Tabor Time
I love Mt 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 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
Brown-headed Bird
Such a Drab Bird
MowTown Bird
I both heard and saw Band-tailed Pigeons. Always a treat up there.
And I spent a long time with these stationary Northern Flickers.
Sweet cheeks!
M’Lady
At least some birds were cooperative.
Another treat was finding a Chipping Sparrow!
We played peek-a-boo in the grass until it flew up and perched on a branch.
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.
And a Red-tailed Hawk hard at work hunting prey. Good bird.
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.
Maybe next time I’ll ask for directions.
The warblers went that way
In the mean time, I’ll keep looking and listening!
Tweets and chirps,
Audrey
I love the birds you do find to take pics of and then tell me what they are. I’m learning so much from your trips…
So cool, Zelda! Happy to hear you’re getting something out of it. 🙂
You just described warbling to a T–I always hope to follow up warbling trip with a wide open beach trip so I can actually SEE the birds! The “carolers” up in the penthouse drive me crazy. The only hope is to see one here, one there, and then add that all up to warbler sightings! Black n Whites nest in my yard,,,,,I hear them daily I’ve had 2 clean sightings so far and that was when one body slammed himself into our screen porch he was dazed but flew off fine, and the other was when one attacked a moth on the ground.
Seriously!! Why must they be so secretive? And in the bright sun, behind the leaves, way up in the high branches…warblers at the beach! That would be a treat! So cool Black n Whites nest in your yard! Yikes! – glad he was okay!
Yay Tabor! I am thinking that May needs to be two months long… There’s not enough time to get in all the warbling that one needs to get in to be sane. I’d be fine with getting rid of June, if it meant two Mays.
Chipping Sparrow is always a good bird! That’s a lie. Chipping Sparrow is always a good bird in Portland!
Two Mays, yes please! Maybe then I could get a dry weekend or two in there. Dear universe…