Irruptive Tendencies

On Sunday, I went to the park as usual not knowing what to expect. As I was walking to get breakfast at the boathouse, I spotted three starlings chasing an accipter. Fortunately, its tail was not spread so it was easy to see that it was a Sharp-Shinned Hawk. That was an unexpected start to the day!

After I ate, I went into the Ramble and went to the bird feeders. I went there because I was hoping that Tufted Titmice returned there. They were absent last winter and no one knows why. Then one appeared at the seed feeder. And then another. I then went to Tupelo Meadow, where the flocks of White-Throated and Song Sparrows were so large that I thought something might be hidden in there. Despite a lot of searching, I was unable to find anything in the flocks. When I spoke with birders there, they said that they found Swamp and Field Sparrows earlier, but nothing now.

We then directed our attention from the ground to the trees. There was already a Blue-Headed Vireo waiting up there, along with a Blackpoll Warbler and a Northern Parula. A few minutes later, a few Yellow-Rumped Warblers and a female Black-Throated Blue Warbler came into some low branches right above us. As I left, I spotted a Brown Thrasher foraging at the end of the meadow.

After that I didn't see that many birds at all. I checked Maintenance Meadow, Willow Rock, and Azalea Pond;  After a long while. I decided to check Maintenance Meadow again. I met up with a few birders there, who said they were hearing Purple Finches. Purple Finches are annual in the park in varying numbers. This year, there were alot About a minute later, two finches flew into a distant tree. They looked like they could be Purple Finches, but we weren't sure. After a few minutes, the birds flew out low enough to see that one of them was completely purplish-pink. Then they flew out of sight. My life Purple Finch was seen for just a few seconds. It seems like star birds don't always stay in the spotlight!

Bird List:40

Canada Goose
Mallard
Sharp-Shinned Hawk
Red-Tailed Hawk
Gull sp.
Rock Dove
Mourning Dove
Red-Bellied Woodpecker
Yellow-Bellied Sapsucker
Downy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Blue-Headed Vireo
Blue Jay
Tufted Titmouse
White-Breasted Nuthatch
Carolina Wren
Ruby-Crowned Kinglet
Swainson's Thrush
Hermit Thrush
American Robin
Gray Catbird
Brown Thrasher
European Starling
Black-and-White Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
Northern Parula
Blackpoll Warbler
Black-Throated Blue Warbler
Yellow-Rumped Warbler
Eastern Towhee (Many)
Song Sparrow
White-Throated Sparrow
Dark-Eyed Junco
Northern Cardinal
Red-Winged Blackbird
Common Grackle
House Finch
PURPLE FINCH
American Goldfinch
House Sparrow