On return trip from Mayo, stopped at 180th street marsh. One the way in from Route 52, observed horned larks and one or two yellow-rumpeds. Saw shovelers, blue-winged teal, American coots, hooded mergansers, ring-necked ducks, Canada geese; saw a pied-billed grebe and heard one calling; tree and barn swallows all over the place; usual redwings and grackles; yellowheaded blackbirds moving around and rrr-rrr-rrr-ing. An adult bald eagle swooped in and missed a fish, but hung out atop the far east-side oak for a bit. Upon our return back toward 52, I spotted a shrike on the utility wire. Got good view through binocs and I THINK it was a loggerhead because of the bold black eye streak, uninterrupted by any significant white; plus, there was a white oval on wings that seemed to be surrounded by black on the wing. I haven't seen a shrike in a very long time. Loggerhead?
The big treat (for me) were the palm warblers in four places: a small tree on top of the hill looking down on the marsh complex, then along the road to the marsh and (briefly) in the corn stubble, in a roadside willow beside the north marsh, and finally amongst the cattail stalks. There were at least 3 in that first tree; after that, couldn't tell if same ones were going the same direction as the car or if there were a bunch spread out. Great views of rufous crown, eye stripe, and yellow throat with rufous striping down sides, yellow undertail. Sweet! Q: Is it customary for palm warblers blow through such varied veg when migrating? Also we saw a pheasant, hanging from the mouth of a retriever who was walking with his keeper along the road. That counts, doesn't it? ;-)
