May 13, 2006 [LINK]

ABC annual spring picnic

In spite of overcast skies and cool temps, the Augusta Bird Club's annual picnic at Montgomery Hall Park this morning turned out splendidly, thanks to the timely appearances by nearly a dozen warbler species. The most notable one was a Bay-breasted warbler.* Several people were just as surprised to see some Black-throated blue warblers, so I thought I would post this 12-second video clip (Apple QuickTime format) of one singing that I took in the very same park on May 4; just click on the adjacent freeze frame image. Here are the highlights of what I saw today:

• Great crested flycatchers
• American redstarts (M, FOS)
• Black-throated green warblers
• Chestnut-sided warbler
• Black-throated blue warblers
• Bay-breasted warbler (FOS) !
• Yellow-rumped warblers
• Yellow warbler
• Red-eyed vireos
• Kingbird
• Downy woodpeckers
• Hairy woodpecker
• Red-bellied woodpecker
• White-breasted nuthatch
• Eastern bluebird (M)

I was one of the only ones not to see a Rose-breasted grosbeak that was singing in the tree tops. Also still missing from my list of spring neotropical migrants: tanagers and cuckoos.

* A Bay-breasted warbler also appeared at last year's ABC picnic, when the trail named in honor of YuLee Larner was dedicated; see May 14, 2005.