Greetings All:
Migration, from a songbird perspective, has been a bit slow lately and
I thought today's pickup in activity in my yard (not, despite my
efforts, a songbird hotspot) might be suggestive of some good birding
out there.
It started with some non-songbirds when a Merlin swept through my yard
creating consternation amongst the dove establishment. Shortly
thereafter I spotted a group of jays ever so gently escorting a
Broad-winged Hawk from the neighborhood.
The first good songbird came when I spotted a Clay-colored Sparrow
atop the tallest pecan in my backyard and then another Clay-colored
Sparrow in the Lamb's Quarter patch. Shortly thereafter a male
Wilson's Warbler and a female Wilson's Warbler hit the pecan tree and
a mystery warbler moved into the center of the Lamb's Quarter patch.
After a brief lull in activity I spotted a Willow Flycatcher
flycatching from the neighbor's clothesline and then a third Wilson's
Warbler moved into the pecan along with the mystery warbler which
revealed itself, however briefly, to be an American Redstart before it
moved across the alley into a mix of conifers and cottonwoods.
A little bit later a Lark Sparrow flew over and shortly after that a
Spotted Towhee (which had been emitting 'shpree' calls for about a
half hour) visited one of my brush piles for a few seconds before
bailing over a fence with a Blue Jay in pursuit.
I'm not making any promises but this is the best my yard has been so
far this season and a visit to Clapp Park or the woodlands below Lake
Six might just be worthy of the effort.
Regards; Anthony Hewetson