KB on Flycatchers

http://digest.sialia.com/?rm=message;id=1311600

2017 ABC result

https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/PasadenaAudubon/conversations/messages/7021

East birding total; 101 species

From ebird

Life	Year	Total County Ticks
California	383	257	982
Georgia	62	62	78
Oklahoma	58	58	70
Nevada	57	43	57
Tennessee	57	57	57
Arizona	47	0	47
Texas	2	2	2

Total eastern species: 101, but approximate, can't be certain.

1	Canada Goose	Radnor Lake State Natural Area	US-TN	21-Apr-17
2	Black Vulture	Kennesaw Mountain Nat. Battlefield Park	US-GA	25-Apr-17
3	Mallard	Radnor Lake State Natural Area	US-TN	21-Apr-17
4	Wild Turkey	Radnor Lake State Natural Area	US-TN	20-Apr-17
5	Double-crested Cormorant	J. Percy Priest Lake and Stones River Greenway	US-TN	19-Apr-17
6	Great Blue Heron	Radnor Lake State Natural Area	US-TN	19-Apr-17
7	Great Egret	Norman--South Jenkins Ave.	US-OK	1-May-17
8	Cattle Egret	Norman--South Jenkins Ave.	US-OK	29-Apr-17
9	Turkey Vulture	J. Percy Priest Lake and Stones River Greenway	US-TN	19-Apr-17
10	Osprey	J. Percy Priest Lake and Stones River Greenway	US-TN	19-Apr-17
11	Spotted Sandpiper	Georgia Highlands Wetlands	US-GA	28-Apr-17
12	Upland Sandpiper	Ten Mile Flats	US-OK	1-May-17
13	Killdeer	J. Percy Priest Lake and Stones River Greenway	US-TN	19-Apr-17
14	Franklin's Gull	Martin Park Nature Center	US-OK	30-Apr-17
15	Forster's Tern	Martin Park Nature Center	US-OK	30-Apr-17
16	Rock Pigeon	Vanderbilt tennis center	US-TN	20-Apr-17
17	Eurasian Collared-Dove	Vanderbilt tennis center	US-TN	20-Apr-17
18	Mourning Dove	Vanderbilt tennis center	US-TN	19-Apr-17
19	Barred Owl	Radnor Lake State Natural Area	US-TN	20-Apr-17
20	Broad-winged Hawk	Kennesaw Mountain Nat. Battlefield Park	US-GA	25-Apr-17
21	Chimney Swift	J. Percy Priest Lake and Stones River Greenway	US-TN	19-Apr-17
22	Ruby-throated Hummingbird	Vanderbilt tennis center	US-TN	19-Apr-17
23	Red-headed Woodpecker	Berry College (Floyd Co.)	US-GA	26-Apr-17
24	Red-bellied Woodpecker	Radnor Lake State Natural Area	US-TN	21-Apr-17
25	Downy Woodpecker	Radnor Lake State Natural Area	US-TN	21-Apr-17
26	Pileated Woodpecker	Radnor Lake State Natural Area	US-TN	21-Apr-17
27	American Kestrel	Norman--South Jenkins Ave.	US-OK	30-Apr-17
28	Eastern Wood-Pewee	Radnor Lake State Natural Area	US-TN	21-Apr-17
29	Acadian Flycatcher	Radnor Lake State Natural Area	US-TN	21-Apr-17
30	Eastern Phoebe	Radnor Lake State Natural Area	US-TN	19-Apr-17
31	Western Kingbird	Norman--South Jenkins Ave.	US-OK	29-Apr-17
32	Eastern Kingbird	Georgia Highlands Wetlands	US-GA	27-Apr-17
33	Great Crested Flycatcher	Vanderbilt tennis center	US-TN	20-Apr-17
34	Scissor-tailed Flycatcher	Norman--South Jenkins Ave.	US-OK	30-Apr-17
35	Bell's Vireo	Martin Park Nature Center	US-OK	30-Apr-17
36	White-eyed Vireo	Norman--South Jenkins Ave.	US-OK	1-May-17
37	Yellow-throated Vireo	Vanderbilt tennis center	US-TN	21-Apr-17
38	Blue Jay	Radnor Lake State Natural Area	US-TN	20-Apr-17
39	Red-eyed Vireo	Kennesaw Mountain Nat. Battlefield Park	US-GA	25-Apr-17
40	Fish Crow	Kennesaw Mountain Nat. Battlefield Park	US-GA	25-Apr-17
41	American Crow	Radnor Lake State Natural Area	US-TN	19-Apr-17
42	Purple Martin	Ten Mile Flats	US-OK	1-May-17
43	Tree Swallow	Berry College--Possum Trot Rd.	US-GA	27-Apr-17
44	Northern Rough-winged Swallow	J. Percy Priest Lake and Stones River Greenway	US-TN	19-Apr-17
45	Barn Swallow	J. Percy Priest Lake and Stones River Greenway	US-TN	19-Apr-17
46	Cliff Swallow	Georgia Highlands Wetlands	US-GA	27-Apr-17
47	Carolina Chickadee	Radnor Lake State Natural Area	US-TN	21-Apr-17
48	Tufted Titmouse	Radnor Lake State Natural Area	US-TN	19-Apr-17
49	White-breasted Nuthatch	Radnor Lake State Natural Area	US-TN	20-Apr-17
50	Brown-headed Nuthatch	Ridge Ferry Park	US-GA	26-Apr-17
51	House Wren	Rome Tennis Center	US-GA	26-Apr-17
52	Carolina Wren	Radnor Lake State Natural Area	US-TN	20-Apr-17
53	Blue-gray Gnatcatcher	J. Percy Priest Lake and Stones River Greenway	US-TN	19-Apr-17
54	Eastern Bluebird	Radnor Lake State Natural Area	US-TN	21-Apr-17
55	Wood Thrush	Radnor Lake State Natural Area	US-TN	19-Apr-17
56	American Robin	Belmont Blvd/Woodmont Blvd	US-TN	20-Apr-17
57	Northern Mockingbird	Vanderbilt tennis center	US-TN	19-Apr-17
58	Gray Catbird	Georgia Highlands Wetlands	US-GA	27-Apr-17
59	Brown Thrasher	Kennesaw Mountain Nat. Battlefield Park	US-GA	25-Apr-17
60	European Starling	Vanderbilt tennis center	US-TN	19-Apr-17
61	Cedar Waxwing	Georgia Highlands Wetlands	US-GA	28-Apr-17
62	Ovenbird	Radnor Lake State Natural Area	US-TN	20-Apr-17
63	Worm-eating Warbler	Radnor Lake State Natural Area	US-TN	20-Apr-17
64	Louisiana Waterthrush	Radnor Lake State Natural Area	US-TN	20-Apr-17
65	American Redstart	Kennesaw Mountain Nat. Battlefield Park	US-GA	25-Apr-17
66	Black-and-white Warbler	Martin Park Nature Center	US-OK	30-Apr-17
67	Orange-crowned Warbler	Martin Park Nature Center	US-OK	30-Apr-17
68	Nashville Warbler	Martin Park Nature Center	US-OK	30-Apr-17
69	Yellow Warbler	Martin Park Nature Center	US-OK	30-Apr-17
70	Blackburnian Warbler	Kennesaw Mountain Nat. Battlefield Park	US-GA	25-Apr-17
71	Prothonotary Warbler	Radnor Lake State Natural Area	US-TN	21-Apr-17
72	Kentucky Warbler	Berry College (Floyd Co.)	US-GA	28-Apr-17
73	Tennessee Warbler	Radnor Lake State Natural Area	US-TN	20-Apr-17
74	Common Yellowthroat	Radnor Lake State Natural Area	US-TN	20-Apr-17
75	Hooded Warbler	Radnor Lake State Natural Area	US-TN	20-Apr-17
76	Northern Parula	Radnor Lake State Natural Area	US-TN	21-Apr-17
77	Blackpoll Warbler	Radnor Lake State Natural Area	US-TN	21-Apr-17
78	Palm Warbler	Radnor Lake State Natural Area	US-TN	21-Apr-17
79	Yellow-rumped Warbler	Radnor Lake State Natural Area	US-TN	21-Apr-17
80	Black-throated Green Warbler	Radnor Lake State Natural Area	US-TN	21-Apr-17
81	Chipping Sparrow	Victory Lake	US-GA	27-Apr-17
82	Clay-colored Sparrow	Martin Park Nature Center	US-OK	30-Apr-17
83	White-crowned Sparrow	Norman--South Jenkins Ave.	US-OK	29-Apr-17
84	Song Sparrow	Rome Tennis Center	US-GA	26-Apr-17
85	Eastern Towhee	Georgia Highlands Wetlands	US-GA	27-Apr-17
86	Summer Tanager	Radnor Lake State Natural Area	US-TN	21-Apr-17
87	Northern Cardinal	Radnor Lake State Natural Area	US-TN	19-Apr-17
88	Rose-breasted Grosbeak	Radnor Lake State Natural Area	US-TN	20-Apr-17
89	Blue Grosbeak	Berry College (Floyd Co.)	US-GA	28-Apr-17
90	Indigo Bunting	Norman--South Jenkins Ave.	US-OK	30-Apr-17
91	Dickcissel	Ten Mile Flats	US-OK	1-May-17
92	Bobolink	Berry College--Possum Trot Rd.	US-GA	27-Apr-17
93	Red-winged Blackbird	J. Percy Priest Lake and Stones River Greenway	US-TN	19-Apr-17
94	Eastern Meadowlark	Berry College--Possum Trot Rd.	US-GA	27-Apr-17
95	Common Grackle	Hwy40 near airport	US-TN	19-Apr-17
96	Brown-headed Cowbird	Radnor Lake State Natural Area	US-TN	19-Apr-17
97	Orchard Oriole	J. Percy Priest Lake and Stones River Greenway	US-TN	19-Apr-17
98	Baltimore Oriole	Radnor Lake State Natural Area	US-TN	21-Apr-17
99	House Finch	Rome Tennis Center	US-GA	26-Apr-17
100	American Goldfinch	Kennesaw Mountain Nat. Battlefield Park	US-GA	25-Apr-17
101	House Sparrow	Around Starbucks	US-TN	19-Apr-17

Finally bought

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0395783216/ref=od_aui_detailpages00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

https://www.amazon.com/Sibley-Field-Guide-Eastern-America/dp/0307957918/ref=pd_bxgy_14_2?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=0307957918&pd_rd_r=XHKM50KV254KT3APRS4Q&pd_rd_w=5KTiZ&pd_rd_wg=F8Rae&psc=1&refRID=XHKM50KV254KT3APRS4Q


I just had to buy one recent field guide lol(I did buy ABA field guide for California by 'ebirder' Alvara Jaramillo), and this time I chose the Eastern one, in case I bird there again :)  
Can't beat Sibley, but I really want to mention the excellence of the Princeton photographic guides by Paul Sterry. Not only their stunning photos; behavior and especially call notes are big plus. For example its description Louisiana Waterthrush song is the most detailed, better than NG, Sibley or Peterson. Only NG Complete Birds of North America matches it; "seeeu seeeu seeeu seewit seewit ch-wit it-chu"

And, who wouldn't want to learn more about those Wablers, eh? :)  Should get it autographed from Kimball Garrett when I 'meet' him again(he joined us for a bit and chatted with another veteran birder during our Antelope Valley field trip, right next to me! I was too shy then lol)!

Naturally my next purchase would be logically;

https://www.amazon.com/National-Geographic-Complete-Birds-America/dp/1426213735/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1494287329&sr=1-1&keywords=complete+birds+of+north+america


But it's too big, so will defer it till..whenver it is lol.

Midwest Warbler spotting route

This is a good introduction as any;

http://wingsbirds.com/tours/spring-migration-midwest/

Spring Migration in the Midwest

Eastern Wood Warblers including Kirtland’s

Wednesday 10 May to Sunday 21 May 2017

with Jon Dunn as leader

Waitlist Only

Wednesday 9 May to Sunday 20 May 2018

with Jon Dunn as leader

Price: $3,450* (05/2017)

View details

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• Itinerary
• Bird List
• Slideshow
• Narrative
• Tour Information

There may be no better place to witness the spring passage of songbirds than the Midwest. The three main eastern migration routes converge here and since the birds are nearing their breeding grounds the males are usually in full and vigorous song. With impressive, often spectacular numbers and diversity of migrants on the best days, the Midwest is certainly comparable to any other migration region in North America.  Our tour takes in two prime locations for spring migrants, Crane Creek (Ohio) and Tawas Point (Michigan), and we also spend two days in the Carolinian forests and grasslands of eastern Kentucky and southern Ohio, where we expect to find most of the southern breeding species. Between these sites we should see nearly all of the eastern Neotropical landbird migrants, likely including as many as 35 species of warblers—and there is a decent chance of seeing all 38 species.
We’ll conclude the trip with a visit to the Kirtland’s Warbler breeding grounds in northern Michigan.

Day 1: The trip begins at 4:00 pm at our motel in Florence, Kentucky near Cincinnati, Ohio. Fernald Reserve, an area grasslands and ponds, is nearby and we have our best chance of seeing Dickcissel here near the eastern end of their regular breeding range.  Other species we might see include Grasshopper Sparrow, Blue Grosbeak and Orchard Oriole.  Night in Florence, Kentucky.

Days 2:  We’ll depart early  for the Red River Gorge east of Lexington, Kentucky in Daniel Boone National Forest, a breathtakingly beautiful place with its limestone and sandstone rock formations, some of which cross the Red River  – all in a heavily forested environment.  Along the way we’ll drive through Kentucky’s “Blue Grass” and the fabled horse farms.   Red River Gorge holds a few pairs of Swainson’s Warblers, here at the northern edge of their  range, as well as many of the more southern warblers such as Blue-winged, Yellow-throated, Pine, Worm-eating, and Hooded and Louisiana Waterthrush.  There is always the remote chance of seeing Ruffed Grouse.  The forest is noted, too, for its variety of butterflies, notable among them the striking Zebra Swallowtail, which should be numerous. Heading north in the afternoon we’ll stop at an industrial park in reclaimed strip mine in Greenup County, Kentucky, not far from Portsmouth where Henslow’s Sparrow breeds along with species such as Prairie Warbler and Yellow-breasted Chat.  We’ll be accompanied today  by Brainard Palmer-Ball, Jr., one of the best birders in the East and the author of Kentucky’s breeding bird atlas and the state’s recent annotated lists.  Night at  Shawnee State Forest lodge.

Day 3: We’ll spend much of the day in the beautiful and extensive Shawnee Forest close to Portsmouth, where nearly all of the southern Carolinian specialties are found in good numbers - Cerulean and Kentucky Warblers are almost common here – and we’ll probably find any we missed yesterday.
If we haven’t connected with Henslow’s Sparrow, we may try checking the fields in Adams County again on our second morning, or we may end up there late in the day in an early evening attempt for Chuck-will’s-widow, here at the northern end of its breeding range. Night at  Shawnee State Forest lodge.

Day 4: We’ll depart for Ohio and Crane Creek on Lake Erie, and should arrive in time for some late afternoon birding at this premier location. Along the way, we may stop near Scioto Trail State Forest whose forested ridges can be full of migrants. Night in Oregon.

Days 5-6: Crane Creek and the Magee Marsh Boardwalk are Ohio’s best migration spots. The spectacle is similar to the one at Pelee, but here the concentrations of migrants don’t seem to be as weather-dependent, and even on slower days there are plenty of birds. The narrow strip of woods along the lake is more open than at Pelee, and migrants are delightfully visible. Here we can usually count on finding more secretive species such as Mourning Warbler, we typically encounter an American Woodcock or two sauntering and bobbing through the wet leaf litter.
Adjacent Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge has a variety of waterbirds, including shorebirds if water levels are appropriate, and the adjoining woods attract migrants. If we tire of migrants, the woodlands around Toledo have a number of breeding birds, including Acadian, Alder, and Willow Flycatchers and Blue-winged and Pine Warblers; and nearby Oak Openings has breeding Lark Sparrows, their only regular location in the eastern Midwest. Red-headed Woodpecker breeds here too and this might be our only encounter with this striking and declining species. Nights in Oregon.

Day 7: After a final morning of birding at Crane Creek, we’ll drive north to Tawas City, Michigan. Night in  Tawas City.

Days 8-9: One of Michigan’s best migration spots, Tawas Point has harbored an astonishing variety of rarities. The narrow peninsula is lightly covered with tree clumps and bushes that can be full of migrants given the right winds, and since vegetation is so low, the birds are often more visible. A long sandy spit usually hosts a variety of shorebirds, sometimes  including Piping Plover, which has nested here in recent years.
One of the real pleasures of Tawas Point is the absence of crowds of birders which can at times overwhelm the boardwalk at Magee Marsh, and even if there are few migrants, the Tawas area is rewarding.  Nearby marshes support American and possibly Least Bitterns, and Virginia Rail, and in one case even Yellow-headed Blackbird. Abandoned fields host Clay-colored Sparrows alongside many Bobolinks. We’ll also likely make a stop at Rifle River State Recreation Area. Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers breed here, as do warblers including Golden-winged, Mourning, and Canada. Even Kirtland’s Warbler has nested  here in recent years in a young jack pine stand within 30 minutes of our motel!  Night in Tawas City.

Day 10: After a final day of birding around Tawas Point, we’ll drive north to Mio stopping along the beautiful Au Sable River where we might see breeding Winter Wrens and Purple Finches. Just north of Mio are many Amish farms, where Upland Sandpipers and other grassland species breed. Weather permitting, we’ll look for American Woodcock and Whip-poor-will this evening. Night in Mio.

Day 11: We’ll spend the morning searching for the endangered Kirtland’s Warbler. Almost the entire known population of the species (recently about 5,000 birds) breeds in the Michigan counties around Mio and Grayling, and with the help of a U.S. Forest Service guide, we’re likely to find one or more of these special warblers. Other species in the area include Hermit Thrush, Vesper Sparrow, and Eastern Towhee. We should add that in recent years we’ve encountered a few (seven actually) migrant Kirtland’s Warblers at either Crane Creek or Tawas Point. If we’ve already had superb views, we might head west to Grayling and Hartwick Pines State Park, a never logged forest.  Here Evening Grosbeaks are somewhat regular at the visitor center’s feeders and Blue-headed Vireos and Winter Wrens can often be found.  Night in Romulus, near Detroit.
Day 12: The tour concludes this morning in Romulus. 

Wings tour Texas Upper coast led by Jon Feenstra

Now I remember, I did read this part.

http://wingsbirds.com/tours/texas-upper-coast/

Texas: The Upper Coast

Thursday 12 April to Thursday 19 April 2018

with Jon Feenstra as leader

Price Pending

View details

Reserve Now

• Itinerary
• Bird List
• Narrative
• Tour Information

 

There may be no better birdwatching in North America than one encounters on the northwestern shores of the Gulf of Mexico in spring. Between mid-March and mid-May, masses of waterbirds and passerines wing north from their wintering grounds and a significant percentage of them pass through this corridor. The waterbirds are a constant as large numbers of herons and spoonbills, shorebirds of 30 or more species and a profusion of gulls and terns fill the marshes.
Less predictable but perhaps even more spectacular are the countless thousands of migrant thrushes, vireos, warblers and buntings that reach the coast after completing their lengthy trans-Gulf of Mexico migration. If the weather is fair, most of these birds pass on and disperse among the more suitable forests in the interior but if they encounter rain or strong north winds before or as they reach the coast, large numbers may drop into the first isolated clumps of vegetation. The phenomenon constitutes one of the great visible migration spectacles in North America and if one occurs during our stay, we’ll alter plans if necessary to bear witness.
The migrants alone would draw birdwatchers to this area, but amazingly there’s more: nearby pine woods and cypress swamps are home to some of North America’s most sought-after breeding birds. Texas and Louisiana in April are simply full of birds.

Day 1: The tour begins this evening with a 6 pm meeting at our hotel near George Bush Intercontinental Airport, Houston.

Jon is a terrific leader. My second trip with him. He loves to teach, so I always learn a lot. He’s a top expert on the birds, so we also see and hear a lot. On this trip, Jon had to cope with the weather. A huge storm hit the general area on our 2nd or 3d day. He watched the weather news carefully and adjusted our plans so we made the most out of a bad weather situation.
Dixie Sommers, June 2016.

Days 2-6:  We’ll leave the morning of Day 2 for Winnie, our base for explorations of the Upper Texas and Louisiana coasts. These days will be varied and, we hope, spectacular. The central focus will be Sabine Woods and High Island, celebrated landbird migrant traps but ones that require special weather to produce a major fall of birds. If we’re lucky, cuckoos, thrushes, vireos, warblers of 25 or more species, tanagers, buntings, and orioles will fill these small woods and provide a memorable birdwatching experience.
As High Island and Sabine Woods tend to have more migrants in the afternoon, we’ll spend several mornings looking at waterbirds. The heronry at nearby Smith Oaks offers intimate looks at nesting Roseate Spoonbill, Snowy and Great Egrets; mudflats and beaches can hold thousands of herons, gulls, terns, and shorebirds of up to 20 species including Piping and Wilson’s Plovers, often American Oystercatcher, and sometimes thousands of brilliant American Avocets. Flooded rice fields near Winnie can host large numbers of shorebirds, including American Golden-Plover and Pectoral Sandpiper, often joined by Buff-breasted Sandpipers and sometimes White-rumped Sandpiper and Hudsonian Godwit. The wonderful marshes at Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge are recovering from the ravages of Hurricane Ike and are home to Least Bittern, White-faced Ibis, Clapper and King Rails, Purple Gallinule, Seaside, Nelson’s Sharp-tailed, and sometimes Le Conte’s Sparrows, and, if conditions are right, Yellow and just possibly Black Rail.
On one day we’ll visit Cameron Parish in southwestern Louisiana. As we travel east to Johnson’s Bayou and a normally uncrowded Baton Rouge Audubon Society woodlot that captures migrants in the same way as High Island and Sabine Woods, we’ll travel through miles of unbroken fresh water marsh filled with King Rails, often with downy black chicks.
Sometime during out stay in Winnie, we’ll travel north to Jasper, Texas and the Angelina National Forest for a night. We’ll keep our rooms in Winnie so we’ll need only an overnight bag.  Bachman’s Sparrows live here and we’ll search for them at dawn when their lovely song makes them easier to find. A few Red-cockaded Woodpeckers occur here and we’ll look for them and their fellow North American endemic Brown-headed Nuthatch.  Nearby at Boykin Springs, Louisiana Waterthrush breeds in some years and Sandy Creek Park is home to Red-headed Woodpecker, Yellow-throated and White-eyed Vireos, Northern Parula, and Yellow-throated, Prothonotary, Swainson’s, Worm-eating and Kentucky Warblers among others. We’ll look as well for breeding Prairie Warblers (a local breeder in east Texas) and watch the skies for Mississippi and sometimes even Swallow-tailed Kites and Broad-winged and Red-shouldered Hawks. In mid-afternoon, we’ll return to Winnie. Nights: Four in Winnie and one in Jasper.
Day 7:  After a final full day in the field on the Upper Texas Coast, we’ll return to Houston. Night in Houston.
Day 8:  The tour concludes this morning in Houston.
Note: There will be an optional Day 8 early morning in Jones State Forest, a short distance north of Houston Intercontinental Airport. Red-cockaded Woodpeckers have for years been almost assured here and this will be our back-up in case we missed them in the Angelina National Forest.  Red-headed Woodpeckers are usually present here along with a variety of woodland species.  We’ve even encountered territorial Sharp-shinned Hawks on multiple occasions