May 10, 2005 [LINK]
Wilson's warbler
It's a beautiful day, and the temps are headed toward the mid-80s. Behind the Staunton-Augusta Rescue Squad this morning I saw two first-of-season birds, and heard a White-eyed vireo and a Rose-breasted grosbeak. Yesterday evening I heard a Wood thrush out there as well.
- Wilson's warbler (FOS)
- Towhee (M)
- Blue-gray gnatcatchers
- Yellow-rumped warbler (1YM)
- Common yellowthroat (F) (FOS)
- Brown thrasher
- Indigo buntings (M) -- one singing in a subdued way
- Cedar waxwings*
* Cedar waxwings were plentiful briefly last December, but this is the first spring I can recall without any large flocks of them passing through.
I've added a list of my favorite warblers in the left column of the Wild Birds page, as well as a wish list of the warbler species that I have not yet seen. Most of the latter are only found in the West or Southwest.
In the Metro section of Sunday's Washington Post, a photo caption incorrectly stated "The red-bellied woodpecker is one of the 80 species of migratory birds coming through our area every year." In fact, that species is NOT migratory but stays put year-round throughout its range in the eastern USA.