3 July 2023
I’ve needed to cancel such a lot of hen walks this spring that I determined to carry the day before today’s 8:30am time out at Duck Hole even if it used to be positive to pour inside 45 mins.
The sky used to be gloomy grey, the river used to be like glass and the fish had been leaping. The one spot of colour used to be nodding thistle (Carduus nutans), a biennial from Eurasia.
Simply two people had been hardy sufficient (loopy sufficient?) to turn up. It began raining ceaselessly in handiest 40 mins. We referred to as it quits and went house.
However the birds had been rather excellent making an allowance for the elements. Favorites had been …
- A circle of relatives of belted kingfishers with two begging kids. One of the vital “youngsters” held his wings vast open to draw consideration, just like the begging transfer of a fledgling peregrine.
- Two warbler species: a yellow warbler and an overly rainy black-and-white warbler that walked the branches of a black locust.
- A not too long ago fledged northern mockingbird in a mulberry tree with ripe fruit, along side area finch households with begging younger.
Our tick list is right here https://ebird.org/tick list/S143326273 and indexed underneath.
Duck Hole, Allegheny, Pennsylvania, US
Jul 2, 2023 8:30 AM – 9:10 AM
— 18 species —
Canada Goose (Branta canadensis) 10
Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) 12
Chimney Swift (Chaetura pelagica) 10
Herring Gull (Larus argentatus) 5
Belted Kingfisher (Megaceryle alcyon) 4, Two begging kids
Purple-bellied Woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus) 1
Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata) 1
Northern Tough-winged Swallow (Stelgidopteryx serripennis) 6
Carolina Wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus) 4
Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos) 1 Not too long ago fledged with rumpled gape.
American Robin (Turdus migratorius) 5
Space Finch (Haemorhous mexicanus) 12, feeding younger
Music Sparrow (Melospiza melodia) 3
Purple-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus) 7
Commonplace Grackle (Quiscalus quiscula) 3
Black-and-white Warbler (Mniotilta varia) 1
Yellow Warbler (Setophaga petechia) 1
Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) 5
(footage via Kate St. John)