Red-tailed Hawk
We've had rain every day this week, with more in the forecast. However, there was a break in the precipitation this morning, and I took advantage of the cloudy, but not rainy, weather.
It's been more than a year since I have been birding in Swoope. I used to make regular trips there as I had permission to bird along Smith Lake, but was told in 2021 by the property manager that the property owner no longer wanted birders to access the property. But I hadn't seen a Yellow Warbler so far in 2023, and I knew of two good locations for them in Swoope. The first was in the trees along Smith Lake, but that was no longer an option for me. The other good site for this species was in the CREP area near the corner of Cattleman and Livick Roads. So Yellow Warbler was my #1 target species, followed by Grasshopper Sparrow and Bobolink, as I haven't these species for quite a while. And I also wanted to check out the Bald Eagle nest.
As I drove down Hewitt Road, a Red-tailed Hawk flew right in front of my car and landed in a ditch to my right. When I stopped my car, it flew back up to the left, and I was able to get a few photos from my car. I also saw a couple of American Kestrels along Hewitt Road.
Red-tailed Hawk
American Kestrel
I stopped at the CREP area, and although it was fairly "birdy," I didn't see a Yellow Warbler. So I turned around and parked on Cattleman Road near the entrance to the Smith Lake Property. There were several bird species there, including my first of year Yellow Warbler.
Yellow Warbler
Yellow Warbler
Yellow Warbler
Yellow Warbler
I birded some more along Cattleman Road, and added some good species including a few Willow Flycatchers making their whit call.
Willow Flycatchers
I stopped on North Mountain Road where I thought I should be able to see the Bald Eagle nest. An Eastern Kingbird was on the fence line, but I couldn't see the eagle nest. I did, however, get a very distant photo of a perched Bald Eagle.
Eastern Kingbird
Bald Eagle
My next stop along that road was at a site where I have always had good luck finding Grasshopper Sparrows, and today was just as successful.
Grasshopper Sparrow
Grasshopper Sparrow
Grasshopper Sparrow
Grasshopper Sparrow
Grasshopper Sparrow
Grasshopper Sparrow
Grasshopper Sparrow
I had 31 avian species in Swoope in two hours, and was going to make another loop to look for more birds, but my car starting making some bad noises, and I wanted to get home while I could.
Swoope list:
Mourning Dove
Rock Pigeon
Turkey Vulture
Red-tailed Hawk
American Kestrel
Eastern Phoebe
Barn Swallow
White-breasted Nuthatch
Carolina Wren
European Starling
Gray Catbird
Northern Mockingbird
Eastern Bluebird
American Robin
Chipping Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Eastern Meadowlark
Red-winged Blackbird
Brown-headed Cowbird
Common Grackle
Yellow Warbler
Northern Cardinal
Indigo Bunting
Willow Flycatcher
Eastern Kingbird
Northern Rough-winged Swallow
Grasshopper Sparrow
Tree Swallow
Northern Flicker
American Crow
Bald Eagle