September 25, 2005 [LINK]

Burst of neotropical migrants

It was a cool morning with overcast skies, so I wasn't expecting to see much while taking a quick walk behind the Staunton-Augusta Rescue Squad, but I was in for a pleasant surprise. I saw two species for the first time in three years, as well as a flycatcher that I could not quite identify. It had the bold light-colored wing feather linings common to Acadian flycatcher and others in the empidomax family, but it might have been just another pewee, which I did also see and whose call I did hear. Highlights:

• Magnolia warblers
• Swainson's thrush (first of year)
• Rose-breasted grosbeaks (F, JM)
• N. flicker
• Downy woodpecker (M)
• Red-bellied woodpecker (M)
• Black-throated green warbler (F/J)
• Cape May warbler (prob., J -- first of year)
• E. wood pewee
• Uncertain empidomax flycatcher (prob.)
• Cedar waxwings
• Plus many vocal catbirds, blue jays, and robins

I'm pretty sure about the Cape May warbler, which had pale yellow around the head and heavy brown streaks (like a Pine siskin), but it might have been a young, early-arriving Yellow-rumped warbler. Very soon I expect to see it and other "winter birds" arriving, such as White-throated sparrows and kinglets.