Empidonax Hat Trick? (02-11Sep2017)

Last weekend was soccer tournament time in Greensboro and Highpoint.  However I can't go up there without getting in some birding on the side.  Don't tell my wife but I selected our hotel because it is also a good birding spot - the Piedmont Triad Airport Marriott in Greensboro is a prime location for breeding Warbling Vireos so I figured it might be good in migration too.

American Redstart

Yellow-billed Cuckoo

We had a couple hours to kill after the family got some breakfast but before the first game so I took the family to the Bog Garden.  Great place!

Correction: my buddy Jelmer pointed out this is probably a Eastern Wood-pewee.

Typical view of a Magnolia from below.

Barred Owl

Magnolia

On Sunday my family went home and I headed up for 24 hours in the mountains.  I started by heading up Curtis Creek Rd all the way up to Mount Mitchell.  It was a zoo.  Motorcycles and loud people everywhere.  It was also too late in the day and the birds were minimal.

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail

Broad-winged Hawk

In the late afternoon I headed down to Mills River to check out Hooper Lane and was skunked on Buff-breasted Sandpipers but found my other targets.

Baird's SP - I saw some other possible candidates but they were far off and did not have other peeps nearby for comparison.  The above on was the only one near by with clear markings like the black legs and long tapered look.

There were plenty of Least SPs, so I was a little confused by recent reports of lots of Baird's with no Least.  See above, you can even see the yellow legs.

Three American Golden Plovers is a good count anywhere in NC.

Bobolinks were holding down the flower beds.

Almost looks like a giant Grasshopper Sparrow.

I stayed overnight in Hendersonville so I could hit up Jackson Park early.  The first couple hours in the morning were horrible with only a few birds hear and there.  Then at 10am or so I started finding some flocks and my outlook on life improved.  In hindsight I should have hit up Ridge Junction first thing then did Jackson Park later.

House Wren

Hooded Warbler

Chestnut-sided Warbler

Blackburnian Warbler

Blue-winged Warbler

American Redstart

Weird looking juvenile White-eyed Vireo

Orange Sulphur

Cabbage White

Back home I have been birding Burnt Mill Creek religiously before work.

Eastern Wood-pewee.

Anhinga

Red-eyed Vireos are lousy at BMC

I found this Willow Flycatcher that has been hanging out for over a week now.  He has done the Wit call several times with different people hearing him.

Moderate primary projection.

During my kids soccer practice I made a short foray to Sutton Lake.

Four-spotted Pennant?

My first New Hanover Yellow Warbler for the year.

Prairie Warbler

Back at BMC early enough in the mornings to watch the sun rise and the dawn chorus start up.

Veery

Belted Kingfisher

This one looked like an Acadian. More green on back and projection was fairly long although you can't see it here. It also looked long as opposed to compact.

Willow Flycatcher - hear it again.

American Redstart

Yellow-throated Warbler

What you can't tell this is a Cape May Wabler's ass?  You need to brush up on your skills. I assure you it was a Cape May. We should get more of these presently.

Magnolia Warbler

White-eyed Vireo

Black-and-white Warbler

Prairie

Pileated WP

Ok so this is probably the bird that everyone has been seeing lately and calling it a Yellow-bellied Flycatcher.  What do you think? Little contrast between malar and throat and between throat and belly.

Update: I have a couple people that have confirmed they think it is a Yellow-bellied.  I am going with it.

Not especially long primary projection which may rule out Acadian?

Eye-ring pronounced enough?

Ruby-throated HB

I thin this is the Willow again on another day.

Pine Warblers are a diverse bunch of birds.  No two look alike.