Despite the dreary skies this morning, I ventured out and headed to
Harrison Lake. The bird activity was awesome. There were birds
bouncing around everywhere. It was spitting rain and I was sitting near
the big oak tree at the front entrance to the ponds. There were a pair
of yellow warblers, several red-eyed vireos, bluebirds, and lots of
little birds bouncing around. The caretaker came through in the golf
cart and spooked them, so I rode down to the lake and back...nothing
going on there. I rode back toward the ponds and saw some birds
bouncing around in the last trees on the left before you got to the
garage. I parked and sat there for about 30 minutes. The birds were
very active. Lots of them flying back and forth between the two trees
and fence. There were vireos, swallows, gnatcatchers, summer tanagers,
bluebirds, finches, and lots of others I could not ID. It was dark with
all the clouds and made for bad pictures. I did get a few and am not
sure what the vireo is...it was much smaller than the red-eyed vireo I
saw earlier in the big oak tree. These were everywhere though. And
they had no fear. I actually had to move the truck at one point to back
away because I couldn't get them in focus.
A birdy friends thinks they may be Philadelphia Vireos...let me know
what you think.
http://www.fototime.com/users/bhouston@xxxxxxxxxxx/2012%20August
FYI, they are having some kind of event there this afternoon and
expecting lots of people. Lucky for me since my battery died and had to
get a park employee to jump start my truck.
Barbara Houston
New Kent, VA
