Pine Warbler? - 22 Mar 2020
Overnight temps dropped to 20F. Clear skies and calm winds this morning prompted me to walk into the field behind Brownton Abbey to check on the Western Chorus Frogs and Spring Peepers that were (unsurprisingly) silent. A skin of ice coated the puddles that dotted the ground in Quinlan Prairie so I took the opportunity to take a few photos of the ice crystals that formed in the shadows of the morning Sun.
I took a short walk through the woods and enjoyed the calls of shivering American Robins, Red-winged Blackbirds, Song Sparrows, Northern Cardinals, and Dark-eyed Juncos.
If you pay attention to the junco's call it has a "bell-like" quality to the trill. Other species of birds that have similar-sounding trills include Swamp Sparrow ("wet" trill), Chipping Sparrow ("dry" trill), and Pine Warbler ("thin, dry" trill). This time of year Pine Warbler is possible as they are amongst the earliest migrants in the area (several were reported today in Northern Ohio). I believe I heard one singing in response to the Dark-eyed Juncos as its call was much drier and thinner than the bell-like trill I was hearing in the near vicinity. Unfortunately, I could not locate it to verify. So, it will go down as "possible".
As I walked back to the house a Turkey Vulture passed overhead.
Brownton Abbey, 26340 Higgins Way, Wayne, Michigan, US
Mar 22, 2020 9:00 AM - 9:40 AM
Protocol: Traveling
0.3 mile(s)
Checklist Comments: 20F; Clear, calm; frost
7 species
Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura) 1
American Robin (Turdus migratorius) 2
Dark-eyed Junco (Junco hyemalis) 6
Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia) 2
Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus) 2
Pine Warbler (Setophaga pinus) 1 Heard. Dry trill as opposed to nearby wet trill of dark-eyed juncos. Unable to locate, however.
Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) 3
View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S1
This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (https://ebird.org/home)
Mar 22, 2020 9:00 AM - 9:40 AM
Protocol: Traveling
0.3 mile(s)
Checklist Comments: 20F; Clear, calm; frost
7 species
Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura) 1
American Robin (Turdus migratorius) 2
Dark-eyed Junco (Junco hyemalis) 6
Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia) 2
Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus) 2
Pine Warbler (Setophaga pinus) 1 Heard. Dry trill as opposed to nearby wet trill of dark-eyed juncos. Unable to locate, however.
Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) 3
View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S1
This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (https://ebird.org/home)
