Wintering species returning- sightings this weekend

As expected, wintering species have jumped up in evidence around New Orleans with this latest frontal passage.

In ten minutes on the LaSalle Park boardwalk this morning, I was able to find a Yellow-rumped Warbler, and then heard a chickadee, which when I swished turned into three chickadees, two Ruby-crowned
Kinglets, a Blue-headed Vireo, and a Tennessee Warbler.  These are all standard woodland wintering species in the region, except for the Tennessee (bound for the tropics).

I led a church youth group on the Coquille Trail this afternoon, where there were also winterers that had presumably arrived sometime recently:  Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Eastern Phoebe, Sedge Wren, Northern Harrier, and Pine and Yellow-rumped Warblers.

The Sedge Wren was in odd habitat (semi-open swamp forest, lacking the grassy understory they tend to prefer), suggesting it was a very recent arrival still searching for preferred habitat.   Two Black Vultures tearing into a carcass on the edge of the canal (large boned- deer?) were unconcerned with our presence.

A few notable sightings came from the North Shore this weekend:  a flock of 80 Greater White-fronted Geese (a lot for our area) headed southwest over Folsom, and a Scissor-tailed Flycatcher adjacent I-10 in Slidell just north of the twin span, described as particularly long-tailed for the species (indicative of a mature male).

Good birding,

Peter

for a copy of Birding Made Easy-New Orleans, email me at birding.made.easy.new.orleans@gmail.com, or look for it at the Garden District or Maple Street Book Shops, or at the City Park Botanical Garden gift shop.