by Brit Fox
We kicked off our outing full of excitement and gratitude—the rain held off, allowing us to enjoy our first MYBC trip in a couple of months! While spring weekends have almost consistently been rained out, we were thrilled to have dry weather. It may not have been warm or sunny to start, but there wasn’t a drop of rain in sight—we’ll take it!
As we waited for all of our young birders to arrive, we spotted eight mallard ducklings with their mother and enjoyed the sight (and sound!) of three lively, cooperative chestnut-sided warblers. We also heard some strange noises from two red-eyed vireos having a territorial dispute, which brought them unusually close to the ground.
We talked about how the major wave of migrants had already moved through the area, but we remained hopeful for some late stragglers and nesting species. Fortunately, we weren’t disappointed! The theme of the outing quickly became all about flycatchers. We heard and saw several great-crested flycatchers and many eastern wood-pewees, including one nesting high in a deciduous tree. We also spotted an eastern kingbird. Listening carefully, we picked out the calls of least and alder flycatchers as well. A few special highlights included a brief look at a yellow-bellied flycatcher and an olive-sided flycatcher that made an appearance right at the end of the outing. We missed willow flycatchers and phoebes this time, but we’re sure they were out there somewhere.
Another standout moment was getting great views of a beautiful male prairie warbler near the powerline cuts. We also heard and observed other warbler species such as American redstarts, a black-throated green warbler, and a pine warbler. Near the pond, we watched a female Baltimore oriole collecting nesting material from cattails and enjoyed close looks at a stunning male oriole as well.
Non-birding highlights included a lovely native wildflower, jack-in-the-pulpit, and a few turtle sightings.
All in all, we observed 42 different bird species on our outing! You can view the full list here: https://ebird.org/checklist/S245482034
Stay tuned—our next trip announcement is coming soon!
