Summertime Birding & Spring Report

I went out this morning and birded in the woods for the first time since June. With all the rain we've had over the past few days, there was a lot of standing water and the humidity is very high. The birds were more active than I anticipated. There were several of the spring migrants that hung around to breed in the area. I saw what I think is a family of five Great Crested Flycatchers hanging out together. I saw Red-eyed Vireos and Eastern Wood-Pewees feeding. Several juvenile Red-bellied Woodpeckers explored the trees in search of a meal. A Black-and-white Warbler mixed in with a flock of Carolina Chickadees. It was nice to get out and go birding this morning!

The hummingbirds aren't increasing much at the feeders. I'll see four to five at a time trying to get to them, but so far one dominant bird has done a pretty good job of holding the others at bay. Hopefully it won't be long before they show up in greater numbers.

Birds seen 8/22/08 (21 species): Black Vulture, Red-shouldered Hawk, Eurasian Collared-Dove, Mourning Dove, Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Downy Woodpecker, Eastern Wood-Pewee, Great Crested Flycatcher, Red-eyed Vireo, Blue Jay, American Crow, Carolina Chickadee, Tufted Titmouse, Carolina Wren, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Eastern Bluebird, Black-and-white Warbler, Northern Cardinal, House Sparrow

Species Seen as of 8/22/08: 126
Species Seen as of 8/22/04: 113

I ran a report on my spring sightings and these are the migrants I saw this year on my property:

Cuckoo (1): Yellow-billed Cuckoo
Nighthawk (1): Common Nighthawk
Swift (1): Chimney Swift
Hummingbird (1): Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Flycatcher (4): Eastern Wood-Pewee, Acadian Flycatcher, Least Flycatcher, Great Crested Flycatcher
Vireo (3): Blue-headed Vireo, Philadelphia Vireo, Red-eyed Vireo
Swallow (6): Purple Martin, Tree Swallow, Northern Rough-winged Swallow, Bank Swallow, Cliff Swallow, Barn Swallow
Thrush (3): Veery, Gray-cheeked Thrush, Swainson's Thrush
Warbler (21): Blue-winged Warbler, Golden-winged Warbler, Tennessee Warbler, Orange-crowned Warbler, Northern Parula, Chestnut-sided Warbler, Magnolia Warbler, Black-throated Green Warbler, Blackburnian Warbler, Yellow-throated Warbler, Bay-breasted Warbler, Blackpoll Warbler, Cerulean Warbler, Black-and-white Warbler, American Redstart, Ovenbird, Kentucky Warbler, Common Yellowthroat, Hooded Warbler, Canada Warbler, Yellow-breasted Chat
Tanager (1): Summer Tanager
Grosbeak (1): Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Bunting (2): Indigo Bunting, Painted Bunting