Migration is slowing down as birds move on to their breeding grounds.

What wonders have stopped in to rest, feed and freshen up here! Bay-breasted Warblers have been here on ten days, the last one on Wednesday, 5-20-20.

5-20-20 Bay-breasted Warbler

Warblers like Chestnut-sided, American Redstart and Tennessee are more common, but this is the last we'll see of them until their return trip in early fall.

5-20-20 Chestnut-sided Warbler 5-21-20 American Redstart female 5-22-20 Tennessee Warbler

A Common Yellowthroat female finally showed up yesterday, on 5-23-20, coming to the bubbler very early and again late in the day before moving on.

5-23-20 Common Yellowthroat female
 

We were playing a game Thursday evening when I spotted a bright red bird! This Scarlet Tanager was a very pleasant interruption. A robin chased it from the basin and over to the Bubbler rock. (Link to more photos and a video at the end.)

5-21-20 Scarlet Tanager

5-21-20 Scarlet Tanager 5-21-20 Scarlet Tanager

A Carolina Chickadee was having fun splashing around when a surprise dropped in next to it, the 'chickadee warbler'. Its true name is the Golden-winged Warbler. and this is the female.

5-22-20 Carolina Chickadee 5-22-20 Golden-winged Warbler female and Carolina Chickadee 5-22-20 Golden-winged Warbler female 5-22-20 Golden-winged Warbler female

Last September, a rare hybrid of the Golden-winged and Blue-winged Warblers came to the bubbler. It's called a Lawrence's Warbler and is a well-studied hybrid. Genetically, these two species are 99.97% alike! A very interesting article on this phenomenon of their hybridization can be found here:  Golden-winged and Blue-winged Warblers

In the second photo, the color difference is quite obvious.The Lawrence's looks like a Golden-winged with a soft yellow wash.

9-4-19 Blue-winged and Golden-winged Warblers 5-23-20 Golden-winged and hybrid Lawrences' Warblers

We've been seeing both male and female Ruby-throated Hummingbirds. This male tucked into the Solomon's Seal flowers for a sip of nectar.

5-20-20 Ruby-throated Hummingbird at Solomon's seal (Polygonatum biflorum)
 

Gray Catbirds will nest in the area, but this one has apparently moved on now.

5-20-20 Gray Catbird

A lovely little bird, this Philadelphia Vireo was splash-bathing in the pond the other morning.

5-23-20 Philadelphia Vireo

The latest addition to the year list is this Yellow-bellied Flycatcher for FOY #112. As of today, this ties up with last year's record.

5-23-20 FOY #112 Yellow-bellied Flycatcher

There may be a few more migrants yet to see, We'll be watching.

Here are the photos since the last post and a Bubbler cam video of the Scarlet Tanager to view. Enjoy!

Birds since 5-18-20