Number 300

Yesterday the weather finally cooperated and three other birders from SVAS joined my for the hike up Stratton Mtn.

Highlight of day (which I did not figure out until I got back home) was Year Bird #300 - Yellow-bellied Flycatcher which called (sang?) clearly in several places and once gave us a good, although brief look.

Swainson's Thrush was singing in many locations along the trail. Also Hermit's Thrush. One in the group had a brief look at a fly-over Swainson's.

Bicknell's Thrush (which has been extensively studied on Stratton by VCE) was almost completely quiet - one brief song and a couple of calls. No sightings and no photos of BITH from yesterday. This one is from Mt. Snow when I was doing the VBBA in '07.

Many signs of breeding birds including family of recently fledged Brown Creepers - carrying of food by Ovenbird, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Blackpoll Warbler, Red-eyed Vireo -full throated singing by Ruby-crowned Kinglet and this Blackburnian Warbler - the only bird all day which gave me a half decent opportunity for a fairly decent photo. Otherwise the woods were deep and dark and/or the birds where hidden in foliage high overhead.

My columns will be posted on Saturday, but I'm off for a while. Hope to have some good birding to report when I return.