Spring bird ID thread

[mjs1973]

I found these turkeys while out driving around this morning. The female seems to be playing hard to get. There was another tom strutting in the same too.

[paulnj]

Not too shabby there!

Funny story...

There I am this morning birding hard. We are cruising 30 miles an hour and I yell "STOP"
We get out and try to find the cerulean warbler I heard. I am scanning the trees(mind you it's 6AM), when I hear this noise. I turn around thinking a bike is going by me and realise a turkey just jumped roost and is coming at me. I instantly dunk as it goes 2 feet over my head.

I was awake after that ;)

[Mike T]

Found this bird this evening right before I got rained on. The light was getting bad I guess I should have gone out right after work instead of watching the hockey game. I think I know what this bird is ( one of the Warblers on my want list ) but I just want to hear it from the expert. How did you do in the World Series ?
Mike

[paulnj]

That is a male canada warbler. high piched wispy whistling sound(best way I can discribe it's song) . I found one today by ear at 35 mph and it was hundreds of feet away ;) They are a late migrating warbler and don't stay here to often. I bet yours came in last night ;) That is a very good find BTW.

We do the WSB blindly and for fun. We don't actually enter and we would need 2 more to be a team anyway. 19 species of confirmedwarbler(3 unconfirmed) with a total of 86 species. Man I wish I had my camera with me all the time(it was packed away in the back) because we found a woodcock with 4 babies right at the enterance to watergate. I walked up to them and the babies were dancing at my feet.

We could have easily doubled that number had we done some coastal birding too or actually scouted our route. I was scouting for others and local nesters all week ;) I hope my cousin's team makes atleast 210 and places top 3 in the state.

Oh, just though I'd let you know that a hybrid bluewinged/goldenwinged is on the gravel road just past watergate and hooded warblers number in the HUNDREDS on old mine rd. If you go up there, I found a northern waterthrush and hooded on territory right behind the mill. At the end of old mine make a right and go 300 feet up the hill and park at ther mill. They are right behind it screaming. Least flycatcher, orchard oriole , yellowthroated vireo and a bunch of other average birds are in the parkinglot at watergate near the pond side. REDEYED VIREO is nesting in a maple? on the hill and can be seen(with keen eyes) right from the parking lot full frame with your camera with ease!

[mjs1973]

Not too shabby there!

Funny story...

There I am this morning birding hard. We are cruising 30 miles an hour and I yell "STOP"
We get out and try to find the cerulean warbler I heard. I am scanning the trees(mind you it's 6AM), when I hear this noise. I turn around thinking a bike is going by me and realise a turkey just jumped roost and is coming at me. I instantly dunk as it goes 2 feet over my head.

I was awake after that ;)

That is a good story Paul. Maybe you should start wearing a helmet when you go birding.

I went out and sat in my blind this afternoon for about an hour in a light drizzle, but nothing was moving. I wasn't at all surprised, but with all the turkey activity I saw this morning, I was hoping to call something in. Maybe tomorrow, if the weather lets up a bit.

[Knight]

Wilson Snipe i believe And could there be something else in that tree that i did not C when i took the pictures ? seems to be some eyes in the hole in the trunk of the tree

[paulnj]

Yes that's a snipe and there is what appears to be an owl in there. Most owls are not cavity nesters in your area, so I think it's a screech owl. Then again... wood ducks and mergansers are cavity nesters too.