A couple of obviously new migrants are singing in my yard. One is a Blackpoll Warbler (I always feel a slight resistance to putting "Warbler" after the name "Blackpoll". It feels as if one were to write "Redpoll Finch")
The other is a MOURNING WARBLER. Although its rich rolling song left no room for doubt about the singers's identity, I do love to see this bird, so I worked hard to obtain a view. It was skulking in a deep thicket, and clearly avoiding me. On hands and knees I entered a tunnel under the arching canes, and sat waiting, heedless of ticks, until the bird moved through a leafless multiflora rose tangle in the last throes of rose rosette disease, and I could see its dark eye watching me warily. Marvelous! Lots of dead and dying multiflora rose here. My glee is tempered by the expectation that other invasive shrubs will quickly fill the void, and that native roses will suffer too. Interestingly I've found one still-healthy multiflora rose bush that is completely thornless (!), and I feel more friendly toward it for that reason. I find myself hoping that it will not succumb to the disease too soon... -Geo -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/cayugabirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds 3) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
