Among the many warblers at East River Valley Park in Ames Wednesday evening, I found Connecticut (singing male seen briefly), Mourning (2 females, 3 singing males), Kentucky (singing male), Hooded (female), Blue-winged (singing male), Cape May (female), and Canada (2 females, 1 singing male). I also observed Yellow-bellied Flycatcher (3 softly-singing males seen) and Philadelphia Vireo (at least a dozen). Leading the numbers in the mixed-migrant flocks were Least Flycatcher (many vocalizing), Red-eyed Vireo (nearly all non-singing), Tennessee Warbler (females primarily), and American Redstart (again, mostly females). I typically associate the arrival of cold fronts with warbler fallouts in autumn rather than spring. But on this occasion it was interesting to find so many Neotropical migrants - including rarer ones - on an unusually cool, misty day in the last third of May.
The parking lot for East River Valley Park is located just south of the junction of Carr Drive and Meadowlane Avenue in northeast Ames. A convenient footbridge crosses over the river right next to that lot. (Google Maps, Mapquest, and Yahoo Maps currently don't label/delineate the full extent of River Valley Park.) Although any part of the park can be productive, much of the best birding is usually found in the central and northern portions, especially off the east side of the river, as accessed by the aforementioned bridge. Warblers noted on this visit: Blue-winged Warbler - 1 singing male Black-and-white Warbler - 2 females Tennessee Warbler - 55, with just a dozen singers in the mix Nashville Warbler - 8, with only 1 singing male included Connecticut Warbler - 1 singer seen briefly; a park first for me Mourning Warbler - 2 singing males and 3 females Kentucky Warbler - 1 male; also the first I've found here Common Yellowthroat - 12; incl. some females feeding in migrant flocks Hooded Warbler - 1 female; my second sighting for this park American Redstart - 28 (22 females, 6 males) Cape May Warbler - 1 female Magnolia Warbler - 9; surprisingly, all but two were singing males Blackburnian Warbler - 2 females Yellow Warbler - 11, including migrants moving through woods in mixed flocks Chestnut-sided Warbler - 7 (3 males, 4 females) Blackpoll Warbler - 2 females Black-throated Green Warbler - 1 female Canada Warbler - 1 singing male and 2 females Wilson's Warbler - 1 male and 3 females Some additional migrants and/or arrivals: Eastern Wood-Pewee - 13; several foraging in mixed-migrant flocks Yellow-bellied Flycatcher - 3 singing males seen along lush woodland trails Least Flycatcher - 45; very vocal/conspicuous in all habitats throughout the park Bell's Vireo - 1 singing in shrubs near the powerline corridor Yellow-throated Vireo - 2 singing Blue-headed Vireo - 1 seen Warbling Vireo - 5 on territory Philadelphia Vireo - 12; most I've found at one place since the Ventura IOU conference Red-eyed Vireo - 40; many silent individuals foraging with warblers Lark Sparrow - 2 singing on territory along the eastern boundary Good Birding, Shane Patterson Ames, Story County Mobile/text: 515.231.0854 SHANE PATTERSON Iowa Breeding Bird Atlas Coordinator Iowa Department of Natural Resources P 515.432.2823 | F 515.432.2835 | Email: [email protected] 1436 255th St | Boone, IA, 50036 WWW.IOWADNR.GOV Leading Iowans in Caring for Our Natural Resources. --- Please contribute your sightings to our list; it is only as good as members make it! --- Birding channel recommendation for FRS/GMRS radio use: Primary selection; channel 5/0 , alternate selection; channel 6/0 --- This mailing list is sponsored by the Iowa Ornithologists' Union. Membership available on-line at http://www.iowabirds.org/iou/PayDues.aspx. ----- You are currently subscribed to ia-bird as: [email protected]
