The first good signs of fall (evening update!)

As it is the 9th of September already signs of fall are getting clearer and clear. The real September warblers are dropping in. The Cape May Warbler was the first of the season yesterday and today we had our first Tenessee's Warblers and Blackpoll Warbler (also seen but not trapped two days ago) of the season. Flocks are getting more conspicuous as we can already find some small flocks hanging in the nets. Today we had to close our nets at 11.00 due to rain but at 11.00 I still had a good flock of birds in one net in the Long Lane section: 2 Hooded Warblers, 3 Chestnut-sided Warblers, 1 Ovenbird and 1 Scarlet Tanager hanging together. The diversity of species is getting better and better with 28 species caught, spread over 66 new birds. 91 including recaps. Two days ago we had a flicker but today we had three! In the 3rd round I checked the backfields together with Heather and in the first net we checked: a Northern Flicker. Then a bit further we checked some other Backfield nets: another Northern Flicker! And then a round later Brandon came back with the third one; a recap.

Observations included a Solitary Sandpiper flying (and sitting around) in the area. I saw the bird just flying over our big mesh net... :( More luck next time! 2 Downy Woodpeckers and a White-breasted Nuthatch foraging in one dead tree was also fun to see.

The results of 09/09/2011
Ruby-throated Hummingbird 3 -
Northern Flicker 2 -
Eastern Wood-Pewee 2 -
Acadian Flycatcher 1 -
Traill's Flycatcher 1 -
Least Flycatcher 1 -
Eastern Phoebe 1 -
Red-eyed Vireo 6 -
Black-capped Chickadee 1 -
Carolina Wren 1 -
Swainson's Thrush 1 -
Wood Thrush 1 -
Gray Catbird 4 -
Tenessee Warbler 2 -
Chestnut-sided Warbler 7 - (high number)
Magnolia Warbler 4 -
Blackpoll Warbler 1 -
American Redstart 2 - (and a beautiful adult male seen but not caught..)
Ovenbird 1 -
Northern Waterthrush 3 -
Connecticut Warbler 1 -
Common Yellowthroat 6 -
Hooded Warbler 3 -
Canada Warbler 5 - (high number)
Scarlet Tanager 2 -
Field Sparrow 1 -
Rose-breasted Grosbeak 1 -
Indigo Bunting 2 -

The pic's:

Northern Flicker, hatching year female; this individual was a bit odd looking with some orange/pink shafts on the tail and orange/pink colouring on the underwing. This bird can be an integrate between the Yellow-shafted (Eastern) and Red-shafted (Western) Flicker, because of the colouring.
This is what it should look like normally:

Northern Flicker from two days back

Eastern Phoebe, hatching year

Swainson's Thrush, after hatching year; note the striking underwing

Tenessee Warbler, hatching year

Tenesse Warbler, after hatching-year male; the Tenessee Warblers just look like chiffchaffs!

Blackpoll Warbler, hatching year

Canada Warbler, hatching year male; one of my favourites

Indigo Bunting, hatching year male; this bird has replaced his carpal covert first; a bit odd!

Indigo Bunting, after hatching-year male; undergoing symmetrical wing moult

After a one hour afternoon-nap I decided to use the fancy bike I got from the people from the Powdermill Visitor's Centre and I drove around, through the Pennsylvanian landscape! First, I headed up the road, the Weaver Mill road towards Rector, in the hope of seeing some good stuff. Halfway, I found a group of 15 Wild Turkeys, foraging close to the road, cool! I had been looking for these birds for a while the last week but hadn't seen them, but now I finally did. 

7 Turkeys

After I had seen the Turkeys and took some photos I drove back again towards our cabin. Just north of our cabin there is a road, the Stony Lonesome road, going into the open fields, with some patches of trees every now and then. Soon I came across a Turkey Vulture, eating from a dead Racoon on the road. The vulture wasn't shy so I could approach it quite well.

Turkey Vulture on the road

I drove a bit further and came to a barn with a nice pond. While I was looking at Bluebirds and some American Goldfinches I suddenly noticed two warblers closeby: Palm Warblers! 

Palm Warbler on a wooden fence

There we some other birds around as well:

House Finch

Red-bellied Woodpecker

I also found this elusive warbler, which is, I think, a Cape May Warbler

I had a great view over the Laurel Highlands up the Stony Lonesome road. I created a panorama pic:

Looks wonderful, doesn't it!