28 August 2023
Yesterday was a pleasant day, however when eight of us met at Schenley Park at 8:30am the temperature was cool with low clouds and the sky was clean grey. Usually the birds would have slept in however the migrants had been hungry. We discovered 22 species.
Greatest Fowl is difficult to decide on. Was it the belted kingfisher that hunted over Panther Hole Lake? The ruby-throated hummingbirds that floated among the many bushes? Or the warblers — Blackburnian, magnolia and chestnut-sided?
Between birds the bugs took middle stage. Milkweed bugs swarmed on swamp milkweed pods …
… and noticed lanternflies sipped on the Ailanthus bushes that impressed my weblog about sooty mould on honeydew. I used to be curious: Did the rain wash away the sooty mould? No.
Fourteen Canada geese flew over to hitch the 70 already grazing on Flagstaff Hill. Geese had been absent from Flagstaff Hill this summer time whereas they molted their wings feathers and didn’t return in massive numbers till early August.
Right here’s our eBird guidelines: Schenley Park, Allegheny, Pennsylvania, Aug 27, 2022 8:30A – 10:30A
Canada Goose (Branta canadensis) 14
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon) (Columba livia (Feral Pigeon)) 2
Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura) 9
Ruby-throated Hummingbird (Archilochus colubris) 2
Belted Kingfisher (Megaceryle alcyon) 1
Pink-bellied Woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus) 2
Downy Woodpecker (Dryobates pubescens) 5
Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus) 2
Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata) 5
Carolina Chickadee (Poecile carolinensis) 8
Tufted Titmouse (Baeolophus bicolor) 7
White-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta carolinensis) 2
Carolina Wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus) 3
Grey Catbird (Dumetella carolinensis) 1
American Robin (Turdus migratorius) 4
Home Finch (Haemorhous mexicanus) 3
Chipping Sparrow (Spizella passerina) 15
Music Sparrow (Melospiza melodia) 1
Magnolia Warbler (Setophaga magnolia) 3
Blackburnian Warbler (Setophaga fusca) 2
Chestnut-sided Warbler (Setophaga pensylvanica) 2
Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) 6
The subsequent outing will likely be 24 September at 8:30a in Schenley Park at Bartlett Playground.
(photographs by Kate St. John)
