White-winged Scoters
Northern Rough-winged Swallows (click to see the larger version)
Juvenile birds are everywhere at Montrose, begging for food, following their parents, etc. The young of Tree, Barn, and Northern Rough-winged Swallows, Red-winged Blackbirds, Common Grackles, and European Starlings are especially obvious. The swallows like to perch on the rope that marks off the protected areas in the Dunes. These 2 juvenile Northern Rough-winged Swallows were taking a break from the hard work of being kids.
Short-billed Dowitcher (click to see the larger version)
It seems like just yesterday we were talking about the last of the spring shorebirds. They don’t waste any time, do they. Short-billed Dowitcher at Montrose Beach, July 7, 2016
Orchard Oriole Nest and Young (click to see the larger version)
Great news. The Orchard Oriole pair (immature male and a female) have fledged at least 2 young, and they aren’t cowbirds. This is the first known nesting of this species for Montrose. Photo by Geoff Williamson.
Franklin’s Gull (click to see the larger version)
Who said summer birding is boring and predictable? This morning, June 26, I had an immature Franklin’s Gull at Montrose Beach. It flew off after a few minutes and I never saw it again. I also had a flyover Great Egret.
Ring-billed Gull (click to see the larger version)
I had my first juvenile Ring-billed Gull at Montrose today, June 23. They usually start appearing around June 22-24 and will increase in the coming weeks. I also had a tardy adult male American Redstart.
I walked around Montrose this morning, June 22, and had a couple nice surprises, notably a female Canada Warbler and a male Yellow-breasted Chat. The Canada Warbler was in the Magic Hedge and moving around quite a bit. I never saw it again after the initial encounter. I heard the chat singing in the peripheral plantings just west-southwest of the water feature, and with a little effort tracked it down and saw it. Both birds are rare at this time of the year at Montrose. I also saw an immature male Orchard Oriole, part of an apparent mated pair that have been around for a few weeks.