Bird Alert - October 24, 2007

Last Saturday (October 20), the Field Trip to Sabine Woods found two Red-breasted Nuthatches in Sabine Woods and two more at the Willows at Sea Rim State Park.  In addition, at Sabine Woods there was a female Black-throated Blue Warbler and seven other species of warbler, including Northern Parula, Black-throated Green, Hooded, Nashville, Black-and-white, Magnolia and Redstart.  Palm Warblers were seen at the mulberries west of the Willows and along Pilot Station Road. Along Highway 87 was a Crested Caracara and a Western Kingbird.

On Wednesday October 24, in a very brief morning visit to Sabine Woods, there were seven Warbler species -- Black-throated Green, Hooded, Black-and-white, Magnolia, American Redstart, Common Yellowthroat and Yellow-throated Warbler. Also seen were a Yellow-throated Vireo, a Merlin, a Barn Owl, a probable Whip-poor-will, a female Baltimore Oriole, a couple of female Rose-breasted Grosbeaks, several female plumaged Summer Tanagers, some Brown Thrashers, one Catharus thrush , numerous Eastern Wood Pewees as well as a large number of Catbirds.

Obviously, these are migrants persuaded to migrate by the passage of the recent cold front. The winds are favorable for them to continue but there could be more behind them still on their way.

From reports by Steve Mayes and John Whittle

John A. Whittle