Lots of people put down their binoculars after Memorial Day Weekend. “Migration is over” is declared, and the binoculars will gather dust until next May. For one thing, I have tried to share the joys of birding that each and every season offers.

Secondly, migration is NEVER over! In fact, as the last shorebirds are still moseying north at the end of June, the first few southbound shorebirds are on the move! Early June is also a great time of year for vagrants. (If I’m not completely run down and already ill from May exhaustion, I often come down with a case of “Rarity Fever” at this time of year!). Then, comes the excitement of the breeding season, when there’s lots of fascinating behaviors to study, breeding locations to confirm, and local rarities to discover.

While the vast majority of passerines have in fact arrived where they need to be - and have initiated breeding - the latest of migrants (a few warblers and flycatchers in particular) are still arriving at our latitude. As a perfect example of this, I enjoyed a very productive morning yesterday in Evergreen Cemetery. I tallied 13 species of warblers (only 8 or 9 of which breed in the park) including a singing Mourning Warbler (my first of the spring), 20+ American Redstarts and 15+ Blackpoll Warblers. I also had 6 species of flycatchers: a great total of 4 Yellow-bellied, plus one Alder, at least two Least, and a few Eastern Wood-Pewees, Great-crested Flycatchers, and Eastern Kingbirds. A Lincoln’s Sparrow – also a late migrant – put in an appearance, as did 8 male (adult and a few subadult) Wood Ducks.

Meanwhile, at Dragon Field, I saw a late Wilson’s Warbler, which along with a Northern Parula – which may breed there – gave me 15 species of warblers for the day; birding is far from over!

As excited as I was to see that Mourning Warbler at Evergreen earlier in the day, I must admit that I was a bit disappointed. My goal for the day was a Mourning Warbler at Dragon Field. I’m still stuck at 148 for my Patch List, and Morning Warbler is a species that I am really targeting this week and next for #149. While I could not come up with a Mourning Warbler here, I thought I scored #149 anyway.

I had detected a faint three-parted whistle once or twice as I first entered the field, but I couldn’t be sure of what I was hearing. Too faint, and too far away. As I rounded the hill, counterclockwise, I did not hear what I thought I heard again. Then, as I rounded the last corner of the hill, I heard it once more – “Quick-three-beers.” Olive-sided Flycatcher! A few minutes later, I find the bird, and enjoy a great study for a few minutes before heading out. This too was my first of the year, and one of the birds that I had hoped for this morning – but at Evergreen. So, I got my day’s Mourning Warbler at Evergreen, but my Olive-side at Dragon Field. I left quite excitedly, thinking I had wrapped up #149, and still had a Mourning Warbler to turn up for #150. Unfortunately, when I checked my list when I got home there was a big fat “x” next to Olive-sided Flycatcher. Oh well, #149 will have to come on another day.

Despite a serious consideration of another visit to Dragon Field this morning to look for my elusive Dragon Field Mourning Warbler, or perhaps a bit of seawatching, or perhaps a first check of breeders at one of my local patches. But, as I rolled over when the alarm went off at 5:00 once again, I decided on “D) None of the Above,” and went back to sleep – sleeping in for the first time since late April (with the one exception being the day after the World Series of Birding!). The next thing I know, I roll over and the clock says “10:05.” Boy, did that feel good!

I really exhaust myself in May! From business at the store to the volume of migrants passing through the woods, I sacrifice a lot of sleep in May. I think it’s worth it though, and I’ll make up some of that in the next couple of months. The northeast wind overnight, and showers in the morning simply resulted in my first morning of rest coming about a week early! But, because we do live in the eastern end of a time zone, dawn comes awfully early in these parts, and especially as the days get hotter, early morning become even more important for bird finding – especially for surveying breeding species.

And speaking of boreal breeders (such as the aforementioned Mourning Warbler, Olive-sided Flycatcher, Blackpoll Warbler, etc), 1,500 highly respected scientists from more than 50 countries around the world are calling for the protection of Canada’s Boreal Forest. Read more about this effort from the Boreal Songbird Initiative. Without these forests, we won’t have our May warbler (etc., etc.,) migration to enjoy!