Great Surprise

 I really was not expecting to relocate the Northern Parula this morning. Nevertheless, I went to Kent's Pond and was going to be contented to settle for a brisk walk on this cold morning. I thought I heard the bird near the boardwalk, but couldn't find it. I walked the pond and returned to the initial area.

Hearing it again, I stayed put until it finally showed itself. What a great bird! I have only seen two Northern Parulas in my more than five years of birding, and they were both Fall birds. Gotta say: The Spring Parula is very handsome.

A Walk in the Woods

 The two warm days we had are quickly fading in my memory as the northwest winds continue to usher in the icy arctic air. For that reason, I decided to revisit the photos taken earlier in the week.

 Bitten by black flies from head to toe, I remained undaunted because of the cluster of birds I saw along a trail in the woods.

 Seeing the flashes of color and hearing the variety in song was a joy. The most interesting bird seen during the hike was the first one pictured. I consulted Bruce M. on this one. He thinks it is most likely a Yellow-bellied Flycatcher without the yellow belly. Compare photo one with photo six to see the difference between this and a typical Yellow-belly Flycatcher..

 At this time of the year it is more likely to see and hear a Ruby-crowned Kinglet, but this Golden-crowned Kinglet was keeping company with a Ruby. Nice to see them together.

 The American Redstarts are especially nice at this time of the year. The female seen above is so different from the male. However, the flashing color in the tail makes them very easy to identify.

 This female Yellow Warbler brought about a double take. At first sighting, the splash of blue/grey under the wing made me wonder if it were something different. Closer look just revealed a somewhat different plumage from many female Yellows at this time of the year.

I swatted flies for two hours before I gave in to the discomfort and left. Here is my take for the day: Find the flies and you will find the birds.

The Bench

 The Alternative Facts Bench in Ferryland is a great story-telling bench for birders like me. When I see something different in a bird, I always think the possibility of "rarity."

 For example: There was this tern floating on the fog in Ferryland yesterday. It was smaller than the other terns, and that is what caught my eye. Shooting into very difficult elements, I was able to come up with two pics.

 One of them clearly shows a bird with no black on its head. That sent me scrambling to look at the field guide. Best I could tell, an immature Common Tern had some black and had a dark bill. This bird did not. What were the other choices? There was a two-step process: First, remain hopeful; second, consult Bruce MacTavish. I did both, but to no avail. It seems this is an immature Common Tern. Maybe I should go sit on the bench.

 Not once, but twice did possible alternative facts creep into my day. In Bear Cove Pit, I had a two-second look at a distant bird high in a fog-shrouded tree. What I saw was a yellow bird with a neckless and streaks (not diamonds) dripping from it. Then, the bird vanished. My hopefulness kicked in again. I had just seen a Magnolia Warbler, and this bird didn't seem dark enough to be one. I didn't see any white on the bird, and so.... again my mind starts racing through other choices. I asked Bruce if a Canada Warbler were a possibility at this time of the year. "Not likely," he said. It took nearly 30 minutes to relocate the bird and determine it was a female Magnolia Warbler. I can see that I should probably warm the bench.

 Shortly after that, Catherine Barrett spotted this beautiful Ruffed Grouse standing watch on a side road past Cappahayden. It was solidly planted.

Since Catherine heard rustling in the woods, it is thought this bird was boldly protecting its young. We moved on.

Bay-Breasted Warbler at Bidgood Park

 Sweet! Trying to quiet a bout of restlessness, I headed out birding this afternoon. I rarely go birding after lunch, but today the weather was warming as the day went by so I went out.

 I wasn't at Bidgood  Park very long before I spotted the Eastern Kingbird shown below. I figured that made the drive across town worthwhile.

 Also interesting were three Hairy Woodpeckers fly catching. I stopped at a good viewing spot to watch the woodpeckers and kingbird vie for the many swirling flies. In the mix were quite a few warblers and sparrows.

 Then, I noticed one small bird behaving differently from the usual warblers in the area. I got a glimpse of its underneath and thought it was curious.  Over the next few minutes, I saw bits and pieces of the bird making me realize this wasn't a bird I had seen before.

 Finally, it popped up and I was able to see the rich browns. Wow! I spent the next few minutes snapping pictures. I think it liked the little beep my camera makes during the autofocus process. Whatever, it was.... the bird felt safe and stayed close.

 I made a quick call to verify the ID. Honestly, I thought it might be a Bay-breasted Warbler, but since I had never seen one before ... I was hesitant to say. With Bruce's help, the ID was made and the alarm was sounded.

 I saw the bird singing several times, but I never heard a sound despite how close I was. I have to say, the hunt is always exciting as I await the next surprise to pop up. However, there is really nothing like it when one special bird does actually appear.

 I also checked Third Pond and Mundy Pond but found nothing out of the ordinary.

The Magnolia Warbler is back on Power's Road.