Chirps and Cheeps

I birded through Chestnut Ridge Park a couple of times this past week. I love the serenity of mature forests; it's a whole different world and habitat from some of the other places I've been going to for warblers of late.

Thrushes were everywhere - the loud calls of the Wood Thrush especially resonated through the woods. I caught sight of them several times along with a few Swainson's Thrushes. For the first time this spring, I never saw a Hermit Thrush.

I heard so many Ovenbirds too, "teacher teacher teacher". And other warblers were around as well: Hooded, Chestnut-sided, Magnolia, Black-throated Blues and Greens, Northern Parula, Yellow, Yellow-rumped, Black-and-White, Blackburnian, and Bay-breasted. What a treat!

An Eastern Phoebe didn't mind me watching him catch insects for at least 30 minutes - fascinating. And a beautiful pair of Scarlet Tanagers seemed to pop up wherever I was - or was there more than 1 pair?  I'm not sure!

Occasionally, the lovely forest serenade of the songs and calls of the warblers, thrushes, tanagers, woodpeckers, and flycatchers was broken by the "laughing"of a Pileated Woodpecker as he flew nearby.  What a sight he made careening through the trees!

And as I was on my way out the other day, the music was completely interrupted by the chaos of crows mobbing a poor Great Horned Owl. I followed and watched as they flushed it from tree to tree. My sympathies completely laid with the owl as it could find no peace anywhere. It was interesting that a couple of woodpeckers, at least 1 Hairy and Downy each joined the crows. I felt like conducting an intervention - but I know better than to interrupt the natural order of things. I sure hope the owl found rest somewhere!