I hadn’t visited Willow Beach park in many years and couldn’t remember anything about it but once I got there it started to look familiar. My target bird was Bell’s Vireo, hoping to add it to my year list. I drove down to the end of the picnic area where Mel White’s book said to look for them. I walked around for an hour and saw a fair amount but no target bird. I had a full schedule for Saturday so I couldn’t stay long, so I headed back with my window open. Before I got far, I heard a suspect sound and got out quick. Sure enough, there was a Bell’s Vireo in a tree. Before I could try for a picture though, he and another unseen took off together.
*=First of year
Species seen or heard:
- Bell’s Vireo *
- Mourning Dove
- Purple Martin
- Orchard Oriole
- Dickcissel
- Brown-headed Cowbird
- Red-winged Blackbird
- Northern Mockingbird
- Blue Jay
- Indigo Bunting
- White-eyed Vireo
- Fish Crow
- Yellow-breasted Chat
- Northern Cardinal
- eastern Towhee
- Carolina Wren
- Northern Bobwhite
- Green Heron
- Carolina Chickadee
- Barn Swallow
- Common Grackle
- Yellow-billed Cuckoo
- Northern Rough-winged Swallow
- Northern Parula
- Brown Thrasher
- Scissor-tailed Flycatcher
- Eastern Kingbird
- Eastern Wood-Pewee
- Eastern Phoebe