Chirps and Cheeps

A late afternoon hike through Tifft brought a couple of First of Year (FOY) birds today. The afternoon sun was wonderful and it was so nice seeing some new species migrating through the preserve.  I really enjoyed the songs of the Northern Cardinals and many Song Sparrows too.  The Golden-crowned Kinglets were everywhere, their "tsee-tsee-tsee" notes filling the air...

A pair of Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers were busy working the trees at the north end of the preserve and two Cooper's Hawks displayed their courtship flight at the south end. It was the first time I had witnessed that flight pattern and I thank Joe Fell for pointing that out to me. Later, while Joe was braving the muddy swamps for the Fox Sparrows, Field, and Chipping Sparrows he found, I stumbled on the Hermit Thrush Chris Hollister and Dennis Gralek told me about earlier. I had given up on that bird so this was a great "accident"! Joe caught up to it too.

Other birds seen this afternoon were: Belted Kingfisher, Blue-winged Teal, Gadwall, Hooded Mergansers, Horned Grebe, Great Blue Heron, Pileated Woodpecker, Downy and Red-bellied Woodpeckers, Eastern Phoebe, and Brown Creeper.