Spring Migration is in Full Swing!

Hello!

Luria Park and our backyard on Brad Street have given us lots of spring/summer birds!

The highlight was a Cape May Warbler seen at the Luria Park playground on May 2, about 9:30 oin the morning.

This warbler is small, very active, and has a distinctive rusty swath beneath the eye. It winters in Cuba and breeds in northern Canada.

This is a female Rose-breasted Grosbeak at the sunflower seed feeder in our backyard. Her plumage is quite drab compared to her male counterpart.

This stealthy fellow is the Common Yellow-throat. His song is a "witchety-witchety-witchety" song and he prefers the cover of undergrowth. He was in Luria Park near the creek.

This little brown fellow is the House Wren. Small and mighty, this bird was pulling nest fluff from a previous nest only to transfer it across the backyard to another birdhouse!

A Red-shouldered Hawk was tending to her chick on a nest deep in Luria Park. This is the second year these raptors have made a home in our park.

An American Crow was taking a drink from our birdbath before gathering a twig and taking it high to the top of white pine tree on Brad Street where it was building a nest. Love 'em or hate 'em, crows will keep a street clean of squirrels and other critters that lost the battle with car traffic.

This stout fellow is a male Brown-headed Cowbird. I call him "Mr. Nasty" as cowbirds will ruthlessly rob other bird's nests.

Another migratory bird, is the Yellow-billed Cuckoo, see high on a maple tree off of the Luria Park baordwalk. He's a larger bird, bigger than a robin, and winters in Mexico and Central America. They could potentially breed here.

Happy Spring!