4 at 2

Last Saturday Jerene and I went to one of our favorite nearby birding spots looking for migrating wood warblers. I'd been to Carpenter's Woods earlier in the week and seen Black and White, Blue-winged and one or two others. It was about 8:30 a.m. and sunny and seemed like a perfect day and time to find warblers. We found none.

So today I had to do some grocery shopping near Carpenter's Woods at 2 in the afternoon. A foolish time to go looking for warblers right? But the woods is so close to the coop grocery that it seemed silly not to stop by briefly. Sure enough I'd hardly gotten there before I saw a handsome female or immature Black and White, soon followed by a male Canada. Within the next hour I also found a female Common Yellowthroat and a female or immature American Redstart. Twelve other species, including a Hairy Woodpecker also made an appearance.

This shows that anytime really is a good time for birding. This summer I did some very early morning birding at the Wissahickon Creek and was happily astonished by the number of birds, especially singing birds. But you can also find birds at mid-day. Perhaps not as many, at least not all the time. Today from 2 p.m. until 3 p.m. I found four warblers versus none fron 8:30 a.m. until 11 a.m. a few days ago.

I've vowed to do some good field sketches of wood warblers this year and their season is drawing to an end with no success on my part. So that was one more reason to stop by today. But the two quick sketches I did of the Black and White and the Canada are just too bad to show. So I need to keep at it over the next month.

In the meantime I'm showing a recent quick watercolor of a Canada based on some photos I took a couple of years ago. I'm happy with it. But I'd sure prefer to show some good field sketches!!