WIWA, BLBW...

...were yard lifers this AM.  BLBW is waaaay overdue.

GD YRD BRD - LIGU

Had a couple of nice slugs of Bonie's last night off Lake Michigan and wouldn't you know they both had Little Gulls; the first group of 34 had 2 including a 1st Summer bird and the second set of 184 had one.  The birds were fairly distant but the lighting was phenominal -- late afternoon sun against gray storm clouds.  It really made the birds pop.  I would probably had let the youngster go had it not gone into flight display with the adult.  I had suspected it a LIGU based on size and the bold pattern across the wing coverts but when it displayed with the adult it made me a believer.

OCWA, SCTA = new yard lifers

BAWW just a few minutes ago is year bird #64 for The Cheddarlands

OCWA was yard lifer #91
SCTA was yard lifer #92

CLSW = #57

http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S10639053

Yardbird Blog Representin

The kind of morning you live for

So far this morning I've added 16 yard yearbirds, 8 of which were lifers. Last night's radar was again, like the previous night, off the chart, and I stood outside at daybreak hearing nothing at first. Very quickly, however, it was apparent than dozens and dozens of warblers were reorienting on the landscape, some high, others low. 

This guy came in silently and then left  quickly, like a lot of species in the early morning twilight after a flight:
 Yard lifer GRHE:

 Within minutes, a handful of these began to sing including this guy

 Surely my earliest record this far north:

 Ooh baby!

2 final notes of signifiance:

1) I got my yard lifer CATE very early on my first scan of Whitefish Lake- 2 birds which circled west and high, just like my yard life BOGU had a few days earlier. I think they were leaving the lake.

2) There is a MASSIVE movement of Blue Jays the past several days- dozens and dozens flying all day long. It is easy to overlook the common residents and their movements when eyes are glued to the neotrops, but it has been really enjoyable watching these guys lately.

Forgotten, yes. Dead, no.

Who deleted my totals?  Yes, I noticed.

18 in 24

The past 24 hours has been huge fun! 18 new year yardbirds pushed through with the advent of southerly winds. CATE, NRWS, RHWO, SPSA & GRYE all went over yesterday. Today was the big influx with 13 new species. This morning before work in an hour and a half: LEFL, NOWA, BAWW, COYE, AMRE, YTVI, MAWA, GRCA, SWTH, BHVI & BWWA. Then tonight after work prior to dusk a WOTH & INBU. Makes one wonder what was missed in between....Anyways that makes the total 113 so far this year. Looking for some more goodies tomorrow morn!

decided to bombard the blog with posts today...

...simply because I can.

Birder-phone effect strikes yet again.  High-flying PEFA while on the phone with SEFI, which yielded a mob of interesting stuff.  Including these fellas...

Eat your heart out SIPU...

http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S10611127

EWCS = #54 for the year

am I seriously in 3rd place?

Breakfast FOTEfied with Some Sweetness this AM

http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S10609067

Flyover FOTE and BCNH are sic yard ticks for The Cheddarlands!

INBU was yard lifer #89.

Had 5 RBGRs in one tree at my neighbor's.  It was a solid morning.

SOSA was year bird #53

The "Birder on the Phone" Effect

...and it happens once again.  Yesterday (01 May), I was chatting with SIPU and I spied 5 SACRs out my office window coming in on a flight patch right over The Cheddarlands.  This was actually a yard lifer.  I put in huge amounts of effort last year to get this species but never had any luck.  Thanks SIPU!

I stepped outside just to have a quick gander at the sky and ended up with a BGGN year tick.

Nice!