Where's that Worm-eating warbler?

Flicker

In search of the worm-eating warbler that I've been hearing about, I got to the park at 7:30 a.m. It was 54 degrees and sunny.

This was my second attempt to view it since Haynes and others had seen it earlier in the week, and also Saturday morning. The newly cleared out area at the Winchester St. entrance makes for a new place to bird watch which is fun. I saw this flicker across the road prepping a hole for a nest, but no sign of the warbler.

Baltimore Oriole

Apparently Ian and Mary Lou and several other people I met at the park today were looking for it as well, but did see a
scarlet tanager in the area. Sadly, I missed that too!

The lower gardens of course had our summer resident tree swallows. They're always the first birds you see and the yellow warblers were in great abundance.

Yellow warbler

Yellow-rumped warbler

A baltimore oriole couple has already built a nest in a tree in the lower gardens that has been used by orioles in the past. Before I forget, I will mention that I saw a couple of male hummingbirds in the gardens on Thursday, but no sightings today.

Saw goldfinches, catbirds and a rose-breasted grosbeak

male. A female cowbird was perched on a garden fence. I suppose she is waiting for the yellow warblers to build their nests so she can lay her eggs. There were some song sparrows as well. It's funny how they seem a little sparse at the beginning of the season, but later it will seem like they are everywhere.

In the upper gardens, a wren has picked out his nest box and keeps an eye on it constantly. I'm not sure if his lady has arrived yet, but he's ready when she does! Saw more palms and some yellow rumps in the area near the birch and beehives. Have been seeing several female red-winged blackbirds this spring as well as their beautiful male counterparts.  Canada geese and a hawk flew overhead. More orioles and a nuthatch...

Down by the soccer field were several grackles and lots of yellow rumps. I finally spotted a warbling vireo high up in an oak tree. There was another red-breasted grosbeak, several red-winged blackbirds and chickadees.

Blue Jay

Barn swallows were flying back and forth over the river and a couple of

Nuthatch

blue jays perched in a nearby tree looking like they were surveying their territory.  In woodcock meadow there were song sparrows, eastern phoebes doing amazing acrobatics to capture yummy insects and surprisingly a couple of savannah sparrows in a pine tree. Titmice called out from theJCC woods. I believe I have seen the first signs of  lady slipper foliage poking up out of the leaves. They should be blooming in the next week or two.