Warm and Cold

 8:30 to 10:00am, 58 degrees, Clear, Wind 10mph N, Bar 30.24 rise

As I walked across the parking, a dozen robins, maybe more, scattered. They were on the ground. Up into the trees and bushes. A few other birds as well. I was thinking it is gong to be non stop birds in the sit spot. However, it was relatively quiet. It was sunny on the grass. The sun had yet to come down into the Fall Brook Valley. A few Black-capped Chickadees and a sparrow or two. I assumed the sparrows were white throated and did not look to closely. Then I looked at Merlin. It showed white-throated and white-crowned! The white-crowned move through in migration. I can not say for sure. 

About twenty minutes in the Blue Jays set off an alarm. Then the squirrels and chipmunks added to it. A good ten minutes for my four legged friends. I saw nothing alarming. Another mystery. 

I saw my first Northern Mockingbirds. It is nice to see birds for the first time in The Little Forrest. I did not doubt that they would come through. I followed them across the canopy for a bit. At one point I thought, I have a direct line of sight, I should take a picture. After lowering the binoculars and raising the camera, I could not find it. It could have been in the same spot. I do not know. I could follow it because of the motion. However, the canopy in places is just a wall of leaves. It is hard to know where I was looking. How many times has a bird been in my direct sight and not seen? How many times was a bird watching me and I did not notice? I bet every time I am in the Little Forrest. The Blue Jays are always watching. 

As the sunlight started to come down to the valley floor, bird activity picked up. I saw a male common Yellow-throat come into the Bog. It would not come up and pose. A flock of white throated sparrows came through. I think they were all white-throats. I do not know if there are mixed flocks. thirty or forty scooting through the underbrush. Mostly on the other side of the brook. I saw a yellow warbler up in the willow. Looked at Merlin and Tennessee Warbler was there so new to the Little Forrest.

Merlin Identified 28 species. Three red dots. Eastern Wood-Pewee, EasternTowhee and Tennessee Warbler. I saw twelve, plus  a few Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers. Mallard was probably an alarmed squirrel.