Looking for the Cape May Warbler at the Big Sit.
Cape May Warbler.
Photo by Michael Myers
Our Big Sit got bumped from Saturday to Sunday May 2nd because a tree fell on the road to the Gatehouse. It turns out that Sunday was just a wonderful day for a Big Sit. The weather was comfortable all day long.
Twenty participants came out for the event and we ended up noting 63 species — the compete list is below. Cape May Warblers were out in force and many people got a great look at these beautiful birds. Noisy Green Herons, Red-shouldered Hawks, Orioles, Yellow-rumped Warblers, Brown-headed Cowbirds and Carolina Wrens all filled the day with their calls and songs. Mallard flying low around the counters provided some amusement too. Black-and-white Warbler, Northern Parula, American Redstart, Prairie Warbler and Common Yellowthroat added to the aforementioned Cape May and Yellow-rumped Warblers to provide a relatively robust showing of migrants.
A rapidly migrating Broad-winged Hawk provided a nice first of year sighting for the handful of folks that caught it streaming across the sky.
We also found three species of breeding birds: a Robin making a nest; a Carolina Wren using a cavity for a nest; and an Eastern Phoebe that nested at the Gatehouse Garage.
We introduced some new birders to the delights of birding and found a couple new life birds for some of the more experienced birders in the group. Thanks again to everyone that helped with the event and everyone that came out to share the day. A good time was had by all, and we look forward to doing the event again next year!
Eastern Phoebe
Species List:
Canada Goose – Branta canadensis
Mallard – Anas platyrhynchos
Chimney Swift – Chaetura pelagica
Ruby-throated Hummingbird – Archilochus colubris
Solitary Sandpiper – Tringa solitaria
Ring-billed Gull – Larus delawarensis
Green Heron – Butorides virescens
Black Vulture – Coragyps atratus
Turkey Vulture – Cathartes aura
Osprey – Pandion haliaetus
Red-shouldered Hawk – Buteo lineatus
Broad-winged Hawk – Buteo platypterus
Red-tailed Hawk – Buteo jamaicensis
Red-headed Woodpecker – Melanerpes erythrocephalus
Red-bellied Woodpecker – Melanerpes carolinus
Downy Woodpecker – Dryobates pubescens
Hairy Woodpecker – Dryobates villosus
Pileated Woodpecker – Dryocopus pileatus
Eastern Phoebe – Sayornis phoebe
Great Crested Flycatcher – Myiarchus crinitus
Eastern Kingbird – Tyrannus tyrannus
White-eyed Vireo – Vireo griseus
Red-eyed Vireo – Vireo olivaceus
Blue Jay – Cyanocitta cristata
American Crow – Corvus brachyrhynchos
Fish Crow – Corvus ossifragus
Carolina Chickadee – Poecile carolinensis
Tufted Titmouse – Baeolophus bicolor
Barn Swallow – Hirundo rustica
Ruby-crowned Kinglet – Regulus calendula
White-breasted Nuthatch – Sitta carolinensis
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher – Polioptila caerulea
House Wren – Troglodytes aedon
Carolina Wren – Thryothorus ludovicianus
European Starling – Sturnus vulgaris
Gray Catbird – Dumetella carolinensis
Brown Thrasher – Toxostoma rufum
Eastern Bluebird – Sialia sialis
American Robin – Turdus migratorius
Cedar Waxwing – Bombycilla cedrorum
House Sparrow – Passer domesticus
House Finch – Haemorhous mexicanus
Purple Finch – Haemorhous purpureus
American Goldfinch – Spinus tristis
Chipping Sparrow – Spizella passerina
Field Sparrow – Spizella pusilla
White-throated Sparrow – Zonotrichia albicollis
Song Sparrow – Melospiza melodia
Eastern Towhee – Pipilo erythrophthalmus
Eastern Meadowlark – Sturnella magna
Orchard Oriole – Icterus spurius
Baltimore Oriole – Icterus galbula
Red-winged Blackbird – Agelaius phoeniceus
Brown-headed Cowbird – Molothrus ater
Common Grackle – Quiscalus quiscula
Black-and-white Warbler – Mniotilta varia
Common Yellowthroat – Geothlypis trichas
American Redstart – Setophaga ruticilla
Cape May Warbler – Setophaga tigrina
Northern Parula – Setophaga americana
Yellow-rumped Warbler – Setophaga coronata
Prairie Warbler – Setophaga discolor
Northern Cardinal – Cardinalis cardinalis