebirds around but, except for one or two Black-bellied Plovers (identified by their larger size and calls), they are too far away or hidden for proper identification. Eric Salzman