Friday and Saturday brought lots of new arrivals to my yard -- Swainson's Thrush, Brown Thrashers, House Wren, a Baltimore Oriole, Yellow-rumped and Orange-crowned Warblers, a good grouping of sparrows -- Chipping, Clay-colored, White-crowned and White-throated, Lincolns. And overhead, Chimney Swifts, a couple Purple Martins and Barn Swallows. So I thought it was worth a short drive. A few miles north of Hastings at a flooded field and adjacent prairie plot, I had first of year Eastern (1) and Western (2) Kingbirds, plus a Loggerhead Shrike. In a loose flock of mixed blackbirds (redwings, grackles, cowbirds and yellow-headed) were at least 120 Brewer's Blackbirds. Several flocks of Am White Pelicans flew over, a couple hundred Franklin's Gulls, plus at least a dozen Swainson's Hawks in ones and twos. At the newish ponds just south of the town's energy plant was a tight group of 38 Willets with 1 Marbled Godwit. Nothing rare or out of season, but really nice to see stuff on the move!
Paul DunbarHastings (Adams Co)
Oh, and Friday night I did hear a Barn Owl call its distinctive, raspy scream, three times, right outside my house around 10 pm. I seldom see that bird in Adams Co, or, frankly, anywhere.
