Red-eyed Vireo
Swainson's Thrush - buffy spectacles made the ID easy.
Summer Tanager
I had a very cooperative Ruby-Throat. By the way the hummingbird posts continue on the list serv. I think 80% of list serv posts lately consist of someone posting they saw a Ruby-throat. In one example someone typed they had a RB hummer and thats pretty much all the post was. They need to be more careful. Some folks don't realize that all list serv posts are immortalized on the inter webs. So if Bob Smith (fictional) posts that he had a RB hummer and ended the post with his location, in the future anyone who searches the internet for Bob Smith in Springfield NC, they will find a post where Bob says he has a RB hummer. It would be easy for someone to infer that Bob had really bad (RB) oral sex (hummer). Maybe that's just my sick mind, but my point is that you should think twice before posting an update on whether you saw a common migrant/resident as your post will forever be part of the inter webs. eBird already is a great repository for tracking hummingbird sightings. That being said if you witness a hummingbird that looks rare, or doing something unusual then by all means post it. A Ruby-throated Hummingbird migrating through the state NC in a month that has proven to be a big migration month is not very helpful. I understand that people love hummingbirds and just love to say something when they have them, but in terms of numbers it's basically like saying you have a Chickadee at your feeder.
Sunday I made the annual pilgrimage to Brian's place just off Fall's Lake. The thrushes love it there because of all the dogwoods and berries.
We started the morning looking at warblers. We had a couple that looked like Bay-breasted but I was not having an easy time of it because there was Pine Warblers mixed in and this time of year they can look pretty darn similar.
I believe this is a Pine due to white vent and undertail coverts.
I believe this is a Bay-breasted, at least that was the consensus when we were looking at it. The smudging on side is less streaky and more well... smudgy than I would expect on a Pine. However, the best mark I think is the undertail coverts which are quite buffy.
Here is one that I think is a Pine, but man those wing bars are wide.
Then the thrush show started. They would move in as a group eating the Dogwood berries and then move out and repeat every 20 minutes or so.
Gray-cheeked Thrush - little to no eye ring, and throat/malar is fairly free of buffy color. Also the spotting is more pronounced and the spots smaller.
Peregrine Falcon!! This was a new yard bird for Brian who keeps very close track of yard birds.
This is an adult bird as evidenced from relatively light coloring.
Another tricky warbler, I would say Pine but the yellow is so washed out and I can almost see some Bay color on rear flanks?
Another shot of same bird. It's not a Blackpoll anyway.
The head is so dark, can a Bay-breasted ever look like this?
20 minutes later and back to the thrushes.
Gray-cheeked Thrush - I love this photo! The bird just pops out, it almost looks Psychedelic.
My settings were not right for this bird which was in a darker area of the garden, and he flew before I could reset. Wood Thrush.
Wood Thrush
Gray Cheeked
Scarlet Tanager
Swainson's Thrush!!! The buffy "spectacles" make this an easy ID, but also check out the spotting. The spots are bigger and more spread out.
Gray-cheeked
White-breasted Nuthatch
Hmmmm Hot Pepper Suet on his tongue!
On the way home, I stopped at Mid Pines Rd and Yates Mill.
Yellow-billed Cuckoo
Red-tailed Hawk
Crow chasing a RT Hawk.
Thanks Brian! I hope you keep this program up, it's awesome.
Cheers.
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