I wasn't looking forward to hiking the steep, 300 foot climb up the Fire Road at Mint Springs Park for the third time in a couple of weeks, but I wanted to see if Kentucky Warblers had shown up. As soon as I parked and got out of my car, I heard Black-throated Blue Warblers. I hiked the grassy field past the kiosk, and as soon as I got to the start of the Fire Trail in the woods, a beautiful, male, Black-throated Blue Warbler was at eye level and only five feet in front of me. But as I raised my camera for a photo, it took off. I saw more of them a few minutes later.
Black-throated Blue Warbler
Black-throated Blue Warbler
Black-throated Blue Warbler
There were American Redstarts and a Hooded Warbler. One of the Redstarts was a first spring male, as it still had quite a few brown feathers on its upper side.
Hooded Warbler
American Redstart
American Redstart
I had gone only about a hundred yards up the Fire Trail when a Kentucky Warbler (my 2021 warbler species #18) flew in and perched close to the trail. It stayed put for more than five minutes while I took more than 200 photos of it, and it was still there when I turned around to go back. There probably were more warblers up the Fire Trail, but I didn't need or want to make the climb.
Kentucky Warbler
Kentucky Warbler
Kentucky Warbler
Kentucky Warbler (head detail)
Kentucky Warbler
Kentucky Warbler
I hiked along the road over to the other end of the Fire Trail, hiked a short distance there and a bit on the Lake Trail. I saw more Black-throated Blue Warblers, more American Redstarts, an Ovenbird, and got my first of season Red-eyed Vireo and first of season House Wren.
Black-throated Blue Warbler
Ovenbird
Red-eyed Vireo
House Wren
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Hoary Edge Skipper
I decided to try for more warblers at Lickinghole Creek and Basin, but only heard a Yellow Warbler there. The usual shorebirds were on the gravel bar, and the eaglets are getting big.
Solitary and Spotted Sandpipers
Spotted Sandpipers
Bald Eagles