Went looking for the Prothonotary Warbler at Rice Creek Trail Park . Easy to find the location - great directions. Didn't have any luck but did discover the park and regional trail system. What a delightfully beautiful and abundant place. Birds were everywhere including Cedar Waxwings and and host of callers and singers. The humidity was climbing and I could imagine a resident Prothonotary (if we are lucky) would likely be hanging in the coolest spot to feed and not in the tree fringes I was searching for over an hour. Me thinks the 11:00 to 12:00 noon birding window is probably a bit to late with the types of weather we are having.
I did have a very interesting experience however in the world of bird behavior. I heard a loud and frenzied series of loud alarm chirps accompanied by beating wing sounds. I easily found the owner - a female Hairy Woodpecker having a tizzy-fit, flying from tree trunk to tree trunk around the trail. I thought it could be me and there might be a baby pecker on the ground but that wasn't the interesting part. As I watched the Hairy dart about I noticed not one, not two, but three female Downy Woodpeckers silently but tensely following the Hairy around. It is easy to anthropomorphize here but as they darted about, providing excellent side by side comparisons, I was taken by the connection the two species had or maybe just relating as mothers and a common potential threat. Regardless, even after I left for fear of being the cause of the tension, the distant frenzy could be heard for a good 45 minutes after I passed the area and again after I passed on my way out. Fascinating and rewarding morning - thank you Erik for the word. Thomas Maiello Spring Lake Park
