A Productive Two Hours at the Worcester Cemeteries

We spent about 2 hours this morning birding Hope Cemetery and then popped over to All Faith's Cemetery to check on migration there.  Here are some shots I was lucky enough to get...

Baltimore Orioles were chattering this morning

This Northern Flicker flew into the tree right in front of us...and he just stayed there frozen.  We walked away and he stayed

American Redstarts were calling from a number of spots in the cemetery.  Just saw males; no females back yet.

Probably the most numerous warbler was Northern Parula.  It seemed every tree had one singing.  In fact when we got home at about 9:30 there was one singing from a tree in front of our house...these little guys certainly seem comfortable migrating through the city.

We had a Palm Warbler who flew in from the Middle River and almost hit Mark before he just landed on the ground in front of a gravestone and started to pick for insects.

A Prairie Warbler feeding in pine trees is not your usual habitat....but that's exactly what this one in Hope Cemetery was doing.

At All Faith's Cemetery (aka the Swedish Cemetery) I had this Black & White Warbler come in to some spishing.  The place was loaded with Yellow-rumped Warblers and many of them were feeding on the ground like sparrows.

We had a Nashville Warbler as well, but I couldn't get a shot of him as he moved from tree to tree.  Along the way, though, I had this Warbling Vireo pop into view....always nice to get an unexpected photograph.

And of course what would Leesville Pond be without a nesting Mute Swan.  The mate of this bird came over to me in defensive posture, but I wash quite far away so he really didn't bother with me.

Our count of warblers for a brief walk in two city cemeteries totaled 16 species...a very productive outing indeed.

Enjoy....Sheila