woodcreeper

ughhh…it’s wet out!
Well, Tess and I went for a walk first thing this morning and only noticed the usual suspects. Prairie warblers were singing in three directions from the bottom of the yard, Chipping sparrows are all over the place now, and then the typical cacophony of Cardinals, Robins, Goldfinches, Bluejays, White-throated, Field, and Song Sparrows.
The ticks are BAAAAAD this season…I pulled 5 off of me yesterday and 4 the day before, and about the same number off of Tess as well. All of them appear to be wood ticks.

Nature Notes
I did notice a few flowering Dogwoods deep in the forest, relics from the recent past (30 yrs) when tens of thousands were wiped out by anthracnose.

Wildflowers:
Spring Beauties seem to have reached a high a couple of days ago, Trout Lillies are leafed out, but I haven’t seen one flower. Mayflower is also showing leaves and unopened inflorescences. The Skunk Cabbage is huge now, carpeting the margins of Spooky Brook. Wild Leeks (Ramps) have reclaimed their patches from last year and are getting pretty big as well. Single May Apples scattered throughout the forest, but nowhere does it constitute a patch. This plant has taken a precipitous nose-dive in recent years, whereas it used to carpet the forest floor (not unlike parts of Helyar Woods today).

Invasives:
Garlic Mustard is now flowering, but I haven’t noticed any Japanese Stilt Grass…that pest should be making its presence felt pretty soon.

There were a few new arrivals along the Cape May County bayshore. New birds at Kimble’s Beach Road included 3 White-eyed Vireos, Pine Warbler, Yellow Warbler, Y-b Sapsucker and 2 Wood Thrushes.

New at Beaver Swamp WMA were 2 Prothonotary Warblers, Prairie Warbler and Ovenbird.

In the yard here along Reed’s Beach Road there is a Field Sparrow and a R-c Kinglet.

Lots of White-Throated Sparrows in southern Ontario this morning. I also saw a lot more Goldfinch, Yellow Bellied Sapsuckers, and a few Hermit Thrush. I also saw an American Woodcock, which is a rarity around here.

I almost crapped my pants when a Wild Turkey surprised me behind a thick cedar row.

Lots of rain here early this morning and again around noon. But the birds don’t seem to mind. They were singing the whole time.

I don’t think any new birds at Glassboro Woods today. A HOODED WARBLER and a BLUE-WINGED were probably there since Friday and I just missed them then. I don’t cover the whole area any more when I bird here. Anyway, lots of BROWN THRASHERS at National Park, but who knows when they came in. Ditto for a report of 150 or so PALM WARBLERS at Palmyra - from a friend. I don’t know when the came in. That’s always the problem for me at least as I don’t hit the same areas every day!