My Two-Hour "Big Sit"

Birding this morning was cut short by thunderstorms moving into the area. I knew they were imminent, and told myself as soon as I hear thunder that I would go in. So, I went into the woods to one of the birdiest places on the property. I decided to just stay there and see what would show up. I was reminded of the importance of being still and the rewards that come with it. We're always wanting to know what's going on somewhere else and many times we miss what is going on all around us. I just stood in one spot for over two hours and the birds were everywhere. When the activity would stop, I just waited and more would show up.

On the way into the woods, I heard a bird fly from my left and found a Green Heron that had been looking for breakfast in the water left from yesterday's rainfall. As I walked into the woods, a FOS male Rose-breasted Grosbeak flew into the top of a small tallow tree. He was still molting into his spring plumage. I saw one a little later that was completely molted. He was beautiful! I'm looking for them at my feeders. While I was in the woods, warblers were everywhere! The only FOS warbler I saw was an Ovenbird. A male Hooded Warbler was flitting around in the vegetation while singing on territory. A male Kentucky Warbler also sang several times while I was there. He showed himself pretty regularly. In all, I saw twelve species of warblers. There were Acadian Flycatchers and Eastern Wood-Pewees flying around. The Eastern Wood-Pewee was singing his territorial song. A Great Crested Flycatcher called in the distance. Blue-gray Gnatcatchers and Ruby-crowned Kinglets joined the warblers in the trees. Finally, I heard the rumble of thunder and went inside. Hopefully tomorrow the front will have passed and we'll have a nice day for birding!

Bird species seen April 18 (42 species): Cattle Egret, Green Heron, Cooper's Hawk, Red-shouldered Hawk, Killdeer, Laughing Gull, Eurasian Collared-Dove, Mourning Dove, Eastern Screech-Owl, Barred Owl, Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Downy Woodpecker, Eastern Wood-Pewee, Acadian Flycatcher, Great Crested Flycatcher, White-eyed Vireo, Red-eyed Vireo, Blue Jay, Purple Martin, Barn Swallow, Carolina Wren, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Eastern Bluebird, Gray Catbird, Blue-winged Warbler, Tennessee Warbler, Northern Parula, Chestnut-sided Warbler, Blackburnian Warbler, Cerulean Warbler, Black-and-white Warbler, American Redstart, Worm-eating Warbler, Ovenbird (FOS), Kentucky Warbler, Hooded Warbler, Summer Tanager, Northern Cardinal, Rose-breasted Grosbeak (FOS), Indigo Bunting, House Sparrow