American Redstart
I did various morning and afternoon hikes here in Old Trail on 5 outings, and ended up with 36 avian species including 3 warbler species: Pine, American Redstart, and Common Yellowthroat (heard/saw several but no photos). Suprisingly, I have yet to see some of the common summer residents here: Yellow Warbler, Orchard Oriole, Blue Grosbeak, and Green Heron, and Brown Thrashers and Blue-gray Gnatcatchers have been seen only infrquently. I suspect that all the new home and park playground construction and commotion may have discouraged some species to move on to different locations.
American Redstart
Pine Warbler
Pine Warbler
Gray Catbird
Red-winged Blackbird and Brown-headed Cowbird
Tree Swallows gathering nesting materials
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Spotted Sandpiper
Eastern Wood-Pewee
Northern Mockingbird
Papa and juvenile Eastern Bluebirds
Red-eyed Vireo
At one point, I saw a Northern Mockingbird harassing a Red-shouldered Hawk, but the hawk didn't seem to be bothered. After about five minutes, the hawk got tired of all the noise and moved on.
Red-shouldered Hawk and Northern Mockingbird
Red-shouldered Hawk and Northern Mockingbird
Red-shouldered Hawk and Northern Mockingbird
On the morning of May 12, I got lucky when I spotted a Red-headed Woodpecker checking out an old woodpecker tree cavity. Although this species had been reported in Old Trail in the past, it was the first time I had seen one here, making it my Old Trail avian species #163. I hoped that it might stick around, but assumed that it was just migrating through the area.
Red-headed Woodpecker
Red-headed Woodpecker
Red-headed Woodpecker
Red-headed Woodpecker
Near the end of my hike this afternoon (May 20), I saw one of our Red-shouldered Hawks perched high in a dead tree where it is commonly seen, and where the Mockingbird had been harassing it earlier in the week. I saw a Mockingbird fly in a perch above the hawk.
Northern Mockingbird
I looked down, and then saw a bird on the other side of the hawk, and assumed that it was the Mockingbird, but when I took a closer look, I saw that it was a Red-headed Woodpecker. When the Woodpecker realized that there was an aggresive Mockingbird nearby, it took off.
Red-shouldered Hawk and Red-headed Woodpecker
Red-shouldered Hawk and Red-headed Woodpecker
Red-headed Woodpecker
Perhaps we have a new summer resident?
Report list:
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Eastern Wood-Pewee
American Crow
Tufted Titmouse
Northern Rough-winged Swallow
Tree Swallow
White-breasted Nuthatch
Carolina Wren
European Starling
Gray Catbird
Northern Mockingbird
Eastern Bluebird
House Sparrow
House Finch
Field Sparrow
Red-winged Blackbird
Common Yellowthroat
Northern Cardinal
Indigo Bunting
Canada Goose
Mourning Dove
Turkey Vulture
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Red-shouldered Hawk
Red-headed Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Red-eyed Vireo
Carolina Chickadee
Chipping Sparrow
American Redstart
Pine Warbler
Eastern Phoebe
Brown-headed Cowbird
Spotted Sandpiper
American Goldfinch
Blue Jay