P-bird

Streaking over the yard this afternoon.

I'll be stuck in Brazil for the next week, missing more of fall prime time, so will be real disappointed Haas if you haven't landed a nice counter punch in the "epic" battle for 8th place.

Update

Well, with apathy and lameness as the status quo here (watch out Booner, you're first to fall), I may have the lead here in shorter order than I expected. (if only I'd have moved in August when EAKI, BAOR, Empids, RTHU, and countless other early fall migrants were still around). It is fun building a life yardlist from scratch, and here is how it has gone in the first 3 full days:

9/23
YTVI (still singing)
BRCR
SOSP
PIWO
COYE
CMWA (nice spanking adult male)
RBWO
COGR
KILL
ROPI (nice after trying and missing for 2 years at the last place!)
HOSP (yes this took 3 days to add)
HOLA

9/22:
RHWO (wow- this species took 1.5 years to get at my last house, not 1.5 days!)
DOWO
REVI/WAVI/PHVI (mew call heard only)
WBNU
GCTH - NFCs
SWTH - NFCs
WOTH- 1 NFC (probably Veeries were in the mix too- but I need to look at sonograms to be sure)
TEWA
RWBL
HOFI

9/21
BDOW (singing at night)
RTHA
TUVU

Guess who's back?

Silly Putty, my friends, is back in the saddle BABY, after a long and dismal respite never to be discussed again. Though the hour is late for calendar year 2011, the insides are again churning for yardbird domination. Why? Because I am the newest resident of Montcalm County, where I just moved yesterday into a small rural house well-suited for beating the tar out of a bunch of... er, let's be real, getting my ass beaten all over again with pure enjoyment.

This house is on 1 acre of wooded habitat, not far from a quite large lake with adjoining smaller lake well-suited to Ixobrychus exilis and other gems. Witness:
This house will undoubtedly outdo my last in waterbirds if for the proximity of such a large waterfowl and waterbird magnet. Across the street lurks an overgrown old field (a bit late for BRTH and FISP this year, perhaps, though I'll try):
The view of the horizon above the old field is rather impressive too, totalling almost 180 degrees of the sky hemisphere, which should help for flyover raptors and waterfowl. Another added benefit is the presence of low thickets of vegetation in the back yard (something totally lacking at my last residence, which is why I never recorded COYE, SWSP, LISP, MOWA, etc.):Anyway, since finishing moving in less than 24 hours ago, I have mounted the brand spanking new Bill Evans 21c microphone on the roof (currently recording and listening to a live feed featuring 20+ SWTH, 1 GCTH, and 10+ warblers since starting typing this message), plus set up the feeding station and watering hole, and lured in the local BCCH flock to check for any lingering early/mid September warblers I am about to miss (only MAWA obliged):So, to sum up, GAME ON, beeches.

Here is today's and yesterday's eBird checklists for this newly minted patch:
http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S8837298
http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S8837324

Sanderling

Sanderling only 6585.20 feet away! #176.

Yellow-bellied Flycatcher

The Cheddarlands hit #71 yesterday when a YBFL turned up in the neighbor's ash around 830AM. I had GREAT looks at this guy for about 30 minutes. Then an hour later, I went back out to look for more migrants. The YBFL was still in the same tree, flycatching like no tomorrow. This went on for the entire day, until I last went out around 730PM. This is by far the most extensive study of this species that I've ever had. I even managed scope views on a couple of occasions.

Other migrants were AMRE and REVI. I'm finding that the silver maples (which nominate the neighborhood) just do not pull in many migrants. From my vantage point, I have yet to see an oak species in any of the neighbor's yards.

Other highlights yesterday were southbound BWHA and a few mid-day groups of CONIs.

Preview - butterfly knots.

I've done my best to avoid working the new yard but last night a Red Knot in scope view was a nice little preview of the kind of whoop-ass I'm going to unload next year on you beeches when I lock and load with a new abode. How's that for trash talk (conspicuously absent in recent months)?

Unfortunately, I've also not doing a good job working the swamp lair.....I've lost my mojo, not even a new Pominar has turned the tide. I have been enjoying a flush of wildflowers and butterflies in my "new" prairie. I've also been going ape-shit on the buckthorn. It failed to deliver a mockingbird so now it has to pay the piper.

Round-U.P. ready!

Made it to 65

No warbs to speak of on this GORGEOUS day at The Cheddarlands. But I did eek out three new yard birds:

CLSW #63
RBGU #64
BAEA #65

All of the birds were high flying birds heading due North.

The dam has busted!

Three new year yardbirds today and a host of f.o.s. proves things are on the move. Thank god the bird drought is over! EASO, RSHA & PIWA add up to 147. Warblers of the day were NOWA, WIWA, CAWA, BAWW, MAWA, PIWA & AMRE.

Details here:
http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S8732796

Come on Irene!

Hurricane Irene delivers yard bird #100 - 6 Forster's Terns miraculously appear from the outer bands of the storm this afternoon.

Was dreaming of a frigatebird, but I'll take 'em.

NOWA is better than later

A big push of birds last night according to radar. Although I didn't get out this morning to survey, this one (#144) joined me for breakfast. While I ate blueberry pancakes it picked off some tasty bugs from the surface of the water feature.

Yard Lifer #62

Lucked into this guy while looking for a calling EAWP. I had a flyover CONI on 22 August but I'll take this obs too.

Nighthawk Lifer Yardbird -- #175

Five or so silhouetted over over Portage Point/Marsh last evening on a big fat rising moon answered the question why I missed this puppy last year.... they migrate through here in mid-August when I'm off banding loons.