[mou] Redstart CYT
Thomas Maiello
thomas@angelem.com
Tue, 09 May 2006 21:00:38 -0500
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Spent practically the entire day birding! Can life get any grander?
Strafed Wood Lake and just as I was getting a tad frustrated with the
lack of warblers a miracle for this man occurred. As I got a few
hundred yards along the east side at the triple split in the trail, I
took the road less traveled for me - the middle path. I was tracking a
marsh wren and just as I reached the spot where the two right side
trails reconverge a bird spooked and landed on a tall weed directly in
front of me. A poster child Le Conte's Sparrow stood before me as clear
a reverse osmosis water with the only thing missing being a name tag
around it's neck with it's name (Hello - My Name is Le Conte). It
seemed to sit there forever given my years of trying to see one clearly
and yet I am sure it was only a second or two before it shot away into
the cat tails and disappeared. I met a guy shortly after that and took
him to see if we could see it again and we think he got a glimpse of it
fleeing our view. Secretive is a word invented for this bird.
We birded together with normal luck for the regular band of regulars
until we gave it one more try on the way out to see the sparrow. No
luck but we did see two Common Yellow Throats in the same spot. Yay!
Also - the bullfrogs were croaking and calling to beat the band and we
could actually see them swimming, interacting and expanding their throat
for the all male Bufo Choir. Wow!
Next came Cedar Bridge. Beautiful Yellow Headed Blackbirds! Feisty
Marsh Wren in the cat tails and a noisy House Wren taking residence in a
small bird house just south off the trail a little west past the
Observation deck trail. In this same area I spent several frustrating
minutes trying to identify some flitty birds by their posteriors. Ever
try to identify a Blue Gray Gnatcatcher by his rear? His bill and tail
feathers helped but I had to back off a good 100 feet to get a side view
to confirm this summery denizen. On the other side of the road I
spotted the hopeful point man for the warbler waves - an American
Redstart who for sure had enough coffee for the day. By the way - I
think the Baltimore Orioles were having a convention while I was there
and the beavers were all over the place.
With the help of another birder, I found out that that a plain,
non-descript almost a warbler but with a vireo bill does have a name and
is identified by these characteristics. It was a Warbling Vireo on the
south side of the Cedar Bridge parking lot.
What a glorious day and I get to do it!
Thomas Maiello
Spring Lake Park
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Spent practically the entire day birding! Can life get any grander?
Strafed Wood Lake and just as I was getting a tad frustrated with the
lack of warblers a miracle for this man occurred. As I got a few
hundred yards along the east side at the triple split in the trail, I
took the road less traveled for me - the middle path. I was tracking a
marsh wren and just as I reached the spot where the two right side
trails reconverge a bird spooked and landed on a tall weed directly in
front of me. A poster child <b>Le Conte's Sparrow</b> stood before me
as clear a reverse osmosis water with the only thing missing being a
name tag around it's neck with it's name (Hello - My Name is Le
Conte). It seemed to sit there forever given my years of trying to see
one clearly and yet I am sure it was only a second or two before it
shot away into the cat tails and disappeared. I met a guy shortly
after that and took him to see if we could see it again and we think he
got a glimpse of it fleeing our view. Secretive is a word invented for
this bird.<br>
<br>
We birded together with normal luck for the regular band of regulars
until we gave it one more try on the way out to see the sparrow. No
luck but we did see two <b>Common Yellow Throats </b>in the same spot.
Yay!<br>
<br>
Also - the bullfrogs were croaking and calling to beat the band and we
could actually see them swimming, interacting and expanding their
throat for the all male Bufo Choir. Wow!<br>
<br>
Next came Cedar Bridge. Beautiful <b>Yellow Headed Blackbird</b>s!
Feisty Marsh Wren in the cat tails and a noisy House Wren taking
residence in a small bird house just south off the trail a little west
past the Observation deck trail. In this same area I spent several
frustrating minutes trying to identify some flitty birds by their
posteriors. Ever try to identify a Blue Gray Gnatcatcher by his rear?
His bill and tail feathers helped but I had to back off a good 100 feet
to get a side view to confirm this summery denizen. On the other side
of the road I spotted the hopeful point man for the warbler waves - an <b>American
Redstart</b> who for sure had enough coffee for the day. By the way -
I think the <b>Baltimore Oriole</b>s were having a convention while I
was there and the beavers were all over the place.<br>
<br>
With the help of another birder, I found out that that a plain,
non-descript almost a warbler but with a vireo bill does have a name
and is identified by these characteristics. It was a <b>Warbling Vireo</b>
on the south side of the Cedar Bridge parking lot.<br>
<br>
What a glorious day and I get to do it!<br>
<br>
Thomas Maiello<br>
Spring Lake Park<br>
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