Full of Promise.......

 but *^&% hot! The day started off with thick fog which took a while to burn off. There were a lot of birds migrating on Friday night and as I wrote yesterday the Merlin App was reporting lots of warblers. I didn't get to see a Mourning Warbler but I did get a Red-eyed Vireo and a nice Blackpoll. In the 93F outside temperature the inside of the blind was like an oven so unless it gets a bit cooler my time photographing at the waterfall is coming to an end for this season. I stuck it out for as long as I could aided by a wet towel, a dry towel and one of those fan thingies you wear around your neck. I took a load of pictures.

Blackpoll Warbler

Blackpoll Warbler

Blackpoll Warbler

Blackpoll Warbler

Blackpoll Warbler

Blue Jay

Blue Jay

Chipping Sparrow

Common Grackle

Common Yellowthroat

Eastern Bluebird

Gray Catbird

Red-eyed Vireo

Red-eyed Vireo

Zabulon Skipper

7 Days Later

Migration appeared to slow down considerably during the week but as of last night it seems to have picked up again. There were lots of birds in the air last night over the county, how many decided to land and sample the delights of the bugs in my yard is anybodies guess however. Early this morning I set my iPhone outside running the Merlin App Sound ID and this is what it thinks it heard.

Now I've seen everything below the Mourning Warbler in the yard several times or regularly for some. The Mourning Warbler is one I would dearly love to get in the yard. It's a lovely looking warbler and i've only ever seen two before and to have one in the yard at the waterfall while I was in the blind and to get a great shot of one would be rather nice.  One can only hope, as one is being reported by Merlin then there is hope, is today going to be my lucky day? Heres a few from earlier in the week.

American Redstart

American Redstart

American Redstart

Common Yellowthroat

Migration has slowed down a bit

Not so much action in the yard the last few days but it's supposed to pick up again tonight according to Birdcast. Fingers crossed. There were several Blackpoll Warblers, a Hooded and a Magnolia this afternoon as well as a Least Flycatcher and Great Crested Flycatcher. Here's a few from the waterfall.

 

Blackpoll Warbler

Blackpoll Warbler

Gray Catbird

Song Sparrow

Lots more migrants today.

 I was out on the deck bright and early cup of tea in hand. Lots of rain last night and everywhere was dripping including the trees with Warblers, Vireos, Orioles etc. I set Merlin to work while I slurped my tea and quite unexpected up popped a Yellow-throated Warbler. Very rare in Lebanon County. I had one a couple of years ago that out of the blue turned up on my feeder as I was photographing. As several people need it for the County I did a bit of texting. It showed up on Merlin several times after I cleared it so I'm pretty sure it was genuine. Couldn't find it though. A while later I left it listening while I popped inside to make a second cup of tea. A half hour later I went back out and it had heard a Mourning Warbler. Now that is a bird I would love to get a decent photograph of. Not to be. Lots of other good stuff however. Heres a few that came to the waterfall in the afternoon.

American Redstart

Baltimore Oriole

Black and White Warbler

Chestnut-sided Warbler

Common Yellowthroat

Common Yellowthroat

Common Yellowthroat

Scarlet Tanager

Scarlet Tanager

Scarlet Tanager

Song Sparrow

Swainsons Thrush

Big Bird Wadyamacallit Day

Today was the Big Bird Thingy, It was supposed to be nasty weather but the birds showed up anyway, in their hundreds if not thousands. I started off on the deck at 6:30 with a cup of tea, binoculars and Merlin App on the iPhone. Holy Shit! The trees were dripping with Warblers, Vireo's, Orioles. Flycatchers and what have you. I quickly got a new bird for the yard in Hooded Warbler, Whoo Hoo! It actually brightened up so I took a chance and set the blind up and apart from a break for lunch and a mid afternoon cup of English Breakfast I was in the blind until 4pm when exhaustion took over. I took 5072 photographs, I saw or Merlin App heard 74 species, I got 4 new yard birds, Hooded, Worm-eating, Prothonotary and Blue-winged Warblers. 

It was a 19 Species of Warbler day. 😎 Here's a few of them. Ok more than a few.

American Redstart

American Redstart

Black and White Warbler

Black and White Warbler

Black and White Warbler

Black and White Warbler

Black and White Warbler

Black and White Warbler

Black and White Warbler

Black-throated Blue Warbler

Black-throated Blue Warbler

Black-throated Green Warbler

Prothonotary Warbler

Blue Winged Warbler

Blue-winged Warbler

Common Yellowthroat

Common Yellowthroat

Indigo Bunting

Magnolia Warbler

Myrtle Warbler

Northern Parula

Northern Parula

Worm-eating Warbler

Worm-eating Warbler