Mid-October and a hard freeze with 29.6 degrees on Tuesday, 10-18-22!

And, it was 28.9 degrees this morning - brrr!

Let's look at the latest migrants, which we won't be seeing again until next April.

10-9-22 Chestnut-sided Warbler

Chestnut-sided Warbler 

10-9-22 Black-throated Green Warbler

Black-throated Green Warbler 

  10-9-22 Blackburnian Warbler

Blackburnian Warbler

10-14-22 Nashville Warbler

Nashville Warbler

  10-14-22 Orange-crowned Warbler 10-14-22 Orange-crowned Warbler 10-14-22 Orange-crowned Warbler

Orange-crowned Warbler, yes the crown is barely visible on this little dull bird, but there.

10-9-22 Tennessee Warbler
10-14-22 Tennessee Warbler with insect on Elm (Ulmus americana)

Tennessee Warblers have been seen on many days finding tiny insects in the bark of this young American Elm (Ulmus americana).

10-17-22 Orange-crowned Warbler 10-17-22 Orange-crowned Warbler

Another Orange-crowned Warbler had luck finding tiny larvae on the flower heads of Smooth Hydrangea (Hydrangea arborescens). 

10-17--22 Yellow-rumped Warbler 10-18-22 Yellow-rumped Warbler

Yellow-rumped Warblers will now be around a good part of the winter.

We may yet see a stray late bird of another species but time is running out for them to make it to their winter homes. 

How about a focus on two confusing species? Tennessee and Orange-crowned Warblers can be vexing. Take a look.

There are some differences, not often easy to see before they flit away!

The Orange-crowned has a dingy breast with subtle streaking, yellow undertail coverts, and is barely pale below. It is often quite gray.

The Tennessee Warbler has a trace of a wing bar, white under tail coverts and a more conspicuous eyebrow stripe.

Underparts are paler with almost no streaking and an overall greener look. Here they are, together.

Maybe next fall it will be easier!!

10-12-22 Blue-headed Vireo

Blue-headed Vireo, always a welcome sight!

10-14-22 Dark-eyed Junco 10-15-22 Dark-eyed Junco

Dark-eyed Juncos have arrived!

10-14-22 Common Grackle 10-14-22 Common Grackle 10-14-22 43 Common Grackles

Common Grackles came as twenty, then a hundred. Counted forty-three birds in this screen shot at the bubbler.

10-18-22 Red-breasted Nuthatch female 10-18-22 Red-breasted Nuthatch

After not seeing one for five days, two Red-breasted Nuthatches came in on Tuesday, 10-18-22 and went directly to the peanut feeder. Perhaps this is the pair from last winter, returning to Shady Oaks as their winter digs!

10-18-22 Blue Jay after peanut crumbs 10-10-22 Northern Cardinal
 

Blue Jay and Northern Cardinal, let's not forget the home crowd! They will keep us company now.

Friday, we will celebrate 22 years since the Bubbler first began attracting birds.

Now with 125 species and 2 hybrids documented at this water feature, 

we are adding another 'tool' to become better 'citizen scientists'. More on that exciting development next time!

Virginia Creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia) provides fatty blue berries for flycatchers, 

thrushes, warblers and vireos on their way south, and for overwintering birds, too.

Enjoy the wonder of fall!