Rotary Park: May 12, 2011

Thursday, May 12, proved to be like so many other days this May — cloudy and chilly, with a biting northeast wind. Nine intrepid birders braved the conditions, in hope of viewing recently arrived migrants. It seems the northerly windflow may have hindered migratory progress; we saw only six species of warblers. Over a period of three hours, we were finally able to tease out a total of 37 species, including some new arrivals, such as Eastern Kingbird, Warbling Vireo, and Baltimore Oriole. Near the “beach,” we were treated with a pair of Eastern Bluebirds, which appear to be nesting nearby.

Looking across the river from the picnic grounds, we watched a Spotted Sandpiper gamboling up and down a log that sported a roosting pair of Wood Ducks. Some of the group also observed a pair of very cooperative Brown Thrashers, on the ground for a long time, perhaps performing a kind of pair-bonding. In spite of the weather (it was not raining) the trip yielded some handsome birds.

About Harlequin

Harlequin is a pseudonym for content not attributed to a specific author. It echoes the name of the YCAS newsletter, The Harlequin. Watch for Harlequin Ducks along the rocky portions of the York County coast in winter. ¶ The avatar is by Louis Agassiz Fuertes, who sketched and painted the species during the Harriman Alaska Expedition. ¶ "When we got before the glacier, I saw my first pair of harlequins... the glass showed them plainly to be a ♂ + ♀ histrionicus." — L.A. Fuertes, June 7, 1899
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