There was heavy fog early this morning, but it started to clear around 8:00, and I arrived at the trail at 8:20. As I have done the past few times, I started upstream first as the sun had already started to bathe that part of the trail with a golden glow.
Right off the bat I saw a Nashville Warbler; later a Cape May Warbler, and then one new species after another. I spent the first 30 minutes this morning upstream and saw 23 species - more than I have ever seen upstream before. I ended my morning hike 2-1/2 hours later by going upstream again, where I saw 4 more species, giving me a total of 27 species upstream, and 44 species for the morning - a new personal high number of species for one of my hikes on the trail without other birders to help find species.
Nashville Warbler
Nashville Warbler
Blue-headed Vireo
Red-eyed or Warbling Vireo
Flicker
Tufted Titmouse
Belted Kingfisher
Golden-crowned Kinglet
But it was the sparrows that stole the show this morning. I saw Chipping and Field Sparrows upstream, but soon after heading downstream I saw two Savannah Sparrows sitting on a fence along with a third sparrow - looked to me like a Grasshopper Sparrow, but it also had some Savannah Sparrow features, and hybirds of these two species are possible - any opinions would be appreciated.
Savannah Sparrow
Grasshopper Sparrow
Grasshopper Sparrow
Grasshopper Sparrow
Grasshopper Sparrow
Grasshopper Sparrow
Grasshopper Sparrow
Along Glenthorne Loop I saw more Field Sparrows, along with Song, White-throated, and Swamp Sparrows.
Field Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow
An American Kestrel and a juvenile Sharp-shinned Hawk were having some sort of disagreement along Reids Creek.
American Kestrel
Juvenile Sharp-shinned Hawk
American Kestrel and juvenile Sharp-shinned Hawk
Farther down Reids Creek I saw a Black-throated Green Warbler and a Magnolia Warbler.
Black-throated Green Warbler
Magnolia Warbler
I ended my hike on the trail by going upstream again. A Sharp-shinned Hawk was circling high above with a couple of Turkey Vultures, a juvenile Red-shouldered Hawk was being mobbed and then chased by American Crows, and a Great Blue Heron seemed to be a bit lost and was taking all of this in from the middle of a field. And then, our resident tail-less Turkey Vulture came out to cap off a great morning on the trail.
Juvenile Red-shouldered Hawk
Great Blue Heron
Tail-less Turkey Vulture
This morning's list (44 species):
American Crow Starling Baltimore Oriole Turkey Vulture Eastern Phoebe Eastern Wood-Pewee Eastern Bluebird Blue Jay Indigo Bunting Catbird Field Sparrow White-throated Sparrow Song Sparrow Swamp Sparrow Savannah Sparrow Grasshopper Sparrow Eastern Towhee Carolina Chickadee Carolina(?) Wren Tufted Titmouse Flicker Pileated Woodpecker Red-bellied Woodpecker Northern Mockingbird Eastern Meadowlark American Goldfinch Northern Cardinal Red-shouldered Hawk American Kestrel Sharp-shinned Hawk Cape May Warbler Black-throated Green Warbler Magnolia Warbler Golden-crowned Kinglet American Robin Great Blue Heron Blue-Headed Vireo Red-eyed/Warbling Vireo Rose-breasted Grosbeak Canada Goose |