October 17th, continued from previous page. Last night's heavy rain finally brought some standing water back to Raymond Brook Marsh.

 

Probably six inches of water at this spot that was bone dry recently - but normal water levels are roughly two feet higher.

 

The north side too was deeper, though still about 18" lower than before the beaver dam was breached by a trapper nearly two years ago.

 

My guess is a Palm Warbler (Dendroica palmarum). Not visible in my photos but the yellow breast has some darker streaks.

 

There were a bunch of them and they rarely stayed still long enough for a photo.

 

Mid hop.

 

Finally, one posed up in a tree.

 

Russ Smiley confirmed my identification and shared the following:

Palm warblers (PAWA) are numerous now along with yellow-rumped warblers (YRWA).
These are among the last to migrate south, the ‘closers’ of the neotropical bird exodus.
(BTW this is interesting https://nationalzoo.si.edu/migratory-birds/neotropical-migratory-bird-faqs)
PAWAs come in two varieties, “yellow” (eastern) and “western”.
You got photos of yellow palm warblers.
We get western palm warblers only in the fall (very rarely in spring migration): they are pale brown in the forebody
but otherwise look like their eastern, ‘yellow’ cousins.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

October 18th. Heavy frost at 27 degrees just before dawn.

 

 

 

Frost on various Oaks (Quercus sp.) and a few other things.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Red Maple (Acer rubrum).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Winged Sumac (Rhus copallina).

 

Multiflora Rose (Rosa multioflora).

 

 

 

Multiflora Rose "hips".

 

Winterberry (Ilex verticillata).

 

Oriental Bittersweet (Celastrus orbiculatus), a nasty invasive vine.

 

A single male Brown-headed Cowbird (Molothrus ater), looking pretty bedragled.

NOT! Once again, Russ Smiley comes to the identification rescue. He writes...
"It is not a cowbird but a much less common Rusty Blackbird! (Euphagus carolinus)
See the yellow eye, long sharp bill (unlike cowbird), and the rusty highlights to the head and upper body.
It’s a very neat visitor to the marsh."
http://rustyblackbird.org/species-information/migration/
https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Rusty_Blackbird

 

October 19th. Mallards (Anas platyrhynchos) back in the limited open water at the marsh. Hope they stay on the no hunting side.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

October 20th. Mallards (Anas platyrhynchos) were still at the marsh this morning.