Chirps and Cheeps

In order to do some upcoming volunteer work at INWR, I had to stop by their office and fill out some paperwork.  And since I was out there... well... I just HAD to do a little birding. 

There was nothing outstanding that presented itself today, but I did get some better-than-average views of a nice variety of species, especially of a family of Blue-gray Gnatcatchers, a family of Eastern Bluebirds, and a young Warbling Vireo.  My most memorable view of the day, though, was of a Common Gallinule (Moorhen).  I never got the photo because I was too startled to lift the camera as I flushed the bird when I got close to where it was hiding in a marshy area. It left with quite a squawk and I just may have squawked as well!  I've never been that close to a gallinule before and, in spite of the scare, it was pretty neat.  I heard it making some cool noises in the reeds, but I never got another glimpse of it.

I also took a few distant photos of a "mystery" bird, which later proved to be a juvenile Brown Thrasher. The young bird was poking around in a grassy area, much like a thrush, which confused me.  When I referenced the bird, though, Brown Thrashers DO look for insects on the ground, tossing dead leaves around with their curved bills. They are also very secretive birds, apparently, and their numbers are decreasing in many areas. This is becoming a concern for ornithologists because right now, they're not sure why they're in decline.