In spite of the forecast for clouds and rain, Sunday dawned clear, sunny and dry. So Dee and I drove over to Edith L Moore Nature Sanctuary to look for migrating warblers.
We enjoyed a 90-minute walk along the wooded trails even though we saw and heard virtually no birds except N Cardinals and a Great-crested Flycatcher.
Back at the entrance, a few other birds turned up. We watched a couple of Carolina Wrens chasing each other through the undergrowth and then caught glimpses of several warblers. The only warbler I saw clearly was a Magnolia, although other birders also spotted Canada Warblers.
We were about to leave when two women in the parking lot asked me if I had seen the Chuck-will's-widow. I hadn't and was very surprised when they showed me where the bird was sitting just 20 feet above my head. Apparently the bird had been on the same branch for hours.
I went off to bring Dee to see the bird, which was a new species for her, but when we came back to the parking area, the bird had flown.
Just then, local birder Jim Hinson turned up and we chatted for a minute. I complained to him about the Chuck-will's-widow's departure. He chuckled and pointed up above my head. The bird was still sitting exactly where it had been all morning.
Doh! I really must improve my observation skills!
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Tomorrow
More on my trip to the Yucatan.
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