Posted by Bill Boeringer on September 29, 2019 at 02:16:04
A large group of birders - some expert, some novices - met for a walk at AD Barnes Park on a warm but beautiful day. Although migration had been slow most of the week, we had a great day of fall migrants, including 13 warbler species. We knew it would be a special day when it took us a solid half-hour just to get out of the parking area! Early on, we backtracked to see a reported Hooded Warbler; we could not find it, but found instead a Chestnut-sided! After a loop around the lakefront and the south hammock - which included looks at 3 vireo species, plus flyby Cooper's Hawk and Osprey, we entered the "rooster area" where we had Baltimore Oriole and Yellow-billed Cuckoo high in the same tree! Not 10 yards further we found a Swainson's Thrush, my first of the fall. We entered the nature trails, and soon came across the Hooded Warbler we had dipped on earlier, a great-looking male which posed obligingly for all the photographers. Near the dirt trail we had a perched hummingbird, plus both Scarlet Tanager and Summer Tanager. We found 2 more Scarlets, and another Summer, on the path approaching the LAC buildings. The pine camping area yielded (finally!) the day's only Redstart. As a reward for those that finished the walk, we had 2 white morph Short-tailed Hawks wheeling above us at the boardwalk on the way out. We ended the day with 41 species. Thanks to everyone who showed up, and hope to see you on another TAS trip soon! The day's list (by my count): 2 Egyptian Goose (flyover) 3 Muscovy Duck 2 White-crowned Pigeon 23 Eurasian Collared-Dove 1 Mourning Dove 1 Yellow-billed Cuckoo 2 Ruby-throated Hummingbird 2 Common Gallinule 2 White Ibis 1 Osprey 1 Cooper's Hawk 2 Short-tailed Hawk 6 Red-bellied Woodpecker 23 Mitred Parakeet 1 Great Crested Flycatcher 1 White-eyed Vireo 1 Yellow-throated Vireo 8 Red-eyed Vireo 9 Blue Jay 6 Fish Crow 8 Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 9 Northern Mockingbird 1 Swainson's Thrush 1 Baltimore Oriole 12 Common Grackle 4 Ovenbird 1 Worm-eating Warbler 2 Black-and-white Warbler 3 Common Yellowthroat 1 Hooded Warbler 1 American Redstart 1 Cape May Warbler 5 Northern Parula 1 Magnolia Warbler 1 Chestnut-sided Warbler 4 Black-throated Blue Warbler 1 Yellow-throated Warbler 5 Prairie Warbler 2 Summer Tanager 3 Scarlet Tanager 2 Northern Cardinal