Unfortunately, the weather has been just delightful for the last few days.  We've had a high-pressure area over our hunk of the continent which has resulted in blue skies, mild winds and very little migrants.  Either they're passing us by or their mopin' their way north.

So, what could have been a very productive warbler day at McDowell Grove, was not.  However, it was still a very pleasant morning.  The weather, as mentioned before, was beautiful.  While the birding wasn't great, it was just nice to be outside.  

In terms of birds, we were treated to a very vocal, un-shy Eastern Towhee.  We also picked up a couple of non-butterbutts...Nashville, Black-throated Green, Palm and Blue-winged.  The last one was barely heard by Kate, myself and a couple of others with sharp ears.  It called so infrequently, that we pretty much gave up on being able to find it.

Another interesting bird was a female Purple Finch that was enjoying catkins high in one of the trees by the parking lot.  We never got a really good look at it, but its identification was verified by committee.

It was also a great day for mushrooms.  Several members of the group started looking for Morels.  You know the birding is marginal when people start looking for arrowheads, wild flowers or fungus.

All-in-all, it was a nice trip.  And we wound up with probably enough species to match the number of people in the group (about 35 of each).  Yes, it WAS a big group.  But apparently not a record breaker. 

Jim Frazier

5/11/99