Birding on a Windy Day

I had a couple of hours after I got home from work and my family was all gone, so I went down in the woods to see what was moving around. I wasn't expecting much because of the strong southeast winds, but hoped something would be worth seeing. I was pleasantly surprised with 44 species and seven first of season birds! Wood Thrush, Eastern Wood-Pewee, Northern Waterthrush, Louisiana Waterthrush, Orchard Oriole, Bank Swallow and Eastern Kingbird were the FOS birds seen today. There was only one Louisiana Waterthrush (very late in the area), but there were five Northern Waterthrushes around the gully. The Eastern Wood-Pewee lit in a tree in front of me and called. There were swallows flying overhead almost without a break. Several Bank Swallows flew over for the first time this spring. A Kentucky Warbler looked for food on the ground under some thick understory.

I checked the bluebird box this afternoon. No second nesting has begun yet, but the chicks have only been out of the nest for six days. Maybe they'll start within the next couple of weeks.

Birds Seen 4/22/10 (44 species): Little Blue Heron, Cattle Egret, White Ibis, Turkey Vulture, Killdeer, Upland Sandpiper, Eurasian Collared-Dove, Mourning Dove, Barred Owl, Chimney Swift, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Downy Woodpecker, Eastern Wood-Pewee*, Great Crested Flycatcher, Eastern Kingbird*, White-eyed Vireo, Blue Jay, Purple Martin, Northern Rough-winged Swallow, Bank Swallow*, Cliff Swallow, Barn Swallow, Carolina Chickadee, Tufted Titmouse, Carolina Wren, Eastern Bluebird, Swainson's Thrush, Wood Thrush*, Gray Catbird, Cedar Waxwing, Tennessee Warbler, Northern Parula, Northern Waterthrush*, Louisiana Waterthrush*, Kentucky Warbler, Hooded Warbler, Yellow-breasted Chat, Summer Tanager, Northern Cardinal, Indigo Bunting, Red-winged Blackbird, Brown-headed Cowbird, Orchard Oriole*, House Sparrow

* = First of Season