High Season

 It is the time of the year when birding becomes exciting, a time to revisit many known hotspots looking for the elusive vagrants. Yet, every trip does not turn one up.

That doesn't make the outing  less engaging. Thee are always perks along the way. While checking shorebirds in Flatrock this great juvenile Bald Eagle flew in and just hung around on the beach. Watching the other birds react to it was almost as nice as watching the eagle.

It is also a time for study. Yesterday, when I saw one Whimbrel sitting on the edge of the rocks at Cape Spear, it was obvious what it was. When it flew, two other shorebirds flew with it. With poor shots, I was trying to figure out if they, too, were Whimbrel. Checking Peterson's guide the Whimbrel is shown in flight with its feet projecting out beyond its tail. These two birds didn't have that. Sibley's guide, on the other hand, does not show legs in flight. As if many ID tasks are not complicated enough, the differences in the guides makes it harder. All three birds were Whimbrel.

On to Goulds to check the field for other species of shorebirds that might be hanging with the American Golden Plover, I found one Black-bellied Plover among them. That, too, was rewarding. It doesn't take much to cause the senses to perk up and enjoy every minute of the search for the uncommon or rare species.

Orchard Oriole

 It was around 9 a.m. that I decided to walk the East Coast Trail beyond Cape Spear for the first time this summer. It was pretty quiet until I reached the edge of trees.

 Within seconds I spotted the lemon-colored bird. With Baltimore Oriole on the mind, it was funny the bird I saw did not conjure up that Baltimore feeling.

 My first impression of this bird was actually a warbler. It was small, but not small enough to be a warbler. The beak was oriole-like but not big enough for a Baltimore, but too big for a warbler. Now I was confused, and the bird was gone.

My photos were not giving me much satisfaction. What had I just seen?

 Determined to see this bird again, I walked the trail twice and then hung around the area where I had first seen the bird. I caught a distance glimpse of it flying farther back in the woods.

I sat on a rock and waited and waited. Slowly, it worked its way closer to me, and I was able to get a few more shots. I was still confounded by what I had seen, so I sent the pics for an expert opinion from Dave Brown.

On my way out from Cape Spear my tire light came on. Another flat tire! Shoot! My birding for the day was done. Well, when word came that this bird is actually an Orchard Oriole, the stress of my flat was eased.

Southern Shore Trip Report

 Early to rise and late to bed, it was a 15 hour day of birding and travelling. Ethel D. and I hit the road before dawn and were lucky not to hit one of the FOUR big moose we saw during the trip.

 I have included only a sampling of shots from our experiences. We first started birding along the side of the road between Fermeuse and Renews. It proved to be quite exciting, seeing 11 species of warblers. I included this rear shot of this Magnolia to show the polka dots on the flanks. I have never seen this before.

 The most plentiful warbler of the day was the Common Yellowthroat. They were everywhere.

 In no particular order, these shots were taken at locations birded during the day.

 At the sod farm in St. Shott's, I got my best ever view of the American Golden Plover. Often, I see them later in the season when they seem to be identical to the Black-bellied Plover.

 Not this time, there are still remnants of gold on all of these birds.

 It is remarkable how well they blend in with their surroundings. If it weren't for a very helpful Northern Harrier that flushed these birds, we likely would have missed them altogether.

 A couple of flocks of small shorebirds flew over but remain unidentified.

 At Chance Cove Park, we found two female Black Scoters drifting along the shoreline. Also, at the park I was able to see my first Atlantis Flitillary (a butterfly).

 Back to the St. Shott's access road, we were quite surprised to find this Merlin perched atop a wood pile along the roadside. This was a bonus, for sure.

 All along the way there were Northern Harriers, and two were just up the road from the kestrel.

 The bonus bird of the day was this Eastern Kingbird. Just as we were leaving Chance Cove, a bird flew in the field below us. I quickly snapped a shot. When I checked the camera, I was surprised to see what it was.

Having just seen the kestrel and harriers, we spotted a raptor along Cape Pine. Just in the road, we had the best views ever of an immature Rough-legged Hawk. It put on an amazing show as it was feeding.

 However, it still has a lot to learn as it came up empty-handed from every dive into the underbrush.

Nevertheless, he was tenacious and kept trying. I guess I share that quality with the bird: For the third year in a row, I tried to find the Baird's Sandpiper and failed. Hunkering down low on the beach to lessen the stress on the birds and to protect ourselves from the force of the wind, we sat for more than 30 minutes. The birds meandered closer to us, and I was SURE I got the Baird's. Learning I didn't for the third year, I have been flipping through the Yellow Pages looking for a good therapist.

Yellow-throated Vireo

 Good birds are lurking around every corner, and I was lucky to see one of them. Not thinking about the possibility of a Yellow-throated Vireo, I first thought the yellow bird in front of me was a troublesome Blackpoll Warbler.

 A closer look through my camera confirmed it was not. I only got a few shots before it moved on. I really couldn't believe what I was seeing, so I checked my camera screen. In that split second, it vanished, and I didn't even see which direction it went.

Impossible to stay home during these good birding days. The season has started with a bang as yesterday Ken Knowles reported a great list of uncommon warblers to St. John's. Today, Andrea Dicks topped that with a Kentucky Warbler at Long Pond. Who knows what will be next? I hope I am in the right place at just the right time to see some good birds during this active migration season.