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Nemesis and its relatives

9/28/2015

Woodland Park held great promise on Saturday the 26th, with the trees the liveliest they have been this fall migration. 43 species with 12 ID'able warbler species during a 4 hour time period. Good days like this can quickly turn on you and show how fickle the birds can be. I was informed by Dave Haas that another birder that was out there had found a nemesis bird of mine...Orange-crowned Warbler. Oh, and just some other lame bird...a Mourning Warbler!!! Both are excellent birds for this area, and much desired by moi.

That aside it was nice to run in to some decent sized flocks moving through. I tagged 5 as Warbler sp., but it was probably quadruple that had I had 4 pairs of eyes.

Highlights include:

Sharp-shinned Hawk - observed migrating overhead and extreme high altitude. First for the year
Philadelphia Vireo - first for the year
Black-throated Blue Warbler - my first really good looks at them

Black-and-white Warbler
Northern Parula
Blackburnian Warbler
Lots of Nashville Warblers that brought moments of "could it be....no it its another Nashville".

I chanced Tekonsha and Homer Water Treatment plants after seeing the absolutely astounding birds Kinderhook has turned out in the past week. No such luck though. Homer water level continues to be either too high, or the weeds have just encroached further along the edge. So no Phalarope, Sanderling, Plovers or Sandpipers to push me up to the 206 mark. Seems time to start to focus back on the Parks and Preserves we have to try to get that magical# bird. Maybe with the time off next week we can have some good weather for the tail end of migration.

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Balance needs blogging....or where have I been

9/17/2015

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I need to work on the priority of blogging while away apparently. Going from the hectic nature of the beginning of the month, to travel to the NC coast for family, and back to the craziness of work again, has left little time for focus on balance again. I was able to get some balance in while away though.

NC proved quite welcoming for acquisition of lifers for me. May not seem like much, but I'm happy with 9 lifers while there, including my first banded bird.

My first Common Tern (Lifer 1) I was able to fit in between rain showers on Holden Beach on 9/6. This little guy stuck out amongst the larger Royal Terns there.

9/8 brought a gorgeous morning at Fort Fisher with some nice low light. My first ever Western Sandpipers (Lifer 2) were mixed in with some Least Sandpipers and Semipalmated Plovers.

Not a lifer, but this is my first run-in with a Semipalmated Sandpiper female. Thought I had a great shot of a Western, with the brown scapulars, but alas I was informed of my error.

Farther down the spit this awesome sight awaited me. Several groups of mixed shorebirds were visible. Along with the frequent Willets and Sanderlings, were Black-bellied Plover (Lifer 3), Semipalmated Sandpipers, Least Sandpipers, Semipalmated Plovers and

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Nemesis and its relatives

Balance needs blogging....or where have I been

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