Posted by Bryant Roberts on August 24, 2002 at 21:28:55:
This morning I got out to Birch State Park and had my most rewarding warbler day so far this fall both in species and numbers. The best were a Worm-Eating Warbler in a Strangler Fig near the main entrance
with a fruit in it's beak and my FOS Black-Throated Blue Warbler with the main warbler flock. There were also two Spot-Breasted Orioles, one Chuck-Wills-Widow, and three Roseate Spoonbills. Here's the migrant
songbird tally:
1 - Worm-Eating Warbler
2 - Northern Parulas
2 - Yellow-Throated Warblers
6 - American Redstarts
1 - Black-Throated Blue-Warbler
3 - Prairie Warblers
15 - Blue-Gray Gnatcatchers
A stop late this afternoon at the wetland off Sheridan Street east of the library turned up my FOS Bank Swallow among about a dozen Barn Swallows. At least four Least Bitterns and two adult Purple Swamphens were also there.
Some of my more interesting sightings since 8/13 are a Louisiana Waterthrush on Pine Island Ridge on 8/16 and two at Robbins Park on 8/20, there was also a Cooper's Hawk at Pine Island Ridge on 8/20. My FOS Worm-Eating Warbler was at Secret Woods on 8/21 and Tropic Queen (Soldier) Butterflies have been common on the White Vine in the parking area there. Two or three Snail Kites have regular beyond the levee on the west side of Markham Park and a couple of Pileated Woodpeckers have been in the Live Oaks during most of my visits to Robbins Park.