It was a nice morning on the Hike/Bike Trail, warm and still. Didn't see
either of these birds. The Kentucky was singing from the thicket in the
S-curve before the first meadow. The gray-cheeked was singing off the left
of the trail before the Woodcock Meadow. Otherwise, decent numbers of BTBs
and redstarts, a RB grosbeak, a late swamp sparrow (my second latest there),
gobbling turkeys, and the usual suspects (including chat). Oddly, not a
single yellow-rump (not surprising, given the date) or blackpoll (rather
surprising-we dipped on the Birdathon on Tuesday as well-maybe blackpolls
don't like Huntley . .. .)
Ben Jesup
Alexandria
