Monday, April 20, 2009

Fwd: Moscow birds, 4/20/09


 
First off I had a single Pine Grosbeak calling and then flying over my house this morning around 0700 on the east side of Moscow.

Later in the morning I took a hike across campus through the old arboretum, the new arboretum/botanical gardens, down to the Sand Rd. wetlands at the south end of the arb and then back to my office. It was about 65 F by 10:30 and on warm days like this birding can be kind of slow on campus.

Out of about 25 species total I only had a handful of migrants - Ruby-crowned Kinglet (6), Golden-crowned Kinglet (2) and a couple White-crowned Sparrows (and another small flock of WCSP on the way into work this AM). I also had a local FOY Barn Swallow along Sand Rd. that is perhaps a few days earlier than normal up here at 2500'. Also of interest a Say's Phoebe on Sand Rd., a snipe calling in the wetlands, a coot eating the rapidly growing aquatic veg. in the upper arboretum pond, and a single light morph Swainson's Hawk cruising around the general area. I was hoping for a hummingbird but there are no trees or shrubs blooming in the arboretum yet.

I've seen very few reports of the usual mid-April neo-trpoical migrants so far - Orange-crowned, Yellow-rumped, Nashville Warbler, Cassin's Vireo, etc. Are they just passing through quickly w/ the fair weather??

thanks,
Charles.

--
Charles Swift
Moscow, ID
chaetura@gmail.com



--
Charles Swift
Moscow, ID
chaetura@gmail.com

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