Immatures and Migrants! 9-1-23

September 01, 2023  •  Leave a Comment

A cool front and the Super Blue Moon on 8-30-23 helped to fuel migration! 

So, what's up?

Let's begin with this young Barred Owl, on its own one morning, investigating the Bubbler.

 

Young Barred Owl 8-11-23

Barred Owls are often seen at dawn and dusk. The owlets are curious, alert and very active as they learn about their world! This is true of all the young birds. They need to learn whether on their own or with their brood mates.

 

8-28-23 Three immature Eastern Bluebirds8-28-23 Three immature Eastern Bluebirds

These Eastern Bluebirds came together, "Follow the leader!"

 

8-30-23 Carolina Chickadee8-30-23 Carolina Chickadee 8-30-23 Carolina Chickadee8-30-23 Carolina Chickadee

Carolina Chickadees are just as adventurous!

 

8-28-23 Tufted Titmouse and Carolina Chickadee8-28-23 Tufted Titmouse and Carolina Chickadee
And, you may recall, it is these two species, the Carolina Chickadee and Tufted Titmouse, that the migrants are looking for because they eat the same foods. They are indicator species of good habitat!

 

8-23-23 Migration!8-23-23 Migration! 8-23-23 FOS Magnolia Warbler8-23-23 FOS Magnolia Warbler 8-23-23 FOS Magnolia Warbler8-23-23 FOS Magnolia Warbler

The first warbler of the fall showed up on 8-23-23, a Magnolia Warbler.

 

8-24-23 Blue-gray Gnatcatcher8-24-23 Blue-gray Gnatcatcher

The next morning, a Blue-gray Gnatcatcher was quickly moving about, looking for caterpillars on several trees. A telltale bit of sticky leaf hangs on its tail.

  8-25-23 FOS Blackburnian Warbler female Bubbler #888-25-23 FOS Blackburnian Warbler female Bubbler #88

A first of season ( FOS) female Blackburnian Warbler dropped in on 8-24-23, followed by a Chestnut-sided Warbler. 

 

8-25-23 FOS Chestnut-sided Warbler and Carolina Chickadee8-25-23 FOS Chestnut-sided Warbler and Carolina Chickadee

The Carolina Chickadee wasn't exactly thrilled that the Chestnut-sided was barging in on its Bubbler!

 

8-25-23 FOS Chestnut-sided Warbler #28-25-23 FOS Chestnut-sided Warbler #2

There was a second bird at the Bubble on the large rock.

 

8-25-23 FOS Early Record Bay-breasted Warbler8-25-23 FOS Early Record Bay-breasted Warbler

On 8-25-23, our FOS Bay-breasted Warbler came in. It seemed early for this one, and indeed, it was a day earlier than the earliest state record. So, I documented this bird with the Missouri Birding Society's Bird Records Committee, and wait on their final decision. 

  8-25-23 FOS Early Record Bay-breasted Warbler8-25-23 FOS Early Record Bay-breasted Warbler 8-25-23 FOS Early Record Bay-breasted Warbler8-25-23 FOS Early Record Bay-breasted Warbler

I couldn't be absolutely sure of the age/sex of this bird, it is likely to be an adult female or first fall female. Males have more of a buffy tinge on the flanks.

 

8-25-23 FOS Black-and-white Warbler8-25-23 FOS Black-and-white Warbler

8-30-23 Black-and-white Warbler 1st Fall male8-30-23 Black-and-white Warbler 1st Fall male

Black-and-white Warblers have been seen on two days so far. These may both be first fall males, the females tend to have buffy flanks.


8-27-23 Red-eyed Vireo immature8-27-23 Red-eyed Vireo immature

Red-eyed Vireos have been very active, splash-bathing at the bubbler in between grabbing the white berries of Rough-leaf Dogwood and catching  insects. If you look closely, this bird has a brown eye, so it's an immature bird.

 

8-28-23 FOS Ovenbird8-28-23 FOS Ovenbird

A lone Ovenbird was seen bathing at 7:15 am on 8-28-23. It is also a warbler species.

 

8-29-23 Yellow-bellied Flycatcher first fall bird- NOTE Yellow eye ring8-29-23 Yellow-bellied Flycatcher first fall bird- NOTE Yellow eye ring

It was fun to see a first fall Yellow-bellied Flycatcher at the bubbler. The yellow eye-ring is a diagnostic detail on this Empidonax species. I missed getting a good photo of its front, but here is a comparison photo.

 

8-31-23 BirdCast8-31-23 BirdCast 8-31-23 BirdCast8-31-23 BirdCast

WOW! This is the report on 8-31-23, the morning after the Super Blue Moon.

 

8-24-23 Ruby-throated Hummingbird8-24-23 Ruby-throated Hummingbird 8-24-23 E. Phoebe with caterpillar8-24-23 E. Phoebe with caterpillar

Ruby-throated Hummingbirds and Eastern Phoebes are still very busy feeding here. See the caterpillar in the Phoebe's bill? They have some time yet before they move on.

 

8-31-23 Red-eyed Vireo immature8-31-23 Red-eyed Vireo immature 8-31-23 Bay-breasted Warbler8-31-23 Bay-breasted Warbler 8-31-23 Bay-breasted Warbler8-31-23 Bay-breasted Warbler

Yesterday morning, I was hopeful that many more migrants would show up. Red-eyed Vireos were here, like the pictured immature bird, along with one Philadelphia Vireo. The only warbler that I caught sight of was this Bay-breasted Warbler at the sump puddle. This one has buffy coloration on the flanks, typical of males.

It was about noon when I heard the signature chatter of a squirrel, warning of a Cooper's Hawk. Good time for a break, I figured, and I had no sooner gotten inside with the camera that I saw the very bird drop in at the Bubbler! It was an immature bird, with its own lessons to learn.

 

8-31-23 Cooper's Hawk immature8-31-23 Cooper's Hawk immature

 

Everybody's gotta eat!

Have a safe, enjoyable Labor Day weekend.

 

 


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