On return trip from Mayo, stopped at 180th street marsh. One the way in from Route 52,
observed horned larks and one or two yellow-rumpeds. Saw shovelers, blue-winged teal,
American coots, hooded mergansers, ring-necked ducks, Canada geese; saw a pied-billed
grebe and heard one calling; tree and barn swallows all over the place; usual redwings
and grackles; yellowheaded blackbirds moving around and rrr-rrr-rrr-ing. An adult bald
eagle swooped in and missed a fish, but hung out atop the far east-side oak for a bit.
Upon our return back toward 52, I spotted a shrike on the utility wire. Got good view
through binocs and I THINK it was a loggerhead because of the bold black eye streak,
uninterrupted by any significant white; plus, there was a white oval on wings that seemed
to be surrounded by black on the wing. I haven't seen a shrike in a very long time.
Loggerhead?
The big treat (for me) were the palm warblers in four places: a small tree on top of the
hill looking down on the marsh complex, then along the road to the marsh and (briefly) in
the corn stubble, in a roadside willow beside the north marsh, and finally amongst the
cattail stalks. There were at least 3 in that first tree; after that, couldn't tell if same ones
were going the same direction as the car or if there were a bunch spread out. Great
views of rufous crown, eye stripe, and yellow throat with rufous striping down sides,
yellow undertail. Sweet!
Q: Is it customary for palm warblers blow through such varied veg when migrating?
Also we saw a pheasant, hanging from the mouth of a retriever who was walking with his
keeper along the road. That counts, doesn't it? ;-)
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