Tabor Time

May 15, 2016 6 By Audrey

I love Mt Tabor Park.

Tabor Park

Warblers love it too. And that’s what I’d come to see. Yay spring migration! Unfortunately for me, instead of seeing warblers I only heard most of them. I mean, yes, that’s still a good thing, but it can be maddening to hear something so beautiful and not match the sound to the bird. The few I did see, I failed to get decent photos of.

And to make matters worse, the only flycatchers I saw *weren’t* singing.

Why won't you let me love you?

Why won’t you say something?

I quickly remembered how hard warblering is. I tried to relax and slowly take it all in. I listened to the sounds of Cassin’s Vireo, Black-throated Gray Warbler, and Wilson’s Warblers while I watched American Robins, Brown-headed Cowbirds, and Lesser Goldfinch.

Early Bird

Early Bird

Brown-headed Cowbird

Brown-headed Bird

Drab Bird

Such a Drab Bird

MowTown Bird

MowTown Bird

I both heard and saw Band-tailed Pigeons. Always a treat up there.

Band-tailed Pigeon

And I spent a long time with these stationary Northern Flickers.

Northern Flicker

Northern Flicker

Sweet cheeks!

Sweet cheeks!

Northern Flicker

M’Lady

At least some birds were cooperative.

Another treat was finding a Chipping Sparrow!

Chipping Sparrow

We played peek-a-boo in the grass until it flew up and perched on a branch.

Chipping Sparrow

Eye Candy

Cool bird to find here. I hadn’t realized their trilling song sounds so similar to Dark-eyed Juncos, so I may have passed them up before.

I watched a Red-breasted Sapsucker hard at work on a bigleaf maple tree.

Red-breasted Sapsucker

And a Red-tailed Hawk hard at work hunting prey. Good bird.

Red-tailed Hawk

There were other people birding at the park, and with their help, I was lucky enough to see a Hermit Warbler for a brief moment, but sadly, no pics. The only warbler picture I got is this embarrassingly grainy, fuzzy picture of a Wilson’s Warbler. Oh well.

Wilson's Warbler

Maybe next time I’ll ask for directions.

The warblers went that way

The warblers went that way

In the mean time, I’ll keep looking and listening!

Tweets and chirps,

Audrey