Acadian Flycatcher
The Acadian Flycatcher sang its sharp, dry WHEET-sit from down in the woods along a creek. In the same area, a Black-and-white Warbler continues to sing weesa-weesa-weesa, a Northern Parula gave its buzzy, rising and falling song, a Blue-gray Gnatcatcher rasped spee-spee, a Pileated Woodpecker trumpeted and clucked, and a Red-shouldered Hawk cried loud kee-yer and circled overhead.
Ruby-crowned Kinglets fussed and sang, and one White-throated Sparrow’s sweet, high, whistled song drifted up from somewhere in the distance. American Goldfinches and Yellow-rumped Warblers filled many of the trees with a shimmer of music.
Although it seems to me there are noticeably fewer species and numbers of neotropical migrants – warblers, vireos, thrushes and others – passing through our neighborhood this season than in previous years, there’s still much be appreciated. I’m often tempted to be pessimistic, but I’m not sure my observations fully reflect what’s happening, and also, there’s still much more to be discovered, on even the most ordinary day, than I usually even begin to find.