Crossley Preserve 5/3--Prairie Warbler

Crossley Preserve

I crossed over into the Crossley Preserve from the WMA again this morning, going back to the pond I found there last week. Looking at an old topographical map tells me that this may be the remnants of a cranberry bog and not the clay pit I originally thought. That might explain the presence of this overgrown structure which you can barely make out in the photo--or when you're there:

A couple of pine trees just up the slope from the pond had most of the activity I saw today--a Yellow-rumped Warbler, a Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, my FOY Prairie Warbler (these birds are inaccurately or ineptly named), and, frustratingly, some warblers that were bouncing around from branch to branch too fast and too high for me to identify. I tell myself they were probably Pine Warblers so I won't feel like I missed anything new.  I was also frustrated ear birding today--I must have heard 50 birds with the same song that I know I should know but I couldn't remember what it was and I couldn't find any of the  birds to put a "face" to the "voice."

Migration is starting to peak--unfortunately, not a lot of birds fall out this far inland. I have to be content with picking up one or two new birds each time out, unless I get up real early and head for a place closer to the ocean where the birds land after flying over water all night.

25 species combining the WMA with Crossley.
Mallard  8
Mourning Dove  7
Eastern Kingbird  1
Blue Jay  2
American Crow  2
Fish Crow  1
Tree Swallow  11
Barn Swallow  1
Carolina Chickadee  15
Tufted Titmouse  10
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher  1    Crossley Preserve
Eastern Bluebird  2
American Robin  10
Gray Catbird  6
Yellow-rumped Warbler  1    Crossley Preserve
Prairie Warbler  1    Crossley Preserve
Eastern Towhee  20
Chipping Sparrow  20
Song Sparrow  1
White-throated Sparrow  3
Northern Cardinal  2
Red-winged Blackbird  1
Common Grackle  10
House Finch  1
American Goldfinch  3

Unintended Sculpture in the WMA