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This column indicates the 1st time during spring 0f each year, or later, that I saw and/or heard a migratory species (often neo-tropical). Some in my neighborhood, most in nearby public natural areas, some out of state. You get the best variety of bird species if you visit many types of habitats.
Some have web links (including images and songs), but you can look up any of these species on these great Cornell or Audubon sites. May 4, 2024
Hooded Warbler Black-throated Blue Warbler Baltimore Oriole May 2, 2024 Blackburnian Warbler (1st I have had at St. John) April 29, 2024 White-crowned Sparrow (fancy head pattern) April 28 Red-eyed Vireo Yellow-throated Vireo Solitary Sandpiper Indigo Bunting Scarlet Tanager Nashville Warbler Blue-winged Warbler Glossy Ibis Northern Waterthrush April 27 Caspian Tern Blue Grosbeak Summer Tanager Yellow Warbler House Wren Red-headed Woodpecker Least Bittern Spotted Sandpiper Worm-eating Warbler Orchard Oriole Prairie Warbler Grasshopper Sparrow Chuck-will's-widow (unusual bird I hear from my yard most years) April 26 Black-throated Green Warbler Orange-crowned Warbler Warbling Vireo Blue-headed Vireo April 24 Ruby-throated Hummingbird (feeding at home on Red Buckeye) April 20 Northern Parula Louisiana Waterthrush Yellow-billed Cuckoo Eastern Kingbird Wood Thrush Great Crested Flycatcher Northern Rough-winged Swallow April 17 Green Heron Chimney Swift April 15 (Queen Anne County- Eastern Shore) American Bittern (secretive bird; have seen a few in 40 years of birding!) Purple Martin April 14, 2024 (Dorchester County - Eastern Shore) Common Gallinule (secretive bird; have seen a handful in 40 years) Boat-tailed Grackle Willet Marsh Wren Sora Virginia Rail Prothonotary Warbler White-eyed Vireo Least Sandpiper Dunlin Blue-winged Teal Wood Duck Ovenbird Common Yellowthroat Wild Turkey Sept. 21 2022 (at St. John) Black-crowned Night Heron (immature, perched along Cypress Creek at eye level, possibly migrating) Sept. 8 (at St. John) Bobolink (flyover with calls; 100th bird from St. John property!) July 29, 2022 (Bombay Hook NWR, DE) Mute Swan Northern Bobwhite Clapper Rail Black-necked Stilt Stilt Sandpiper American Avocet Pectoral Sandpiper Western Sandpiper Short-billed Dowitcher Gull-billed Tern Bank Swallow Marsh Wren July 29, 2022 (DE) Black-bellied Whistling Duck July 17, 2022 (Bachman's Sports Complex) Mississippi Kite June 18, 2022 (Thurmont, MD) Cerulean Warbler May 21 (Ft. Smallwood Park) Little Blue Heron Brown Pelican Common Tern Royal Tern May 17 (mixed habitats) Canada Warbler May 16 (mixed habitats) Yellow-billed Cuckoo Gray-cheeked Thrush Prairie Warbler May 15 (mixed habitats) Broad-winged Hawk - Hawkwatch @ Ft. Smallwood Common Nighthawk - Hawkwatch Swainson's Thrush May 13 (mixed habitats) Acadian Flycatcher Baltimore Oriole Eastern Wood Pewee Bobolink May 12 Chuck-wills Widow May 11 (at St. John) Summer Tanager May 7 (mixed habitats) Warbling Vireo Semi-palmated Sandpiper Semi-palmated Plover Least Tern May 6 (at St. John) Magnolia Warbler May 5 (at St. John) Blue-winged Warbler May 1 (starting a bit before sunrise - mixed habitats) Black-crowned Night Heron Ruby-throated Hummingbird Solitary Sandpiper American Redstart Blackburnian Warbler Black-throated Green Warbler April 30 (starting a bit before sunrise - mixed habitats) Chestnut-sided Warbler Kentucky Warbler Indigo Bunting Blue Grosbeak Black-throated Blue Warbler Hooded Warbler Red-eyed Vireo April 25 Scarlet Tanager April 23 (starting a bit before sunrise - mixed habitats) Louisiana Waterthrush Eastern Screech Owl Green Heron Worm-eating Warbler Blue-headed Vireo Orchard Oriole April 22 Grasshopper Sparrow Rose-breasted Grosbeak April 21 Eastern Kingbird Northern rough-winged Swallow Blue-winged Teal Great Crested Flycatcher April 20 Virginia Rail Caspian Tern April 17 Northern Parula Pied-billed Grebe American Coot Spotted Sandpiper Least Sandpiper April 16 Purple Martin Wood Thrush Yellow-throated Vireo Northern Waterthrush House Wren April 14 Chimney Swift April 13 Barred Owl Yellow-throated Warbler Yellow Warbler Black and white Warbler Ovenbird Prothonotary Warbler Common Yellowthroat White-eyed Vireo Laughing Gull April 11 Barn Swallow April 8 Cattle Egret Northern Gannet April 6 Greater Yellowlegs April 1 Lesser Yellowlegs Forster's Tern Snowy Egret Blue-gray Gnatcatcher March 28 Tree Swallow March 27 Horned Grebe March 6 Wilson's Snipe Brown Creeper Lincoln's Sparrow Pine Warbler |
More Spring Bird Sighting Information
There are birds that are particularly common in our neighborhoods right now (in late April-early May), some of which will be leaving our area soon. It's definitely worth the time to follow the links (click on their names) to see pictures, hear songs and calls, read about nesting, learn about migratory travels, etc.
Yellow-rumped Warbler These small, colorful birds are sometimes referred to as butterfly birds for the way they flit from tree branch to branch, usually 15-30 feet up. Very common in Maryland in March and April, they usually are gone north by mid-May. White-throated Sparrow Very common during here our winter and spring, from Nov.-April, they will leave in the early weeks of May. They spend most of their time on the ground or in lower heights of trees and shrubs. They often visit bird feeder areas. Other Suburban Birds Carolina Wren These birds stay here in all seasons (resident birds), and are typically very vocal. They often stray into garages, porches, even mailboxes, etc. House Finch A Maryland resident, they are very vocal in the spring, and often are active around homes. They have been known to build nests on your porch, nearby shrub, etc. The male has very colorful orangey-red head and chest coloration. Mourning Dove Another resident species, they are often around bird feeders in winter. They usually make nests in evergreen trees and shrubs, and make a cooing call that sometimes makes people think they hear an owl. Eastern Towhee A 'robin-like' bird, but with a shorter tail and more chunky looking. It is found in MD year-round, and is mostly a seed-eater. Look for it under shrubs, in woodland edges, etc. One of its calls sounds like the word 'towheeee'... many birds have names based on something they often 'seem to say.' Woodpeckers We have several woodpecker species here all year: Red-bellied Woodpecker - common, medium sized Downy Woodpecker - common, small Hairy Woodpecker - uncommon, medium sized Pileated Woodpecker - uncommon, crow-sized!! |