Pine Warblers
With temperatures around 40 degrees this morning, I knew that it wouldn't be too crowded on the trails here until it warmed up. I started off along Slabtown Branch Creek, and saw two Pine Warblers and a Yellow-rumped Warbler. A Red-shouldered Hawk was up in one of the trees, and I ended up with 15 avian species on this part of my hike.
Pine Warblers
Red-shouldered Hawk
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
While on the first leg of my hike, a small raptor flew in and perched quite a distance away from me, and was partially blocked by some trees. It looked to be the size of a Merlin, but I assume that it was a Sharp-shinned Hawk, as I saw one later on my hike.
Sharp-shinned Hawk (?)
Next stop was the golf course pond. Tree Swallows were active, and I got my first of season (FOS) Barn Swallows and Northern Rough-winged Swallows. The Pied-billed Grebe is now in breeding plumage. The last time I saw it a couple of weeks ago, it had a yellow-brown bill.
Northern Rough-winged Swallow
Tree Swallow
Tree Swallow "Got it!"
Tree Swallow "Didn't taste good @#!%"
Pied-billed Grebe
Eastern Bluebird
And then I got my FOS Osprey. A migrating (female) Osprey flew in and started fishing over the golf course pond. It circled a few times, dove head first into the pond, came up with a frog, and then headed off, checking to see if there was a bigger meal in the pond before it left to have its lunch.
Osprey
Osprey
Osprey
Osprey
Osprey
Osprey
Osprey
Osprey
Osprey
Osprey
Osprey
Osprey
As I was leaving the golf course pond, I saw the Sharp-shinned Hawk. Interestingly, its dark upper tail bands had narrow pale highlights on each side like that of a Northern Goshawk.
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Sharp-shinned Hawk
The Ring-necked Duck continues on the pond along Old Trail Drive.
Ring-necked Duck
Northern Mockingbird
I went over to the trail in Creekside to look for Louisiana Waterthrushes, and found one, and another Yellow-rumped Warbler. I also saw my FOS Brown-headed Cowbirds.
Louisiana Waterthrush
Louisiana Waterthrush
Louisiana Waterthrush
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Brown-headed Cowbirds
I ended my hike at Western Park with 43 avian species for the morning. An adult and a juvenile Red-shouldered Hawk were perched in a tree. When a Crow flew in and started calling for reinforcements, the adult left, and then the Crow went after the juvenile.
Red-shouldered Hawks and American Crow
Red-shouldered Hawk and American Crow
Red-shouldered Hawk and American Crow
Red-shouldered Hawk and American Crow
Red-shouldered Hawk and American Crow
Oh, and I got a new Old Trail species - the Old Trail Kite :-)
Kite
This morning's list:
Canada Goose
Ring-necked Duck
Pied-billed Grebe
Turkey Vulture
Black Vulture
Osprey
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Red-shouldered Hawk
Killdeer
Mourning Dove
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Downy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Pileated Woodpecker
Eastern Phoebe
Blue Jay
American Crow
Northern Rough-winged Swallow
Tree Swallow
Barn Swallow
Tufted Titmouse
White-breasted Nuthatch
Carolina Wren
Eastern Bluebird
American Robin
Northern Mockingbird
Louisiana Waterthrush
Pine Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Chipping Sparrow
Field Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
White-throated Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Eastern Towhee
Northern Cardinal
Red-winged Blackbird
Brown-headed Cowbird
House Finch
Pine Siskin
American Goldfinch
House Sparrow