First warbler walk!

Our intrepid group!


This handsome Northern Flicker let me photograph him through my spotting scope.

Our Spring Warbler Walks got off to a rousing start today. My very first spring of birding, in 1975, I was out every day searching on my own, and amassed a season list of 40 species--we beat that in just over 3 hours today! I was having trouble with my eyes--that will probably give me problems till this stupid Bell's palsy goes away, bAnd we started a new tradition--on Tuesday mornings we're going to stop at the Willard Munger Inn for a little continental breakfast after our jaunt. Of course some people have to leave early, but this gave us a nice chance to sit down to some coffee, Belgium waffles, and conversation.

Distant Common Mergansers. The male (left) is scratching his face with his big red foot.
This is at least the third year that this goose has nested on this beaver den.
This Pied-billed Grebe stayed too far for great pictures, but it was a cute little guy.
Two Killdeer were hanging out with us.
Okalee!
Afterward we had brunch at the Willard Munger Inn

Here's our list of 42 species for the morning:

Canada Goose
American Wigeon
Mallard
Blue-winged Teal
Northern Shoveler
Green-winged Teal
Ring-necked Duck
Lesser Scaup
Bufflehead
Common Goldeneye
Hooded Merganser
Common Merganser
Common Loon
Pied-billed Grebe
Killdeer
Greater Yellowlegs
Ring-billed Gull
Herring Gull
Rock Pigeon
Belted Kingfisher
Downy Woodpecker
Hairy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
American Crow
Common Raven
Black-capped Chickadee
White-breasted Nuthatch
Brown Creeper
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Hermit Thrush
American Robin
European Starling
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Song Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Northern Cardinal
Red-winged Blackbird
Common Grackle
Brown-headed Cowbird
House Finch
American Goldfinch