Postponed due to weather
It was drizzling when I pulled up the trailhead on Stagecoach Road. The weather was the limiting factor today, as the birds were certainly out and singing. But I was a little concerned. The trail is an out and back, and 2 miles each way. Should I get stuck out at the tip when it opens up, I would be in for a long, wet walk back. But that was a problem for later, 50 meters down the trail I was greeted by a stridently singing Kentucky Warbler and a Black-throated Blue Warbler that threw me for a loop by a) hanging out in the very top of a tree when they’re usually in the mid-story and b) singing a variation of their usual song consisting of some sweet slurry notes followed by a buzzy trill instead of the usual chrr-chrr-chrrrrrrp.
I stood watching this bird in the canopy for at least 10 minutes racking my brain before if finally let loose with a regular song (in my defense, the light was really bad, I couldn’t get any color at all). Why do birds have to mix it up? It’s just so confusing. The Blue Warbler was notable, though, for being my 200th bird of the year in North Carolina, a milestone I would’ve rather hit a month ago, but you get them when you can, right?
When I had my fill of the new warblers I happened to look up on a snag to see that a Barred Owl had been watching me the whole time, fluffing it’s feathers in the rain for a quick shower. Perhaps it was most interested in the Screech Owl whistled I employed in an unsuccessful attempt to pull the warbler in closer. With no easy meal in sight, it took off into the woods. It was the second time in as many years I’ve had Barred Owls in this spot, they likely nest nearby. With warblers on the brain, I ignored the slightly increasing rainfall and headed into the green tunnel of the trail, where the drops were not likely to bother me as much.
Parulas, Ovenbirds, Hooded Warblers, and Wood Thrushes sang out from just beyond the immediate path, staying tantalizingly close but just out of sight. I picked up the pace when I heard the peet-sa of the first migrant flycatcher of the year, an Acadian. This trail will be full of them in another week. And just as the rain began to fall in earnest, a Scarlet Tanager began singing from the top of a tall oak. And then it began to pour.
I decided to high-tail it back to my car rather then tough it out. Fortunately I had only walked around a quarter-mile down the trail. The birdsong had quieted down anyway, or maybe I missed it all as I ran back, but even with only about 45 minutes of birding I picked up 4 new birds for the year. Things are getting good, too bad about the rain. Good thing there’s always tomorrow.
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It’s funny how you just casually mention Hooded and Kentucky Warblers, not even highlighting the former. Having birded only around the Great Lakes, these were the regular yet scarce and thus highly sought after species, the birds that would completely make your day (lasting at least until the next day) even if all you got was a fleeting glimpse. My first ever Kentucky (and self-found, too) lasted for probably less than a second and I was thrilled to an extend bodering on insanity.
Even though the Great Lakes are absolutely phantastic, I do feel I need to travel more widely through North America, with the prairies and the Atlantic coast from Boston all the way down to NC being the two main objectives.
Some fine day…
You do know that you live in a nice place, do you?
I see so many Hooded Warblers in the spring it’s not even funny, they’re pretty common resident nesters. I have at least 4 a day, had some even this morning. : ) KY Warblers are a bit harder to come by but I’ve got a good spot for them where I can usually get a couple.
Alternately, I’d kill for a Canada Warbler though…
Man, you make some cool observations! Years ago I spent quite a bit of time with Black-throated Blues during a field season. The vocalization you describe sounds like you were about to witness a fight or you were watching a male hitting on a would-be girlfriend. The sweet slurry notes, without the rising ending, are usually given when associating with a female, but sometimes as a prelude to aggressive encounters with another male. The trill is often given right before or during a chase or actual fight between males. According to the BNA Online they may also do it while chasing a female during pair formation or nest building.
I wonder if another male was encroaching on your bird’s territory, or if a female was skulking nearby, checking out potential nest sites.
Either way, very cool!
-Mike
BT Blues don’t nest around here (but they do out west) so I doubt they were scoping sites, but it does make sense given that there were a couple other nondescript warblery birds in the area that I never got a good look at. Good candidates for female BTBs now that I think on it.
I was a little frustrated, I really wanted to make them into Bay-breasteds but it just wasn’t quite squeaky enough. : )
Cool stuff. Thanks, Mike.
Ah, mea culpa. I spaced that you’re not in that Appalachian finger-projection part of NC. Still, cool observation, and good to know more migrants are on their way. I had my first-of-the-year warblers recently stoking me for what’s to come!
-Mike
Wait a minute, N8… Canada Warblers?
Isn’t that the grey-and-yellow bird-locust that’s swarming through the woodlands around the Great Lakes like a tidal wave each spring?
The monotonous mass of bird bodies covering all the bushes and the forest floor that makes it so hard to find any decent warblers?
Is that what you’re talking about?
N8, I sometimes feel we should go on a slow pelagic together, lots to talk about…
That’s the one. My number one warbler nemesis.
You name the time and place. I suggest the NC coast, in May…
N8, the Canada Warbler is a very worthy Nemesis warbler (imagine it was Butterbutt!).
May 2007 saw a very good migration of them through Crane Creek, where I logged (no I didn’t, stupid me, I forgot to write down numbers) an estimated 30 or so during my 5 or so visits. So possibly, that locust-comparison wasn’t entirely representative of the species’ normal occurence there.
A pelagic out to Pterodroma alley? Well, why do you think the east coast of the US is one of my prime targets for future trips? Yepp, because of wintering Ipswitch Sparrows, but quite possibly also because of … how many … three or even four possible Pterodromas!?
Not this year though, my friend, not this year, but the time will most definitely come.
Besides, I still owe you a decent beer.
Yup, Black-capped, Fea’s, Trindade, and longshot Bermuda Petrels.
Up to 8 Storm-petrels, 4 regular.
All three jaegers, tropicbirds, 5 shearwaters (maybe 6 if you count Cape Verde).
Not even counting migrating whales and turtles.
It’s hot, hot, hot. The gulf stream is the place to be.
And I’ll get that beer.
You’ll get another beer or three from me if you see all those species you’ve mentioned during the pelagic this May.
And that’s a promise!