“Waves” of warblers and other Neotropical songbirds continue to roll along the ridgetops of southern Pennsylvania. The majority of these migrants are headed to wintering habitat in the tropics after departing breeding grounds in the forests of southern Canada. At Second Mountain Hawk Watch, today’s early morning flight kicked off at sunrise, then slowed considerably by 8:30 A.M. E.D.T. Once again, in excess of 400 warblers were found moving through the trees and working their way southwest along the spine of the ridge. Each of the 12 species seen yesterday were observed today as well. In addition, there was a Northern Parula and a Canada Warbler. Today’s flight was dominated by Bay-breasted, Blackburnian, Black-throated Green, and Tennessee Warblers.
A Blackburnian Warbler at sunrise on Second Mountain.A hungry Blackburnian Warbler feeding on insects.Black-throated Green Warblers were a plentiful species among both yesterday’s and today’s waves of Neotropical migrants.A juvenile Black-throated Green Warbler.One of the scores of Tennessee Warblers seen on Second Mountain early this morning.Cape May Warblers were still common today, but not moving through in the numbers seen yesterday.A male Black-throated Blue Warbler.Compared to yesterday’s flight, lesser numbers of Magnolia Warblers were seen today.An adult male Wilson’s Warbler was a good find among the hundreds of birds swarming the ridgetop.This Nashville Warbler spent much of the day in the tangles of Mile-a-minute Weed surrounding the lookout.
Other interesting Neotropical migrants joined the “waves” of warblers…
Red-eyed Vireo numbers were higher than yesterday.This Warbling Vireo was found peering from the cover of the shady forest.A minimum of six Rose-breasted Grosbeaks were identified including the juvenile male seen here in first-fall plumage. Other good sightings were Scarlet Tanagers, an adult male Baltimore Oriole, and a dozen or more Ruby-throated Hummingbirds.Three Least Flycatchers were heard calling and seen chasing one another through a stand of dead timber on the south slope below the lookout.After the warbler flight settled, the task of counting migrating raptors commenced. Five Broad-winged Hawks including this one were tallied as they glided away to the southwest for a winter vacation in the tropics of Central and South America.
