May out like a lamb, June in like a lion

It always amazes me how spring migration (or at least the feeling) stops dead on June 1.

This year is no different except I've added a few new birds -- like a drip.

Today, heard PUMA, saw a Red-eyed Vireo carrying food, and added a lifer yardbird in the song Eastern Wood-Pewee (#127, #174). Have also added recent Fee-bee-o and Phoebe.

For the summer survey I made sure I heard two YELLOW RAILS calling on June 2. Tic, tic, tic.

FreeeBeerrr!!!

Well, thats what I wanted to have after getting my 142nd yard lifer here at the Hasscienda. But no time to rest for the weary (...or the wicked). I guess my timing was just right to pull up into the driveway today and observe an empid foraging low in the lilac bushes.

I've only spent about 7 days total this May at my home and getting new birds, I'm sure a ton of spring warblers just passed right through as I was off birding the coastlines. The only other thing of note was about a week ago, I got my long-awaited and somewhat over-due yard lifer Blackburian Warbler. Oh the joy. Passed Caleb on the yard lifer list too, his brief stay a bird ahead of me was just too unbearable to stand for, and hell, I enjoy picking low-hanging fruit.

I'm off to my cabin in the Big Two-hearted River country this evening, so a temporary yard list shall be duly provided when I am back in front of the computer again. There, Blackburian is a daily yard bird.

Mini-ching

After forcing myself to look at pretty much every one of the thousands of Mourning Doves that fly through my neighborhood, I finally found what I was looking for. White-winged Dove, rare (but regular) bird in the Grand Valley. Mini-ching! Also, the first Common Nighthawk of the year - peent!

Less(er) Birding Time

Picking up what I can with a newborn baby girl in one hand, binoculars in the other, toothpicks holding my eyes open, and a 15-month old hanging from my leg. Can't keep up with all you damn warbler magnets. Time to pull out a huge bird bath, buy more trees, set bowls of mealworms, orange slices, and grape jelly everywhere, build a marsh, and shoot all the Dumpster Finches. A Lesser Goldfinch singing from the aspen in the front yard was a good start though. The 55-mph winds coming out of Utah tomorrow better blow in another Common Black-hawk (seen last week a few miles east of my house)...

A.M. Bird Alarm

This a.m. I woke up to my alarm clock as normal...but what really got me out of bed was the music coming from outside my open window. "Vireo" I thought, "but that's NOT Red-eyed. It's too light, sweet and slow. PHILLY VIREO!" I threw my clothes on and ran outside for looks at this rare visitor to the yard. Sure enough I got great looks at the bird - even watching it catch a caterpillar. That's only the 2nd yard record for PHVI here.
It was a nice reminder that even though migration is winding down, there are still birds to be had! I'm due for Acadian Flycatcher and Yellow-billed Cuckoo.