From Monica Berger:
Hi Peter: Edith G., Isabel C., Kathy Drake and myself did a
mini-breeding bird tour of the park today. Many of the birds had their
gapes open: not sure if it was the heat or their youth ;) I was most
excited about finding the yellow warbler family on the northern edge
of the Peninsula field area. We observed one immature with a prominent
eye ring. I could not find a nest but plan to go back to area again to
look more. The yellow warblers repeatedly flew back and forth across
the sidewalk between a large linden tree and the adjacent tree which
was a ginko with a black cherry growing right up against it.
We did two trips to the hummingbird nest but no luck. I did see one
hummer perched on the tall locust tree in the Rose Garden as I entered
that area. A brown thrasher was a good surprise. It was hanging on the
grass in the corridor between the Vale and Nelly's Lawn. We had no
problem finding the pewee very fast since it was singing constantly
and the Acadian flycatcher took a few minutes to come to the area by
the nest. I was surprised at how hard it was finding baltimore
orioles: we found only one family in the woodsy area northeast of the
woodchip pile/zoo area. The immature Orchard Oriole made a brief
appearance by Wellhouse Drive near the Maryland Monument. Lastly, I
believe but am not sure I heard a white-eyed vireo singing and we also
saw a very yellow empid on Lookout that will remain unidentified. A
raucous but very cute summer camp scavenger hunt involving a
counselor-as-monster battling campers armed with play swords occurred
as we observed the mystery empid, distracting us to say the least.
Green Heron: observed three times: Peninsula, Lower Pool, Lullwater Cove
Black-crowned Night-Heron: 2--Duck Island and
Wood Duck: 2, Upper Pool
Mallard
Turkey Vulture (flyover)
Red-tailed Hawk
Rock Pigeon
Mourning Dove
Chimney Swift
Ruby-throated Hummingbird: no one on the nest but one perched on tall
locust tree seen when entering Rose Garden
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Eastern Wood-Pewee: Singing lots-- Lower Midwood, same exact location
as observed by myself and others on short trail above stairs with
barricade at top
Acadian Flycatcher: Rick's Place, very near nest site
Empid: Lookout Hill--very yellow, very vexing
Eastern Kingbird: 4 or 5. Nest north of Audubon Center
Northern Rough-winged Swallow: Upper Pool
Barn Swallow
Cedar Waxwing: Peninsula
House Wren: probably at least 4-5 heard
Gray Catbird
Northern Mockingbird
Brown Thrasher: Vale (in corridor between Vale and Nelly's Lawn)
American Robin
Black-capped Chickadee: 3 or 4
Tufted Titmouse: heard only
White-breasted Nuthatch: heard only
Blue Jay
European Starling
House Sparrow
Warbling Vireo: at least six heard, one seen
Red-eyed Vireo
Yellow Warbler: 4 birds, at least one immature, flying between large
linden and combo cherry/ginko tree on north edge of Peninsula field
Eastern Towhee: Vale, heard only
Chipping Sparrow: Peninsula
Song Sparrow
Northern Cardinal
Red-winged Blackbird: observed young begging on Peninsula lawn, very comical
Common Grackle
Baltimore Oriole: family unit in woods north of Dongan Oak Monument
Orchard Oriole (imm. male seen near Maryland Monument on Wellhouse Dr
