Drew, Josh, and I birded a few places this morning and saw a handful of new spring migrants. Despite the rain, our morning was very productive and fun! Click on the links below to see our eBird checklist for that location.
Blue Jay - Slab Cabin Park (Photo by Alex Lamoreaux)
We stopped at Julian Wetlands first thing this morning and had 32 species there. A Bank Swallow was perched on the wires with Tree, Barn, and Northern Rough-winged Swallows and was a new county year bird for me! There was also a single Cliff Swallow present.
Lederer Park had a Black-and-white Warbler and a Black-throated Green Warbler. Both were males that we saw and heard singing. We also had a Least Flycatcher near the parking area. Nearby Walnut Springs was quiet and we only birded there briefly.
Slab Cabin Park had a singing male Nashville Warbler. Millbrook Marsh had an Orchard Oriole, as well as singing Common Yellowthroats and Yellow Warblers. There was also a female Yellow-rumped Warbler there. A Virginia Rail was heard near the bird blind.
Orchard Oriole - Millbrook Marsh (Photo by Alex Lamoreaux)
Yellow-rumped Warbler - Millbrook Marsh (Photo by Alex Lamoreaux)
Yellow Warbler - Millbrook Marsh (Photo by Alex Lamoreaux)
A late afternoon stop by the ponds along Old Gatesburg Rd produced a Solitary Sandpiper, which unfortunately flew off very soon after we arrived.
Solitary Sandpiper - Old Gatesburg Rd Ponds (Photo by Alex Lamoreaux)
In the evening, Drew and I went over to Julian Wetlands to try and determine what species of rail and how many of each species were present in the marsh. We walked around the entire wetlands complex and, with Bob Snyder’s help, found 10 Virginia Rails and sadly no other species.
One of ten Virginia Rails at Julian Wetlands (Photo by Alex Lamoreaux)
One of ten Virginia Rails at Julian Wetlands (Photo by Alex Lamoreaux)