Suan, Thanks for the notes. Historically, the Hawthorn Orchard is fairly quiet the first week or so of May. That being said, birds like White-eyed Vireo (4/30) and Golden-winged Warbler (5/7-5/10) are possibilities here among the earlier migrants before most leaf-out happens. Assuming we don’t have any hard freezes, this could make for a good spring at the Hawthorn Orchard (as the trees go into flower).
The hard freezes knock back the Tortricidae (leaf-roller) moth larvae (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tortricidae), and those are the primary food resource for neotropical migrants at this very special place (and other similar-type large hawthorn groves, elsewhere in the region). Warblers will probe the tiny leaf clusters for newly-hatched leaf-roller larvae – yummy protein-packed morsels. If we don’t have any more hard freezes, we could see a good crop of larvae for the passing migrants. Ahead of the hatching leaf-rollers among the hawthorn trees, keep an eye on the tall oak trees where warblers will congregate to feed on some other insect larvae in the new-growth oak leaf clusters (unfortunately, much higher up than the hawthorns). Also, side note, many of the warblers/vireos arrive each morning from roosts or as overnight arrivals from the Six Mile Creek valley, moving in flocks upstream (east) along the stream corridor behind Belle Sherman School and then into the Hawthorn Orchard by mid-morning. Good birding! Sincerely, Chris T-H On May 2, 2022, at 10:04 AM, Suan Yong <[email protected]<mailto:[email protected]>> wrote: Hawthorn orchards was quiet this morning, no big arrival due to overnight storm I guess. Only warblers were one yellow warbler and two common yellowthroats. Blue-headed vireo, eastern towhee, and wood thrush were the only other highlights. A few ruby-crowned kinglets and white-throated sparrows linger. Suan _____________________ Composed by thumb and autocorrect. -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: Welcome and Basics<http://www.northeastbirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME> Rules and Information<http://www.northeastbirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES> Subscribe, Configuration and Leave<http://www.northeastbirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm> Archives: The Mail Archive<http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/maillist.html> Surfbirds<http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds> BirdingOnThe.Net<http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html> Please submit your observations to eBird<http://ebird.org/content/ebird/>! -- -- Christopher T. Tessaglia-Hymes — Field Applications Engineer K. Lisa Yang Center for Conservation Bioacoustics, Cornell Lab of Ornithology Cornell University, 159 Sapsucker Woods Road, Ithaca, New York 14850, USA Work: +1 607-254-2418 Mobile: +1 607-351-5740 FAX: +1 607-254-1132 https://bioacoustics.cornell.edu -- 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/[email protected]/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/ --
