August 22, 2026 [LINK / comment]

Birding in Virginia, September 2025

Here we resume the never-ending endeavor to catch up with blogging about birding... (The last such "episode" was on August 7.)

September 1: Along Bells Lane I saw a Blackburnian Warbler (female or young), along with more Ruby-throated Hummingbirds, hawks, and flycatchers.

September 5: Jacqueline and I came upon a big cluster of various birds as soon as we started walking along Bell's Lane late this afternoon: Eastern Phoebes, Eastern Wood Pewees, a Northern Flicker, Red-bellied Woodpecker, and a Cape May Warbler doing amazing aerobatic stunts! A Cooper's Hawk (first year) soon showed up in search of a meal. Later on I came upon a Yellow Warbler (young or female), and was lucky to get a couple photos before it scurried away. Fall migration is/was in full swing!

Bell's Lane (September 5, 2025.)

September 8: I couldn't make it to the hawk watch, but I ended up getting some nice views of hawks when Jacqueline and I went for a walk around the trail at Mill Place in Verona: a Red-shouldered and a Sharp-shinned, which briefly engaged in an aerial tussle. On the way there (and back out again), we stopped at the big pond behind Hardee's, where I saw two Green Herons, a Belted Kingfisher, and a Solitary Sandpiper. But the big highlight of the day was spotting a pair (M & F) of Blue Grosbeaks hopping around the thick bushes near the parking lot. I heard some odd call notes, and thanks to the usually-reliable Merlin app (!), I was able to determine the species. It was quite a day!

Mill Place (September 8, 2025.)

September 12: I haven't had much luck along Bell's Lane lately, just a Cedar Waxwing on Wednesday and an American Redstart today, among the Eastern Phoebes, woodpeckers, sparrows, and other regulars. The hummingbirds out back provide lots of entertainment, but they seldom pose in good lighting conditions.

September 13: We had a nice variety of warblers and other neotropical migrants on our Augusta Bird Club field trip up in the Blue Ridge this morning. Many of them were either too fast or too well hidden to properly identify, but the ones here are fairly certain: Magnolia Warbler, Yellow-bellied Flycatcher, Yellow-throated Vireo, Black-throated Blue Warbler, Scarlet Tanager (male, in non-breeding plumage), Tennessee Warbler, Red-bellied Woodpecker, and Blackpoll Warbler. We also saw a probable Blackburnian Warbler, Nashville Warbler, and Least Flycatcher, as well as an Eastern Phoebe, a Cedar Waxwing, and several American Goldfinches and Ruby-throated Hummingbirds. It was just wonderful!

(Blue Ridge Parkway and Route 610, September 13, 2025.)

September 17: During Penny Warren's bird walk along Bell's Lane I saw an American Redstart, which has been the most common warbler species there since the spring, as well as a Northern Parula (underside view), a Red-bellied Woodpecker, some Eastern Phoebes, and a family of Cedar Waxwings rounding out the day's highlights. I never saw the Magnolia Warbler that Scott Priebe found.

September 18: A brief visit to Bell's Lane late in the afternoon paid off big time, as I saw multiple Palm Warblers -- the first ones of the season for me, and possibly of the year! Other highlights included Cedar Waxwings, a N. Flicker, E. Phoebe, and the first American Kestrel I have seen in months. (It was too far away for a good photo.)

September 19: Jacqueline and I walked all the way around Yulee's Trail in Montgomery Hall Park, but virtually all the birds we saw were at the top of the hill, where we started. The Red-breasted Nuthatch was a big surprise, and the Black-throated Green and Magnolia Warblers were also very nice finds.

September 20: Jacqueline and I hiked all the way up to the top of the Madison Run trail yesterday (five miles each way!), and we saw a few good birds along the way. Two of the species were maddeningly difficult to photograph (Swainson's Thrush and Black-throated Blue Warbler), but I eventually got good images of them. In both cases we saw multiple birds in two different locations. In contrast, the Pine Warbler, Black and White Warbler, and E. Wood Pewee seen here were more "cooperative," but one or two mystery warblers (such as the one or ones in the bottom right below) will remain in doubt. Overall, the birds were much scarcer than I would expect during the peak of migration season.

(Madison Run trail, September 20, 2025.)

September 22: I had my first real warbler "fallout" of the season along Bell's Lane in the morning! Magnolia Warblers (top right) and American Redstarts (top left) were present in multiple locations, while the Northern Parula and Black-and-white Warblers seen here at the lower right were in the same area of dense foliage and vines in the lowland stretch of the road not far from "Cujo Corner." Also in that area was a Swainson's Thrush and an Eastern Wood Pewee or two. Finally, in the thick bushes in front of the small pond was a Cape May Warbler -- the fifth warbler species of the day! Nearby I also saw Eastern Phoebes and Northern Rough-winged Swallows. Red-shouldered Hawks were screaming off and on, but I didn't see any of them today.

(Bells Lane, September 22, 2025.)

September 26: In the morning Jacqueline and I did a bit of birding along the brand-new Shenandoah Village Rd. that connects the Target shopping center to South Delphine Avenue on the south side of Waynesboro. There were many American Goldfinches and American Robins, as well as some very special birds: Yellow-billed Cuckoo (elusive as ever), Cape May Warbler (top left in the first composite image), and Blackpoll Warbler. In the afternoon we went to Bell's Lane, where I saw a Red-bellied Woodpecker, some Cedar Waxwings, an Eastern Phoebe, and an American Redstart.

September 29: Along Bell's Lane I found multiple Eastern Phoebes, Magnolia Warblers, and American Redstarts. There were 6-8 Eastern Bluebirds checking out the holes left by woodpeckers in a birch tree near the small pond.

Additional photos and montages, including individual photos of some of the birds in the above montages, can be seen on the Wild Birds chronological (2025) page.

August 21, 2026 [LINK / comment]

MLB returns to the Field of Dreams

For the third time, on [the 13th of] August a Major League Baseball game was played at (or near) the Field of Dreams movie site near Dyersville, Iowa. The Minnesota Twins were "hosting" the Philadelphia Phillies, but there wasn't much doubt which way things were headed. On the third pitch of the game, Kyle Schwarber blasted a home run into the corn fields beyond right field, and the Phillies added another run before the Twins came to bat. In the 4th inning Schwarber homered again, and Brandon Marsh added two more runs with a homer in the 7th inning. Final score: Phillies 7, Twins 1.

This was the first time that an MLB game had been played at the Field of Dreams since the new permanent stadium was built there earlier this year. I made a point to visit it in June, on my way out west, and my photos were very useful in capturing the details. Interestingly, the outfield fences, light standards, scoreboards, dugouts, and even the stadium outline were virtually identical to the temporary stadium that had existed there from 2020 through 2022. (When I visited in 2024, I was surprised to see that there was no stadium at all; the entire structure was temporary in nature, and was removed after the 2022 game.)

Some views of both the new stadium at the Field of Dreams, as well as the farm and ballfield where most of the movie was shot.

Diagram update!

So, needless to say, I had some diagram revisions to take care of, which you can now see on the Field of Dreams page! For the most part, it's fairly accurate, but I noticed some discrepancies between the photos that I took there two months ago compared to the video images of the game that I saw. So, there are no doubt a few corrections that will need to be made...

Next year the Kansas City Royals will play as "host" to the Boston Red Sox at the Field of Dreams. Unlike this year's exclusive Netflix TV arrangement, the 2027 game will be broadcast nationwide on NBC Sports, which does not require a paid subscription to view. Yay! See royalsreview.com.

Cade Cavalli: the Nationals' new ace pitcher!

The Washington Nationals have been in a terrible slump for over a week, so let's accentuate the positive. In the only two games the Nats have won since August 11, the starting pitcher was Cade Cavalli, and both times he reached the double-digits in strikeouts, going 8 and then 6 innings without giving up a run. In the August 19 game against the Texas Rangers in Arlington, he had a no-hitter going until the 6th inning! Earlier in the season he was mostly very good but had a few bad outings. But since the Nats' previous ace pitcher Foster Griffin was traded away to the Cleveland Guardians on August 3, Cavalli has stepped up and assumed a truly dominant role on the mound. He has had seven consecutive "quality starts," i.e. 6 or more innings pitched with 3 or fewer earned runs. With an ERA of 3.22, he currently ranks 15th in the major leagues, catching up on his former team mate who is now in Cleveland. (Griffin's ERA is 3.18, ranked 13th.)

Cade Cavalli (L) and Foster Griffin (R) in the dugout during the Nats' game against the Baltimore Orioles on May 15.

Otherwise, the Nats keep losing

Unfortunately, Cavalli's rise to excellence has coincided with a sharp decline in his team mates' performance. Since the August 11-13 series with the Cubs, the Nats have been shut out twice, and only once have they scored more than 4 runs. Andres Chaparro and Abimelec Ortiz continue to hit home runs, but otherwise not much is happening. James Wood remains on the injured list, and C.J. Abrams has been slumping badly at the plate. Because of his often-shaky defensive performance at shortstop, he is starting to play at second base (or as designated hitter), which is probably not good for morale.

To sum up the recent series, the Nationals lost the first two games to the Cubs and then totally dominated the visitors 7-0 on August 13 when Cavalli was on the mound. Then they traveled to New York, where the hungry Mets took every opportunity they could, sweeping the Nats in 3 games straight. The Saturday, August 15 game was especially disheartening because the Nats had a 4-3 lead going into the bottom of the 9th, whereupon relief pitcher Yovanny Cruz gave up a walk, a single, and a double before getting the first out, and then Francisco Lindor hit an RBI single to win the game. Jubilation in Queens!

The August 18-20 series in Arlington, Texas was strange, because all three games were shutouts. On Tuesday the Nats' rookie pitcher Jackson Kent gave up 5 runs to the Rangers in the first 3 innings, which was 4 more than the [home team] ended up needing. On Wednesday, the 3rd-inning home run by Jose Tena was all the Nats really needed, but the 3-run blast by Andres Chaparro in the 7th inning was a nice bit of insurance. Nats 6, Rangers 0. On Thursday Andrew Alvarez had another decent outing, but didn't get credit for it, as the Nats only got one hit the entire game. Final score: 2-0.

And then in Miami tonight there was another tension-filled pitchers' duel, and the Nats took a 1-0 lead when Keibert Ruiz homered in the 6th inning. But the Marlins took a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the 8th, as Tom Cosgrove proved less than effective as a reliever. In the top of the 9th, hopes were fading fast, when Daylen Lile hit an ultra-clutch RBI single to tie the game. But in the bottom of the inning, Clayton Beeter loaded the bases after giving up a single and then committing a throwing error on a bunt single, after which he intentionally walked the batter in hopes of getting some miraculous force outs. It didn't work out that way, as Javier Sanoja hit an RBI single to win the game for the Marins. So now, the Nationals are only 2 1/2 games ahead of the last-place Mets.

FOOTNOTE: Tonight's game was the 33rd blown save by the Nationals' bullpen overall, equaling the relief pitchers' total number of saves. That is almost unimaginably bad. So far, the pitching acquisitions made just prior to the trading deadline don't seem to have made much difference.

Beginners' luck in Chicago!?

Last Sunday, rookie outfielder Joshua Baez played a decisive role when the St. Louis Cardinals took on the Chicago Cubs in Wrigley Field, and made history while he was at it. He not only hit a home run on the first pitch he saw in his very first game, he hit two more home runs in his next two at bats. No other major league player had ever done that before. Not surprisingly, the Cardinals won it, 8-4.

R.I.P. Tommy John

The pitcher for whom "Tommy John surgery" was named passed away at the age of 83 earlier this week. In 1974, in his 12th year in the majors, Tommy John tore a ligament in his pitching elbow, and it seemed that his career was over. But Dr. Frank Jobe performed an experimental surgery, in effect "transplanting" ligament tissue from the lower part of his body, and John came back to pitch several more years with the L.A. Dodgers, and then the New York Yankees, among other teams. Nowadays, Tommy John surgery is almost routine for pitchers. He finally retired after the 1989 season, amassing 2,245 strikeouts with a 3.34 career ERA. (From Yahoo Sports and The Sports Encyclopedia: Baseball, 2003.)

August 10, 2026 [LINK / comment]

The Nationals sweep the Reds

Fans literally swarmed into Nationals Park late on Saturday afternoon, hoping to snag one of the shirt & shorts sets that were being given away as part of the "Hawaiian Night" promotion. In spite of hassles with traffic and Metro farecards, Jacqueline and I, along with our niece Shary,* managed to arrive in time to take advantage of the promotion. I must say, the quality was quite satisfactory! It was a beautiful sunny day, although quite warm, and we made sure to get seats that were not exposed to the sun.

Scenes from Nationals Park on August 8, which was being celebrated as "Hawaiian Night." Hawaii (which some people spell with an apostrophe: "Hawai'i"), was actually admitted as the 50th state on August 21, 1960. [Nats' Starting pitcher Andrew Alvarez did very well but unfortunately was not credited with the win.]

Nationals Park from the northwest corner as players warmed up for the game.

The Nats perhaps had good reason to be a bit edgy: the last time they played the Reds (in Cincinnati on May 14), they lost 15-1! As the game got underway, starting pitcher Andrew Alvarez gave up two singles and a walk in the first two innings, but he kept his cool and no damage was done. The Reds' starting pitcher Chase Burns retired the first six batters he faced, showing that he is indeed of All-Star quality. (He had an astounding 13-1 record before this game.) The Nats got their first hit in the 3rd inning, a leadoff single by Jose Tena. Two batters later, C.J. Abrams doubled and Tena went to third. Then, on an 0-2 count, newly acquired Abimelec Ortiz singled to left field, bringing in both baserunners to score. That guy is having a heck of a debut with the Nationals. I got a good look at his wide face, and it occurred to me that he might be a relative of the Red Sox' retired stocky superstar David Ortiz. Not so, evidently. David is from the Dominican Republic, while Abimelec is from Puerto Rico.

No Reds batter reached base in the 3rd, 4th, or 5th innings, and Alvarez seemed to be in complete control. But right after Sal Stewart singled in the 6th inning, manager Blake Butera replaced Alvarez with Max Kranick. Dane Meyers popped out, but then Eugenio Suarez hit a home run into the left field (visitors') bullpen, and the game was tied. Argh! There went Alvarez's hope to get credit as the winning pitcher. Instantly fans (including me) groaned about the Nationals' woeful bullpen, and many of us wondered aloud why Alvarez was replaced so suddenly. His pitch count was only 73, after all. But it really didn't matter because Dylan Crews ignited a rally with a leadoff double in the bottom of the 6th, followed by an RBI single by Daylen Lile, a double by Keibert Ruiz, and a walk issued to Nasim Nuñez to load the bases. That was enough for Reds manager Terry Francona (yes, the former Red Sox boss!), and the night was over for Chase Burns.

In the 6th inning, Reds manager Terry Francona took the ball from a dejected Chase Burns, while his team mates confer on the mound.

In response to the pitching change, Blake Butera had Andres Chaparro pinch hit for designated hitter Jose Tena with just 1 out. Frankly, I have regarded Chaparro with disdain for much of this season, as he often exhibits poor plate discipline and chokes in clutch situations, but not this time! On a 1-1 count he smashed a bases-loaded double down the left field line, probably the decisive play of the game.

Fans reacted with whooping exhilaration when Andres Chaparro hit a clutch bases-loaded double in the 6th inning, BUT ...

For some reason, Nasim Nuñez tried to score all the way from first base on that play, and was easily thrown out at home. As one of the TV announcers said of the Nats' 3rd-base coach, "not the greatest of sends by Victor Estevez..." [Nuñez leads the majors in stolen bases with 40, which probably influenced the coach's decision.] But the next batter, Jacob Young hit a single to bring home Chaparro, who had reached 3rd base on a wild pitch. So, the Nats had a 6-2 lead after all. With their often-shaky bullpen, every run counts!

... Nasim Nuñez was out by a mile at home plate after shortstop Elly de la Cruz relayed the ball from left field with a blazing-fast strike to the Reds catcher Jose Trevino.

In the 7th inning, Yovanny Cruz (recently acquired from the Yankees in the big trade for Luis Garcia) took the mound and got into a bit of a jam, with runners on 1st and 3rd, but struck out Elly de la Cruz. Nats reliever Clayton Beeter got through the 8th inning just fine, just giving up a walk. In the bottom of the 8th, Chaparro hit an RBI single (the Reds' challenge of the call at first base was denied), and two batters later C.J. Abrams batted him in with a single to center field. Fans in Nationals Park (which was over 3/4 full, with 32,602 in attendance) were elated beyond measure, celebrating a big lead after so many recent tough losses. In the top of the 9th Tom Cosgrove struck out the first two batters and induced a fly ball out from Ivan Johnson to end the game on a triumphant note. Final score: Nats 8, Reds 2.

* I have to say, it was one of the most enjoyable Nats games I have seen in a long time. My niece Shary was very happy to be given an official certificate for her first game at Nationals Park! One noteworthy tidbit about that game: the only change in the lineup was for the designated hitter. All 8 position players put in a full 9 innings! Since the Nationals' roster has recently gone through some upheaval thanks in part to the trades over the past couple weeks, I thought it would help to show some of the new Nats' faces. This composite image includes some veterans as well as recent arrivals:

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Andrew Alvarez, Clayton Beeter, Jorbit Vivas, Keibert Ruiz, Daylen Lile (who was interviewed by Alexa Datt near the dugout after the game), Jose Tena, Dylan Crews, Andres Chaparro, wide-faced Abimelec Ortiz, and C.J. Abrams.

In the game on Sunday, which was broadcast [carried] by NBC's streaming service "Peacock," the Reds took a 1-0 lead in the 2nd inning, but things quickly swung in the home team's favor. Three Nats players singled (including an RBI by Keibert Ruiz), and then Jacob Young gave his team the lead with a sacrifice fly. In the 3rd inning, Abimelec Ortiz hit a solo homer. Brad Lord (just back from the injured list) was replaced by Will Dion (part of the trade with the Cleveland Guardians for Foster Griffin), and did just fine for three innings, only giving up one hit. He was replaced by Trevor Williams (who missed the first four months of this year due to injury), who got through the 8th inning without allowing any runs. Then former Yankee Jake Bird took the mound in the top of the 9th, pitching for the first time as a National. (He had been on the IL at the time of the trade.) He did just fine in his debut with Washington: a 1-2-3 inning that gave the Nats an easy 7-1 win, and their first series sweep at home this year! (The swept the Brewers in Milwaukee in April.)

So, the Nationals are back to within two games of .500 (59-61), and have at least regained some of their confidence as the final quarter of the 2026 season is about to get underway. [Since none of them homered during the weekend, the team lead is home runs is down to just 4 (171 vs. 167) over the #2-ranked New York Yankees. The longer that James Wood remains on the IL, the more the team's dominance in a wide variety of offensive statistical categories become jeopardized.] Today the Nats have their first day of rest since July 23: that's 17 straight days with a game! Tomorrow the Chicago Cubs will arrive in Washington for a 3-game series, and then the Nats head to the Queens to play the Mets, [who just beat the Braves in Atlanta].

On a side note, the L.A. Dodgers came within inches of losing their 8th straight game in Phoenix on Saturday, as the Diamondbacks tied the game 1-1 with back-to-back triples to start the bottom of the 9th inning. But then they blew an easy opportunity to score the game-winning run, and ended up losing after 10 innings. Even so, the Dodgers lost again on Sunday.

August 8, 2026 [LINK / comment]

Nats begin home stand with a win

The Washington Nationals seem to score quite often in the first inning this year, and usually it's because of a homer from James Wood or C.J. Abrams. At present, however, Wood is on the injured list. Last night, the instigator of the offensive was Daylen Lile, who had a splendid rookie late season last year, but has sort of cooled off this year. With runners on first and second, Lile smashed that ball into the second deck beyond right field. That little guy has got some muscles! Starting pitcher Cade Cavalli (who is the lone top-notch hurler for the Nats since Foster Griffin was traded away) did OK on the mound, but he gave up three solo home runs in the early innings, tying the game. Then in the fourth inning, Daylen Lile doubled and two batters later, the Nats' new backup catcher Harry Ford hit the second home run of his career to give the Nats a 5-3 lead. It just barely cleared the fence in front of the Red Porch. Cavalli pitched into the 7th inning, but was relieved after two singles. With the bases loaded and only one out, Sal Stewart hit a ball up the middle, but shortstop Nasim Nunez managed to grab it, step on second, and throw it to first to end the inning. WHEW! That one defensive play is what really won the game for the Nationals. This time the bullpen held, and Clayton Beeter was credited with the save.

This evening the Nationals host the Reds for a second game. Andrew Alvarez will be the starting pitcher for the Nats, and Andrew Clem (me) will be at the game!

Support for the owners

The Sports section of Friday's Washington Post had a compelling analysis by Greg Cote of the Miami Herald of the impending showdown between MLB owners and the players. He quite rightly sees owner-initiated lockout as very likely when the current Collective Bargaining Agreement expires. The entire 2027 MLB season is at risk, and the consequences could be worse than in the 1994 strike. (Hence my very timely "If I were the Commissioner" suggestions on Thursday.) He writes, "Watching the Dodgers of all teams land Skubal was like finding out the winner of last night’s Powerball lottery was Amazon executive chairman, Jeff Bezos, who also owns The Washington Post." With regard to the MLB owners' push for a salary cap that would include a minimal-payroll floor, he continues:

"MLB and its owners are right on this.""
The players are wrong.""
"The game and players will benefit more from forcing cheap-skate teams to spend than it will suffer from putting a limit on the top spenders."

I wonder if he was thinking of owners such as the Lerners?! In any event, it's a worthwhile proposal. Much depends on public sentiment as the negotiations continue, and they players need to show that they are reasonable. John Q. Public is getting fed up with the Juan Sotos of the baseball world.

Speaking of the Dodgers, they were on the verge of ending their losing streak in Phoenix tonight, with a 3-2 lead in the bottom of the 9th, whereupon Ryan Waldschmidt hit a 2-run walk-off home run. WOW! That makes seven straight losses for the Dodgers, tying the Nationals recent plunge.

Yet another page update!

Yesterday I started some tweaking of the MLB Franchises page, prompted by what I was reading about the ultra-thrifty owner of the Miami Marlins: Bruce Sherman. Somehow that name wasn't familiar to me, but sure enough it already was on that page. I decided I needed a better map to summarize how many MLB franchises each city has had over the past century or so. (For this purpose, I am ignoring the two franchises that relocated during the first two years of the American League's existence: in 1902 the A.L. Milwaukee Brewers moved and became the St. Louis Browns, and in 1903 the A.L. Baltimore Orioles moved and became the New York Highlanders, who later became the Yankees. Believe it or not!)

NOTE: This map is subject to revision.

August 7, 2026 [LINK / comment]

Birding in Kansas (& Virginia), August 2025

This episode of my birding adventures from last year begins with my trip out west to see my brothers in the southwestern suburbs of Kansas City.

August 3: The birding aspect of my recent road trip to Kansas got off to a surprising start when I walked across the motel parking lot to see an Indigo Bunting that was singing at the crack of dawn. (This was in the town of Cookeville, east of Nashville, Tennessee.) I soon heard TWO White-eyed Vireos in the bushes, and eventually got a photo of one. That was a big surprise! In the back yard of my brother Dan's house that evening, I was startled to see multiple Eastern Wood Pewees, chasing insects all around. They were regulars in the backyard throughout my stay there.

August 5: At the Corporate Woods Park, in Overland Park two days later I was flabbergasted to see a Northern Parula, at the very western edge of its range! (It's at the top left of the composite photo below.) Its song was different than what I am familiar with, and Merlin helped with the ID. There was also an Eastern Phoebe, a RED-eyed Vireo, and other species including many American Robins. It was a bit odd to be in a dense woodland with high-speed traffic passing nearby along I-470. On the way back to my brother's house, I noticed a Red-tailed Hawk flying above, and stopped to take a photo of it. In the evening we saw the Eastern Wood Pewees and a Great Crested Flycatcher or two.

(Corporate Woods Park, in Overland Park, Kansas, August 8, 2025.)

August 7: I explored Shawnee Mission Park, in the fringes of the western suburbs, and while there was an interesting trail in the woods above the south side of a big reservoir, there just wasn't a whole lot of bird action. I heard a Red-eyed Vireo or two, and saw some Eastern Phoebes, Eastern Wood Pewees, and Eastern Bluebirds there.

August 8: For the first time, I explored South Lake Park, which is a pleasant neighborhood recreational area in Overland Park. Kansas marks the western edge of the ranges of many eastern bird species, such as Carolina Wrens, which are only found near Kansas City and the southeastern part of the state. In general, these "yardbirds" are less common than here in Virginia, and are largely absent west of Kansas. Other highlights: Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Northern Cardinal, Gray Catbird, and Eastern Kingbirds.

August 9: I took a solo mini-trip about 50 miles west to the state capital of Kansas: Topeka. There I saw a Eurasian Collared Dove near the capitol building. On the way back to the Kansas City suburbs, I stopped at the Baker Wetlands Discovery Center on the south side of Lawrence, where I saw my first Great Egret of the year. I also spotted some Wood Ducks, a Pied-billed Grebe, a Yellow Warbler, and a Common Yellowthroat, along with the usual birds.

(TOP RIGHT at Topeka, Kansas; the rest were at Baker Wetlands, south of Lawrence, August 9, 2025.)

August 11: I went to yet another neighborhood park in Overland Park, and soon heard a Great Crested Flycatcher as well as a Red-eyed Vireo, but didn't see either species. Later on, however, I spotted what turned out to be a Least Flycatcher zipping around some thick bushes. I'm pretty sure the two birds on the right side are different individuals of that same species, but they could be the same bird. Once again, Merlin helped pinpoint which species it/they was/were. Empids can be tough to distinguish! I also saw a Brown Thrasher, along with Northern Cardinals, American Goldfinches, etc. Back home at my brother's house the usual Eastern Wood Pewees were very active, as usual.

(Sapling Grove Park, in Overland Park, August 11, 2025.)

August 12: My most noteworthy day of birding in Kansas was at the Overland Park Arboretum. It wasn't easy, however, as I had to endure swarms of nasty mosquitos for virtually the entire 2+ mile hike, through damp riverside woodlands and occasional clearings. I saw the usual Red-eyed Vireos and E. Wood Pewees along the way, finally hitting the jackpot when I heard and then saw a couple Acadian Flycatchers (top center in the composite photo below) -- at the western edge of their range! Later I took refuge in a small cabin designed especially for bird watchers, in the middle of a cluster of bird feeders. (No mosquitoes inside!) There I saw a Ruby-throated Hummingbird, some White-breasted Nuthatches, Downy Woodpeckers, an Indigo Bunting, and an odd-looking bird that I later determined to be a female Blue Grosbeak (top right) -- first one of the year for me! Back in the parking lot as I was about to leave, I heard (according to Merlin) a Blue Grosbeak, saw a couple Eastern Kingbirds, and then -- to my utter astonishment -- a Western Kingbird (top left), at the eastern edge of its range! After departing the arboretum, finally, I spotted three long-winged raptors that were flying in amazing acrobatic style over an open field about a mile to the southwest. My photos of them were terrible (poor lighting conditions), but I could see with my binoculars that they had white heads and big black eye rings. Mississippi Kites!!! (First Of Year).

(Overland Park Arboretum, August 12, 2025.)

August 15: On my final full day in the western suburbs of Kansas City, I finally saw some Baltimore Orioles in the treetops of a neighborhood park. Also present were American Goldfinches, Northern Flickers, and many American Robins, including a juvenile. Unfortunately, I never did see any of my long-shot target species (Greater Prairie Chicken and Henslow's Sparrow) while out west, and I didn't get any life birds, but I was satisfied with seeing a decent number of less-common birds.

August 23: Back in Virginia, Jacqueline and I went hiking along the Riprap Trail in the Shenandoah National Park. There we saw Ruby-throated Hummingbirds, Red-eyed Vireos, Worm-eating Warbler, and a possible Tennessee Warbler.

August 27: After going to a car repair specialist in a remote part of northern Augusta County in the morning, we went for a walk around the Natural Chimneys, but about all we saw there were some Eastern Wood Pewees. Late in the afternoon we strolled along Bells Lane and saw a Red-shouldered Hawk, Cedar Waxwings, an American Redstart (F/J), and a Downy Woodpecker.

(Natural Chimneys and Bell's Lane, Aug 27.)

August 30: More migrating warblers were appearing along Bell's Lane late in the month, and I actually got some recognizable images with my camera. Most notably, a Canada Warbler (female or young) appeared in the thick foliage, but it didn't stay long.

Additional photos and montages, including individual photos of some of the birds in the above montages, can be seen on the Wild Birds chronological (2025) page.

August 6, 2026 [LINK / comment]

Some more big trade news

Not surprisingly, the Los Angeles Dodgers pounced on the opportunity to trade for Tarik Skubal, the Detroit Tigers' ace pitcher. Baseball fans almost everywhere heaved a massive groan of disgust about how the rich teams keep getting stronger (and thus presumably richer), leaving the smaller market teams with a sense of futility. While that was a bitter pill for Tiger fans to swallow, things didn't exactly get off on the right foot with his new team. In Wrigley Field on Tuesday, he gave up 2 runs over 6 innings and took the loss to the Cubs; final score 5-1. Believe it or not, sports fans, the World Champion L.A. Dodgers have lost SIX games in a row! And in Seattle meanwhile, the Tigers managed to win 3 of their last 4 games by lopsided shutouts scores, so they are still clinging to thin wild card hopes. (You can read the full story, including the Nats' trades of Luis Garcia to the Yankees and Foster Griffin to the Guardians, both of which I discussed previously, at MLB.com.)

In addition, the Orioles traded their star catcher Adley Rutschman (and another catcher) to the Red Sox. Rutschman is currently injured list, and the Red Sox are betting that he'll improve to his performance levels of the last couple years.

Also on Monday, the San Francisco Giants traded Luis Arraez to the Philadelphia Phillies in exchange for three pitchers. He ranks 2nd in MLB batting average (.326) right now. The fact that he his a solid defensive second baseman forced the Phillies to move Alec Bohm to first base and Bryce Harper to right field for the first time in several years. So what did Arraez do in his first at-bat with the Phillies in their game against the Nationals on Tuesday? He hit an RBI single, of course. Two innings later, an RBI double.

Nats end losing streak at 7

Expectations for the Washington Nationals have come crashing down over the past week, and any hope for meaningful redemption in the once-promising 2026 season has vanished. It's all about dignity and learning for next year, and perhaps staying reasonably close to a .500 record and no lower than 4th place in the NL East. The last-place New York Mets have won their last 3 games, and are now only 5 games behind the Nationals.

In Wednesday's game, Jake Irvin allowed only 2 runs in 5 1/3 innings on the mound, but the Nats kept wasting opportunities to score, as usual, and Phillies were leading 2-1. But in the 7th inning Brady House hit a solo homer to tie it, and soon C.J. Abrams hit an RBI single to take a 3-2 lead. But then the Phillies tied it, so it went to the 10th inning, when both teams scored one run, and then in the 11th inning something almost magical happened. C.J. Abrams hit a 2-run triple that bounced at a weird angle off the center field wall, and frankly he would have had an inside-the-park homer if he hadn't paused to watch the ball, as he so often does. (Nasty habit.) Then, with no bench reserve players left, manager Blake Butera had pitcher Miles Mikolas pinch hit because Clayton Beeter (a relief pitcher) was due up to bat but apparently wasn't up to the task. The veteran Mikolas, however, was: he put down a sacrifice bunt that not only scored C.J. Abrams from 3rd base but also got him onto 1st base. Thanks to Andres Chaparro, 3 batters later, Mikolas scored the 5th run in that inning for the Nats, and one more run came in after that. A SIX-run rally!! And that is how the Nationals' abysmal 7-game losing streak came to an end, with a 10-4 final score.

In this evening's game, Miles Mikolas pitched about as well as usual, giving up 6 runs in the first 3 innings. In the top of the 4th inning, one of the newest Nats, Andrew Pinckney, hit a home run in his first major league at-bat! (Strangely enough, that was not his first run scored, however, as he entered the game as a pinch runner the day before, and then scored a run.) That was about the only bright spot in a game that ended with a 7-3 Phillies victory.

Meanwhile, James Wood was put on the 10-day injured list for an oblique strain, confirming the initial indications.

Even MORE stadium page updates!

Yesterday and today I finished updating all the pages for past and present MLB stadiums in Atlanta, Georgia (3 stadiums). Among the newly spiffed-up pages is Truist Park, which features these dazzling sunlit photos of a brief visit in February 2021. My photos of the only game I ever saw at Turner Field were poor in quality due to overcast, wet conditions. (Regrettably, I have no photos of downtown Atlanta.) Then I decided to do likewise for the stadiums in Buffalo, New York. I figured that since Sahlen Field just about qualifies as having been home to an MLB team for a full year, it deserves equal treatment. So of course I had to come up with nice composite photos of it as well as the site of War Memorial Stadium, where much of The Rookie was filmed.

Baseball home page update

On the Baseball home page, which serves as a handy navigational nexus for browsing all the information-packed baseball pages, I updated the "Stadium photos: a tasty sampler" section, with 41 new "composite" photos, of which 10 stadiums no longer exist and of which 5 are no longer used for Major League Baseball. So I have such composite photos for 26 of the 30 current MLB stadiums, leaving four yet to be visited by me! One of those four, Sutter Health Park in Sacramento, is one of those marginal cases, like Sahlen Field. I'll have to get out to Arlington, Las Vegas, San Diego, and St. Petersburg in the next couple years and finish my "stadium chase"! I also made a few minor corrections on that page. (Note that the composite photos which I created based on photos submitted to me by fans, such as Angel Stadium, are not included on that page.) For a variety of reasons, I decided on these six stadiums as being "the best of the best":

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT (as if you didn't know): Wrigley Field, Tiger Stadium, Oriole Park at Camden Yards, Yankee Stadium, Oracle Park, and Fenway Park. (Photos taken from 2004 through 2023.)

Most notably on that page, I added a few lines to my "wish list" for what changes need to be made in baseball. I first came up with a "If I were commissioner" wish list when Bud Selig was the commissioner, and now that Rob Manfred is in charge, the task of keeping baseball clean and fair as well as profitable is just as challenging as ever. This suggestions are beefed up with some explanations of why I think they are so important.

If I were commissioner...*

• I would insist that the MLB Players' Association accept some kind of limits on salaries in the upcoming negotiations, in exchange for the owners committing to making baseball more affordable for working-class fans.
• More specifically, such a committment to affordability would include more reasonable prices for food and beverages, and lower ticket prices for upper-deck and bleacher seats, with a return to more "general admission" seating.
• I would establish a powerful oversight mechanism to prevent the spread of gambling from corrupting Major League Baseball. The one big lesson from the steroid / PED scandals of two decades ago, it is that without a strict enforcement mechanism, players will inevitably succumb to the temptation to cheat or cash in.
• I would encourage more continuity in team rosters by imposing a "tax" (perhaps 5%-10%) on trades between teams, with the proceeds going to lower-revenue teams.
• I would encourage a wider range of television coverage, including broadcast networks as well as streaming platforms, with the object of reducing exclusivities. (The changes this year have been a good step in the right direction.)
• I would encourage more community involvement by teams, including appearances by players at youth events in the teams' home cities as well as towns in their respective areas.

August 4, 2026 [LINK / comment]

Birding in Virginia, July 2025

Here we go again, gradually getting caught up (blog-wise) with thrilling tales of birding from just over a year ago, gradually getting caught up to the present.

July 7: I ended up deciding to go birding on the Dowell's Draft trail (near Braley Pond), mainly in hopes of getting a better photo of a Northern Parula than in my previous outing in that part of Augusta County. I finally succeeded in finding one, but there results were only so-so. Much more conspicuous were the Scarlet Tanagers and American Redstarts. I also spotted Worm-eating Warblers, Black-and-white Warblers, a Hooded Warbler, an Indigo Bunting, and an Ovenbird, but they were all very camera shy. I got some good exercise, at least. Ironically, the big highlight of the day was while I was driving through Churchville on the way to Dowell's Draft: a Bald Eagle flying overhead! So, I stopped in front of a house and took some quite photos.

(Dowells Draft & Churchville, July 7, 2025.)

July 12: I went up to the Blue Ridge Parkway and Route 610 for the first time this month. Neither the Kentucky Warbler nor the Yellow-breasted Chat were present, a possible sign that breeding season was over. Nevertheless, I did see an Indigo Bunting, Ovenbird, Black-and-white Warbler, Wood Thrush, Red-eyed Vireo, Acadian Flycatcher, and Hooded Warbler. I heard and glimpsed a Broad-winged Hawk, as well as a Cooper's Hawk soaring up above. Cerulean Warblers were still vocal, but they were staying out of sight in the tree tops, as usual.

July 17: Bell's Lane seemed to be full of bird families with newly-fledged youngsters in the afternoon. Most notable were the Eastern Kingbirds, Northern Rough-winged Swallows, and Orchard Orioles; a first-year male is at top center, and an adult female is at lower right. Also seen were American Goldfinches and Eastern Phoebes. To my surprise, I didn't see or hear any Indigo Buntings.

(Bell's Lane, July 17, 2025.)

July 26: I went for a walk along Bell's Lane in the late afternoon, getting rained on just a bit. I saw Downy and Red-belled Woodpeckers, a Northern Flicker, as well as Eastern Kingbirds, Eastern Wood Pewees, an Eastern Phoebe, some Gray Catbirds, a Field Sparrow, and a female (or young) Orchard Oriole. The big highlight was a Yellow-billed Cuckoo, but of course, I couldn't get a photo of it.

July 28: The bright sun really brought out the colors of the birds in the afternoon along Bells Lane. I was thrilled to get my first good look at a Ruby-throated Hummingbird this year! In fact, there were TWO of them, squabbling over territory near "Cujo Corner"!! Other highlights included an Indigo Bunting (singing an unusual song), an American Redstart (adult male), several Eastern Kingbirds, an Eastern Phoebe, White-breasted Nuthatches, various woodpeckers, a House Finch, a family of Chipping Sparrows, and a female Orchard Oriole. Finally, I saw a probable Osprey flying overhead but couldn't get a photo.

Primary colors! (Bell's Lane, July 28, 2025.)

Additional photos and montages, including individual photos of some of the birds in the above montages, can be seen on the Wild Birds chronological (2025) page.

August 3, 2026 [LINK / comment]

CHOKE! Braves sweep the Nationals

The Washington Nationals really choked in Atlanta over the weekend, suffering the first four-game sweep loss of this year. It was the first time they had been swept in a four-game series since September 15-17 of last year (including a double-header on September 16), which was also against the Braves, but that time it was played in Washington. On Saturday, Miles Mikolas gave up 4 runs over 6 innings, which is fairly typical for him. His job his to eat up innings and try to keep the game fairly close. But by the 8th inning the score was 8-0, and the Nats' 3-run rally really didn't matter. Final score: 8-3. On Sunday Cade Cavalli was pitching, and he did fairly well, but an error by shortstop C.J. Abrams helped the Braves take a 3-2 by the time he was relieved in the 7th inning. Final score: 4-2. During that 4-game series, the Nationals were spectacularly ineffective in clutch situations, getting just 3 hits out of 29 at-bats with runners in scoring position. That is worse than awful!

Earlier in 2025, the Nats came very close to being swept in a four-game series to the Colorado Rockies June 16-19, in Washington, but eked out a 4-3 win in 11 innings in the final game of that series.

In Philadelphia this evening, the Nats got off to a surprisingly good start when newly activated Abimelec (?) Ortiz hit a solo homer in the first inning. He was acquired in a trade for Mackenzie Gore with the Texas Rangers during the off-season. He was called up to play one game for the Nationals on July 12 (when he doubled) and then was called up for a second time today. In the 2nd inning Daylen Lile hit a two-run homer, and in top of the 7th inning Nasim Nunez made it to 3rd base on a pitcher's throwing error but was then caught in a rundown breaking for home on a ground ball to the pitcher. Rookie mistake. Meanwhile, starting pitcher Andrew Alvarez had a shutout going, and then recently-acquired Tom Cosgrove came in as a reliever in the bottom of the 7th, and before you knew it, the Phillies had a 4-3 lead thanks to a grand slam by Derek Hill. It was the same old story: a crappy bullpen letting them team down. An inning later Clayton Beeter gave up a 2-run homer, and that's how the Phillies won it, 6-3. And thus, the Nats have chalked up their longest string of consecutive losses this year: SIX.

James Wood seems to have pulled a muscle in his side, or something like that, so he will get examined tomorrow. He has been in a slump lately, not having homered since July 26, when he and C.J. Abrams both hit two homers.

Nats trade away big stars

Not surprisingly, given their sudden plunge from being wild card contenders to being mere also-rans, the Nationals front office reacted by cashing in their chips. This meant (on Saturday night) trading away star Luis Garcia Jr. to the New York Yankees for four pitchers, all right-handed: Jake Bird, Yovanny Cruz, Ben Grable, and Jack Cebert, the latter three being minor league "prospects." The Nationals can spare slugging power, but it's sad that they parted ways with the player who has been with the team the longest. Garcia started as a semi-regular 2nd baseman in mid-August 2020, playing alongside the same guys who had just won the World Series. He subsequently put up decent but unspectacular numbers until this year, when he finally blossomed into a first-class slugger. Who knows why it took him so long? In any case, Adios, Luis!

In his debut with the Yankees tonight, Garcia hit a 2-run homer in the 7th inning (his 24th of the year) to give his new team the lead. Welcome to the Bronx! But one inning later the Cardinals scored 7 runs and went on to win it, 13-7.

And then, just before the deadline at 6:00 this evening, the Nationals traded their ace pitcher Foster Griffin to the Cleveland Guardians for three pitchers (Will Dion, Josh Hartle, and Kendeglys Virguez) and outfielder Nick Mitchell. I saw one analysis of that transaction that rated the Guardians an A- and the Nationals a C. No one can say whether Griffin will be as good in coming years as he was with the Nationals in his first full year in the majors, but I wish General Manager Paul Toboni had offered him a multi-year contract rather than cashing him in. All these transactions based on future speculation made me think that baseball reverses one of the classic sayings: A bird in the bush is worth two in the hand!?

For context, last year the Nats traded away their closing pitcher Kyle Finnegan and hustling outfielder Alex Call. Alex has been doing very well with the L.A. Dodgers this year. Meanwhile, another former National, Lane Thomas, was just acquired by the Atlanta Braves. He didn't do as well in either Cleveland or Kansas City as he had done in Washington, but maybe he'll get with it again in Atlanta.

NL Player of the Month: C.J. Abrams!

On a much brighter note, C.J. Abrams was named National League Player of the Month, his first such honor. He had a batting average of .348, with 23 RBIs and 10 home runs during the month of July. Congratulations, C.J.!

Even MORE stadium page updates!

Today (technically, yesterday) I finished updating all the pages for past and present MLB stadiums in the state of Missouri (5 stadiums) and touched up some of the ones in Texas that I had updated last month. Among the newly spiffed-up ones is Busch Stadium III, which features these dazzling composite photos of St. Louis and the stadium itself:

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Three views of downtown St. Louis: from the Gateway Arch (with the Old Court House in front), from the west, and from the south.

Scenes from a visit to Busch Stadium III in August 2011; view from the Gateway Arch on August 10, 2015.

Some of the composite photos of the sites of stadiums that no longer exist are interesting as well.

Some corrections

When I updated the Sutter Health Park page a couple days ago, I deleted a sentence that was obviously WRONG: "The Tampa Bay Rays are playing here in 2025." That was a reference to George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, Florida, of course.

On July 3 I stated "the Stadium name chronology page has been updated," but provided the wrong link. It should be THIS!

August 2, 2026 [LINK / comment]

Birding in Virginia, June 2025

Here goes yet another valiant effort to get caught up with blogging about my birding activities last year! As usual, the text is based largely on Facebook posts I was making at the time...

June 4: I got another "primary color trifecta" while hiking and birding with Jacqueline along the Falls Hollow trail around the middle of the day. I finally got my first photo of a Black & White Warbler of the year, along with a Hooded Warbler, Worm-eating Warbler, and Ovenbird. Other highlights included Scarlet Tanager, Blue-headed Vireo, Red-eyed Vireo, Indigo Bunting, and Acadian Flycatcher. Beautiful! We also heard but didn't see a Wood Thrush or two. In addition, Jacqueline was delighted to see a Baltimore Oriole as we were passing through the village of Westview, but my eyes were on the road.

June 7: I joined an Augusta Bird Club field trip to Highland County led by Allen Larner, with only one other member (Scott Priebe) showing up. We met with four birders from Fredericksburg at Bramble Hill, as the property once owned by the late Margaret O'Bryan is known. While everyone else was occupied elsewhere I located a pair of Golden-winged Warblers, the first ones I have seen in a few years! I don't recall ever seeing a female before, and this one was gathering nest material. The other highlights were Black-throated Blue, Canada, Magnolia, and Chestnut-sided Warblers, among some more common ones. We saw a Bobolink at the Blue Grass cemetery, and a Least Flycatcher at the Straight Fork meadow, along with an Alder Flycatcher which I only glimpsed. A Bald Eagle was north of Blue Grass, a Scarlet Tanager (F) was near Laurel Fork, and a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker was near the West Virginia border. We saw both a male and female of that species in fairly close proximity. Allen and Scott tabulated 71 species altogether.

A rare Golden-winged Warbler (F), carrying nesting material, along with other five other warbler species (all male). (Highland County, June 7.)

June 10: I was passing through the Shenandoah National Park on the way back from Dulles Airport (!), and wouldn't you know it, I scored another "primary color trifecta": Indigo Bunting, Scarlet Tanager, and Common Yellowthroat! These photos were taken at various overlooks in the central portion of the park, but mostly along the Pocosin Cabin trail. Cerulean and Chestnut-sided Warblers were every which way! Of note, I saw my first Rose-breasted Grosbeak of the year, a female.

Primary colors! (Shenandoah National Park, June 10.)

June 14: After the menacing clouds lifted early in the evening, I went for a walk along Bell's Lane. Right away I heard that Yellow-billed Cuckoo again, and this time I got a nice closeup view! Near Cujo Corner were a few Cedar Waxwings, and at the high point I heard the distinctive song of an Orchard Oriole. Soon I got a nice view of a first-year male, and he flew to another tree where an Eastern Kingbird happened to be perched. Nice combination shot!

June 21: I had another primary color "trifecta," at three different locations: by the construction site along Barterbrook Road (where the new bridge over I-81/64 recently opened), at the gate in front of Shenandoah Wetlands Bank (south of Stuarts Draft), and near the dam in front of Coles Run Reservoir in the Big Levels area. On the way, I stopped at the Cheese Shop to get some goodies and to see the Purple Martins for the first time this year. The Scarlet Tanagers were mating, so there may be some babies in the Coles Run area in a few weeks!

June 23: Bill Benish, Ann Cline, and I went on an "impromptu" sort of field trip today, hiking over four miles total along the Shenandoah Mountain trail south of the Confederate Breastworks. (We were thoroughly exhausted.) Nearly all of the target birds graciously made appearances; see the caption below. We also saw a Worm-eating Warbler, Red-eyed Vireo, a Veery, some Dark-eyed Juncos (at the high point of our hike, where we turned around), and a Pine Warbler. We also glimpsed one or two possible Ruffed Grouses and heard some Indigo Buntings, Eastern Towhees, and a Red-breasted Nuthatch. Missing in action: Hooded Warbler. All in all, nevertheless, a truly memorable day.

(CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT) Scarlet Tanager, Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Ovenbird, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Black-throated Blue Warbler, Canada Warbler, Blackburnian Warbler, and (CENTER) Black-throated Green Warbler. (Shenandoah Mountain trail, June 23.)

June 28: I explored the Ramsey Draft are on the western edge of Augusta County, and achieved both of my objectives, in both cases with fledglings being fed by their respective parents. First, the Blackburnian Warbler, which are usually found high up in trees where it is difficult to see. This time they were right at eye level, thanks to the fledglings, who needed to be fed. It was the closest I had ever seen a Blackburnian Warbler, and I was thrilled to get such good photos. This was right next to the bridge over the stream immediately adjacent to the picnic area. Too bad the father (which has much brighter colors) wasn't there! Second, some Northern Parulas, which were my first ones of the year. Nearby were a Louisiana Waterthrush, Worm-eating Warbler*, and several Black & White Warblers. I also heard an Ovenbird and Wood Thrush in the vicinity. I then hiked up the Road Hollow trail, but hardly saw any warblers, just a Scarlet Tanager and an Eastern Wood Pewee. It was a truly memorable day!

Blackburnian Warbler (F), etc. (Ramseys Draft, June 28.)

NOTE: Three of my Blackburnian Warbler photos, including two with a fledgling that confirms that breeding has occurred in that location, are included on the Virginia Bird Atlas!

Additional photos and montages, including individual photos of some of the birds in the above montages, can be seen on the Wild Birds chronological (2025) page. (NOTE: I incorrectly wrote "2024" in the note at the end of the July 24 blog post, but the link itself takes you to the correct set of photos.)