Charlotte Creek

Today I returned to my favorite birding place, Charlotte Creek,  to see if I could find some new birds I haven’t already seen this year. Once in a while something will surprise me there, but there was nothing that I didn’t already have on this year’s list. I do love to walk around there this time of year when the dreaded multiflora roses are in bloom. Enjoying their lovely fragrance is nice. Trying to walk around in the areas where they have become overgrown is quite another thing- ouch!ooch! eeech!.

The little ruby throated hummingbird sat, as he usually does, at the top of the dead tree surveying his domain as I got out of the car. I could hear a lot of birds, but they were staying hidden. The first time I went around the loop I saw very little. Usually I’ll walk around twice if the first time doesn’t produce anything. The second time around was the charm. A chestnut sided warbler flew onto a bare branch just above my head and sang “Pleased, pleased, pleased to meet you over and over. I saw only one catbird although I could hear other catbirds singing from inside the rose bushes. Off in the distance I heard the song of a veery spiraling downward and a male redstart sat on the top of a bush singing. 

There was a puddle in the path that the birds were using as a communal bath. I think if I had set up a chair there I might have eventually seen every bird in the area show up for a bath. The first time around the loop I spotted a small bird splashing about in the water. It was brown on top and had a yellow chest and a white eye ring. At first I thought Nashville warbler, but the size makes me think it was a common yellow throat. He flew off into a bush and I could see a yellow warbler there in the bush as well, perhaps waiting his turn for a bath. On my second time around a song sparrow was busy dousing himself in the puddle. He flew off and a blue winged warbler flew in and splashed about. 

Butterflies were everywhere, black and white ones, little blue ones, orange ones, and the only one I know the name for- the yellow tiger swallow tail. Those big light blue and black dragonflies followed me about and locust would suddenly fly off as I approached them along the path. The area is nicely overgrown and wild, almost as if no one had been there for a while. I was afraid many of the birds might disappear when several ATVs showed up last year and went tearing around the loop, but I don’t see any sign that they’d been there this year.

Near the car I spotted two cedar waxwings. I’m surprised I’ve only seen one waxwing up until now this year. Back at the car a flicker flew across the field and lighted on a branch in a dead tree. I was hoping to see some newly fledged birds when I was there, but nothing so far. Guess I’ll just have to come back.