This morning I started my annual fall migration count on our property here on
Compton Mt. I logged 34 species within a couple of hours. I can't say for
certain that any of these birds were migrants because they nest in the area,
but some probably are. I had 4 warbler species: a male BLUE-WINGED, a
YELLOW-THROATED, a WORM-EATING and a male HOODED. I watched a YELLOW-THROATED
VIREO eating Virginia Creeper berries. I knew Red-eyed Vireos ate the berries,
but didn't know other vireos did. A YELLOW-BILLED CUCKOO and a RED-SHOULDERED
HAWK called from the woods, and a male SCARLET TANAGER fought with a large
Praying Mantis in the field. The tanager finally gave up. A couple of WILD
TURKEYS clucked in the neighbor's pasture as they foraged for insects among the
stands of Yellow-winged Stem. I got a close look at a PILEATED WOODPECKER as
it silently scoured the top of a dead tree for grubs.
Below is the complete list.
Roger Mayhorn
Compton Mt
Buchanan County
34 species
Wild Turkey 2
Red-shouldered Hawk 1
Mourning Dove 5
Yellow-billed Cuckoo 1
Ruby-throated Hummingbird 10
Downy Woodpecker 2 (1m)
Pileated Woodpecker 2 (1m)
Northern Flicker 1
Eastern Phoebe 1
Red-eyed Vireo 3
Yellow-throated Vireo 1 (eating Virginia Creeper berries)
American Crow 4
Carolina Chickadee 4
Tufted Titmouse 2
White-breasted Nuthatch 2
Carolina Wren 1
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 3
Eastern Bluebird 5
American Robin 1
Brown Thrasher 3
European Starling 22
Blue-winged Warbler 1m
Yellow-throated Warbler 1
Worm-eating Warbler 1
Hooded Warbler 1m
Scarlet Tanager 1m (fighting with a large Praying Mantis)
Eastern Towhee 4 (1f)
Chipping Sparrow 7
Song Sparrow 3
Northern Cardinal 5 (2m, 3f)
Indigo Bunting 5 (1m, 4f)
Common Grackle 16
American Goldfinch 7
House Finch 2 (1m, 1f)
