Birding Coldbrook Road

Alan and I did some birding today along Coldbrook Road and the Warre River Watershed searching for migrators and the usual summer residents. We would make a stop and one of the first warblers we would see and hear would be the Magnolia Warbler which figures after we spent the past 10 days trying to find one. I have noticed I am picking up on a couple of things this year and that is to always remember where you get your target birds for the following year because one can waste a lot of time looking for certain warblers if you are searching for them blindly. Coldbrook road will be one of the first places to go next spring to get both the Magnolia and Nashville next year as well as other warblers.

I have also noticed how much more frustrating birding for warblers is this year. I was telling Alan that it seemed so much easier last year and that the warblers would just appear and all would be well. This year is much different and that's because he says I expect more which is probably true. I am holding myself more accountable this year with bird song, ID and use of my binoculars and I get frustrated if I mis- ID a bird song or a bird which is adding to the stress. Not to mention how difficult birding for warblers is. People say hawkwatching is hard, but I find it easier in that all though they are often dots in the sky, they are not hidden by leaves or brush. That's not to say I don't enjoy birding for warblers as once you see them you are more than rewarded its just that one must work very hard for that reward more often than not!

We would also see this Eastern Towhee above who was singing in a way I had never heard one sing before which was a Chick Bur-r-r-r--r. I would spend a few minutes trying to figure out what bird was doing the singing before Alan told me. You learn something new every day. We would also get a Nashville Warbler here as well as all of the others that are to be expected this time of the year.
We would be driving along and hear an Indigo Bunting so made a stop to see if we could see it and we would see a real kettle of raptors in the sky. It was interesting in that there were quite a few Turkey Vultures in the kettle and three Red-tailed Hawks in there as well so it was really cool to see them side by side. Again, I would hope for a Red-shouldered but once again I would be out of luck but that's the way its been for me this year.
We would finally see the Indigo Bunting which was a real treat. I was very happy to have immediately recognized its song because this was one song last year that would always throw me off, so while I still have so much to learn in my birding, it's nice to have a reminder on occasion how much I have learned in just a year.

While we would get a lot of really great birds along the watershed we soon realized how much more difficult it is to get the much wanted FOY so went all the way to Sterling Peat for an Alder Flycatcher because we got a really nice look of one there last year. We would get a really good look at an Osprey hunting for fish along the water and even get to see it perched up in a snag and taking a break. We never would get an Alder, but there are quite a few Willow Flycatchers there now who were singing away and claiming their territory.

Will be back out again tomorrow taking advantage of the nice weather and May birding. Will also be out tonight looking for Whip-poor-wills, which will be a life bird for me believe it or not so am looking forward to it.

Take care all