New Arrivals (Gardner) 5/09/07

I typically try to squeeze a little birding each morning in May and I got a few new "year" birds this morning. The first bird of the morning was a Common Loon, calling as it flew near my yard, while I was still in bed. I live about 2 miles from Lake Wompanoag, where a pair of Common Loons have nested since 1995, but they do move about from lake to lake and sometimes call while in flight. The first new "year" bird was a singing Northern Parula which I also heard from my bedroom before I got outside. Species such as Baltimore Oriole, Rose-breatsed Grosbeak, Eastern Kingbird and Common Yellowthroat (to name a few) have arrived in the past few days.

Common Yellowthroat

Up at the Wompanoag MAS I had a very nice look at a White-crowned Sparrow and I managed a few digi-bin photos of it. The Bluebird houses have been active with Tree Swallows for the past few weeks, but today was the first time I had seen Eastern Bluebirds looking one of these dwellings over.

White-crowned Sparrow

Along Raymond Street I heard at least 4 Nashville Warblers, and from locations where they are likely to breed. Ovenbirds and Black-throated Green Warblers had increased in breeding type habitat, but it may be a few more days until I hear a Canada Warbler singing from "its" territory.

Least Flycatcher