Venture to Latta Park, Charlotte, NC
Thursday, May 3, 2007
Now who would have thought that a day in downtown Charlotte would produce a list of birds like this? Despite some excellent various internet postings on Carolinabirds, I still was not expecting a bumper crop of spring migrants. Was I ever wrong!
We were seeing warblers almost as soon as we got to Latta Park and the very tall Tulip Trees were full of Scarlet Tanagers and Baltimore Orioles. Unfortunately they moved on very quickly. Our local "man-on-the-spot", Ron Clark, showed us around this small city park, although it really was not that complicated! There were many highlights of the morning there including 16 species of warblers, point blank views of Rose-breasted Grosbeaks and both Baltimore and Orchard Orioles bathing in the small stream. Actually, the bathing birds were far easier to see than those high in the treetops and a steady stream of birds kept us entertained from very close range. Other highlights were the pair of Barred Owls dozing over our heads and the sheer numbers of Blackpoll, Cape May and Black-throated Blue Warblers. Thanks Ron, for everything. We'll definitely be back next year.
| Birds | |
| Turkey Vulture | Northern Parula (5+) |
| Cooper’s Hawk (1) | Chestnut-sided Warbler (1 male) |
| Red-tailed Hawk (Heard) | Magnolia Warbler (2 males) |
| Mourning Dove | Cape May Warbler (10+) |
| Barred Owl (2) | Black-throated Blue Warbler (20+) |
| Chimney Swift | Yellow-rumped Warbler |
| Ruby-throated Hummingbird (1) | Black-throated Green Warbler (1 male) |
| Red-bellied Woodpecker | Blackpoll Warbler (20+) |
| Downy Woodpecker | Cerulean Warbler (pair) |
| Northern Flicker (1) | Black-and-White Warbler (2) |
| Acadian Flycatcher (1) | American Redstart (5+) |
| Great Crested Flycatcher (2) | Worm-eating Warbler (1) |
| Blue Jay | Ovenbird (2) |
| American Crow | Northern Waterthrush (1) |
| Carolina Chickadee | Common Yellowthroat (1 male) |
| Tufted Titmouse | Canada Warbler (1 female) |
| White-breasted Nuthatch | Scarlet Tanager (5+) |
| Brown-headed Nuthatch (Heard) | Northern Cardinal |
| Carolina Wren | Rose-breasted Grosbeak (5+) |
| Ruby-crowned Kinglet (2) | Indigo Bunting (2) |
| Veery (1) | Eastern Towhee |
| Swainson’s Thrush (2) | Chipping Sparrow (1) |
| Wood Thrush (2) | Field Sparrow (1) |
| American Robin | Song Sparrow (Heard) |
| Gray Catbird (2) | White-throated Sparrow (10+) |
| Northern Mockingbird | Common Grackle |
| Brown Thrasher | Brown-headed Cowbird |
| Cedar Waxwing (20+) | Orchard Oriole (1 male) |
| European Starling | Baltimore Oriole (4) |
| White-eyed Vireo (1) | House Finch |
| Red-eyed Vireo | American Goldfinch |
| Nashville Warbler (1) | House Sparrow |
| Butterflies | |
| Cloudless Sulphur | Hackberry Emperor |
| Eastern Comma | |
| Mammals | |
| Gray Squirrel | Eastern Chipmunk |