The Stroud Preserve 6 May 2013

/
IMG_3957.jpg

It seems as if migration is going forward for every location other than the Stroud Preserve. Here, it seems to be going backwards. I picked up no new arrivals and only 45 species. That things are slow is not just my imagination. For this day last spring I tallied 75 species. I never go fewer than 60 species for any day in May of 2013. I’m assuming it will get here sometime soon. Until then, there are plants to identify.

Just as with birds, plants can throw you a curve by possessing some type of aberrant feature. Above is a bulbous buttercup (Ranunculus bulbosus) with 10 petals. It should have only 5. You know it's a slow day with the highlight is a buttercup with 10 petals. 

​

Start time: 9:00

End time: 1:40

Temp: ? (to make a bad day more badder, I somehow deleted the temperature and wind data.)

Wind: ?

Skies: overcast

Species Total: 45

  • Black Vulture – 3
  • Turkey Vulture – approximately 12
  • Canada Goose – 8
  • Red-tailed Hawk – 2
  • Chimney Swift – approximately 30
  • Red-bellied Woodpecker – approximately 10
  • Downy Woodpecker – 3
  • Hairy Woodpecker – 2
  • Northern Flicker – 3
  • Eastern Phoebe – 2
  • Eastern Kingbird – 1
  • White-eyed Vireo – approximately 10
  • Warbling Vireo – 4
  • Blue Jay – approximately 15
  • American Crow – 3
  • Tree Swallow – approximately 50
  • Northern Rough-winged Swallow – approximately 20
  • Barn Swallow – approximately 30
  • Carolina Chickadee – approximately 10
  • Tufted Titmouse – approximately 10
  • White-breasted Nuthatch – 2
  • Carolina Wren – 5
  • House Wren – 2
  • Blue-gray Gnatcatcher – approximately 15
  • Eastern Bluebird – approximately 10
  • Wood Thrush – 1
  • American Robin – approximately 25
  • Gray Catbird – approximately 10
  • Northern Mockingbird – 1
  • Brown Thrasher – 1
  • European Starling – approximately 30
  • Yellow Warbler – approximately 15
  • Yellow-rumped Warbler – 1
  • Common Yellowthroat – approximately 10
  • Eastern Towhee – approximately 10
  • Chipping Sparrow – 1
  • Field Sparrow – approximately 10
  • Song Sparrow – approximately 20
  • Northern Cardinal – approximately 10
  • Bobolink – 6, these were flying over and calling from the field in the northwest corner of the preserve where I have never seen them before. I saw none in the traditional nesting area.
  • Red-winged Blackbird – approximately 50
  • Brown-headed Cowbird – approximately 12
  • Orchard Oriole – 3
  • Baltimore Oriole – 2
  • American Goldfinch – approximately 12

​