[mou] Road Trip Sunday

[Thomas Maiello]

Taking my frustration at the lack of warblers by the throat, I followed 
up on reports posted on these web services and pursued my goals.  Rather 
than wait for the warblers to show up in my old favorite haunts where I 
usually expected them - I declared "Road Trip".  My field trip to 
Hok-Si-La and Lake Byllesby on Sunday were more than rewarding - it was 
delicious!  While the birds were not actually everywhere, and they did 
appear in waves, when we did come upon the warblers they were literally 
dripping off the trees.  While seeing the warblers as Hok-Si-La (man, is 
that hard for me to type) - the ones listed in Jim Ryan's email - I 
found myself just giggling with the thrill of each new bird.  I was a 
kid again (as if I ever grew up).  While I almost always go birding 
alone, the company, experience and eyes of Judith Sparrow and Jim Ryan 
with me enriched the day, the travel, the walking, the spotting and 
IDing.  It was also fun to meet so many additional birders at the park 
who also followed the invite to see these birds via this service and 
share stories and spottings - especially with the on-again-off-again 
appearances.  It made the whole day and adventure.

At Lake Byllesby, I finally got to go to the viewing area I have heard 
so much about and was rewarded by meeting Steve Weston who surely knows 
his bird and shares his passion.  But, boy, those little dots in the 
spotting scopes turned out to be a host of birds I have never seen 
before and would like to see a little closer.  I was amazed at Steve's 
dedication to identifying not only the type of bird but counting the 
numbers - in the hundreds for some - all through a scope and at little 
dots that moved along the shore (see his most recent emails for lists).  
I learned a lot from him in that shared time.  Plus as a added reward a 
wave of warblers came in and rounded out my day .  My original goal had 
been to see Magnolia, Chest-nut Sided and Blackburnian warblers to ease 
my warbler addiction.  The trees around the viewing area at Lake 
Byllesby rounded my list out and added new interest in seeing a 
bobolink, sedge wren, all of the swallows, and IDing female warblers.  I 
learned to ID them through a process of elimination based on eye-ring, 
body color and pattern, bill color, wing color and pattern and just 
keeping at it - figuring out what they weren't and the one left would be 
the most likely candidate.  As for my goal - only the Blackburnian 
remains elusive.

I thank Jim, Judith and Steve for the most rewarding and memorable day 
of birding this year so far.  As for everyone else who is a little 
frustrated with the migration this year - go out and hunt them down.  
They are out there if you are up for the challenge - and the pay off is 
wonderful.

Just day "Road Trip!"

Thomas Maiello
Spring Lake Park