First report came of a potential good day of two HOODED WARBLERS in the West border of Prospect just south of 11th Ave entrance that Mike Yuan tweeted.I arrived to look but then the rains came and kaput went my chance to find this species. So onward to Greenwood Cemetery to lead my BBC walk.
Raindrops still falling, the group waited inside the GWC entrance visitors house at 20th Street. Our delayed start benefited us , as rain sometimes have an effect of trapping migrating birds that would otherwise keep going. At the road turn just inside the main entrance,a big oak produced TENNESSEE and PRAIRIE WARBLERS. This looks quite promising. And so it was as we near Ocean ridge to the south. And both in a Velkova tree and then a Red Oak on Atlantic and Ocean Ave in the Cemetery, we spotted feverishly over 14 species warblers. These were some of the quality ones : BLACKBURNINA,BLUEWINGED,MAGNOLIA,BLACKTHROATED GREEN,WORMEATING, NORTHERN PARULA,CHEST NUT SIDED, and so on. A CANADA WARBLER appeared later at South wood Ave.
At Sylvan Water, we picked up male WILSONS WARBLER .This species made it a magical 20th WARBLER species for my walk;and it didn't looked earlier like that number was attainable.
Some other species were worth mentioning.A few ORCHARD ORIOLES, some SHARP SHINNED HAWKS ,WARBLING VIREO and SCARLET TANAGERS delighted my members.
Meanwhile over in birdy Prospect based on Twitter tweets, 8 new warblers species added to the days total. Topping the quality ; CERULEAN WARBLER (LEwing) just west of the Maryland Monument; CAPE MAY WARBLERS (jmalbin) ,at Bartel Pritchard entrance; continuing ORANGE CROWNED ( MYuan) above Lamppost 249 ; HOODED WARBLER on Lookout Hill,Music Pagoda and Golden Stairs; and the prized GOLDEN WINGED WARBLER above Quaker Cemetery main gate (SNanz). And a late report of LOUISIANA WATERTHRUSH & BAY BREASTED WARBLER ( RCandee); add also PALM WARBLER.
Adding to those rare warblers ,more good birds surfaced .Mike Yuan reported YELLOW BILLED CUCKOO at South Midwood; a female SUMMER TANAGER at Rick's Place bridle trail puddle and Boulder Bridge, and two SOLITARY SANDPIPERS at Lily Pool backwater.
Based on all this writing,you can tell it was a BIG day, at least in the sense of how long we impatient birders been waiting for the blast out to happen.
Southwest winds are predicted tonight, and maybe a good or better day tomorrow? Find out..
http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S29498939
