[Birdtalk] 25 species of Warbler... But not in Utah

[tanager at timaverybirding.com]

I know my post title started out a little misleading... But I had to have a little fun. Anyways, I had to be in Chicago for work this week, so I made the best of it and forced myself into the field... Um I mean parks... 

I had planned on birding Montrose Park and beach but was swamped with work so I settled for Licoln Park which was only 2 blocks from my hotel.  I managed to get one evening of warbler filled trees in and a morning that was a little less birdy.  I also fit in a couple lunch hour walks near the office and this morning out in an hour around my college campus in Beloit, Wisconsin. 

What a contrast to spring in Utah, to say the least.  I had a few surprise misses and one surprise find. 

Here is a list of the warblers: 

Golden-winged Warbler
Tennessee Warbler   
Orange-crowned Warbler 
Nashville Warbler 
Northern Parula
Yellow Warbler 
Chestnut-sided Warbler 
Magnolia Warbler                             Cape May Warbler   
Black-throated Blue Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler                        Black-throated Green Warbler                Blackburnian Warbler                         Pine Warbler 
Palm Warbler 
Blackpoll Warbler                            Cerulean Warbler
American Redstart
Ovenbird                                    Northern Waterthrush
Louisiana Waterthrush                     Common Yellowthroat 
Wilson's Warbler                             Canada Warbler  

It was a flurry of color and warbling! Along with all the tiny gems flitting about in the trees and shrubs there were a number of other colorful birds,  as well as some usual suspects in the area that we don't get too often put west. 

Scarlet Tanager 
Rose-breasted Grosbeak 
Yellow-throated Vireo 
Blue-headed Vireo 
Red-eyed Vireo 
Least Flycatcher 
Yellow-bellied Flycatcher
Eastern Wood-Pewee
Eastern Phoebe
Indigo Bunting 
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Sedge Wren 

And a lot more!

And if your a math whiz, you probably noticed my list only had 24 species listed... I decided to save the best for last. I was fortunate to stumble on to a KIRTLAND'S WARBLER at Lincoln Park on Wednesday night.  I was so shocked when I saw it I didn't know what to do. I called Colby who reminded me I could send email from my phone! Duh Tim!

In any event it took me 30 minutes following the bird to get some terrible digi-binoc'd pix that although terrible showed enough field marks to confirm that the bird was indeed a KIWA. 
Ironically this was the last wood warbler that I needed from the upper Midwest and had planned on a trip to Michigan this summer to look for it. 

http://www.timaverybirding.com/photos/thumbnails.php?album=518

This is apparntly the 2nd Chicago lakefront record for this species and according to several people may be a Wisconsin breeder due to its location during migration. 

What a fantastic week to say the least!  Definitely made up for missing the loon!

Good Birding 

Tim 

Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry