My Big Month - Day 11

I just can't believe how much our weather changes day-to-day here this Spring. After such a gorgeous day yesterday, I found myself wearing my winter hat again this morning. It was only 45 degrees and extremely windy. Twice during my walk it even sleeted for a short time! BUT, despite the weather today may likely have been the best day of birding I've ever had at the park. I took just under 300 -yes 300 photos in one outing today. Of course a heck of a lot of them were of the same bird(s), attempting to get the best shot possible. There were too many highlights to even mention them all -but the biggest was finding an area of the park that was packed with different kinds of Warblers. It's an area I don't even typically walk, on the paved trail closest to 69th Avenue on the south side. All in this one small area I spotted Black-and-white, Yellow, Palm, Yellow-rumped and Chestnut-sided Warblers! To my amazement I tallied up 9 different Warblers that I saw and photographed today, which is definitely a record for me! So my list of total species below should be bigger for that reason alone, plus I just saw a lot of other neat birds today.
I couldn't believe I was seeing the Chestnut-sided so easily as my only other encounter with one at the park was extremely brief. I took LOTS of photos of one of the Chestnuts that stayed on the ground and let me get closer than I would have thought possible. It was great fun to see all these Warblers but I was in for another treat later on when I got to see that Magnolia Warbler I mentioned yesterday in full view on the ground where I could also photograph him easier. I sat and watched and photographed this bird more than any other today. I just found him so striking that I devoted quite a bit of time to getting the best shot I could. So for the simple reason that I was able to photograph two stunningly beautiful Warblers today, I'm breaking my rule and posting two photos today.

Total species seen today: (These first 9 in blue are all Warblers) Chestnut-sided Warbler, Magnolia Warbler, Ovenbird, Yellow-rumped Warbler, American Redstart, Yellow Warbler, Palm Warbler, Northern Waterthrush, Black-and-White Warbler, Hairy Woodpecker, Bald Eagle, Great Blue Heron, Great Egret, Northern Cardinal, Blue Jay, Hermit Thrush, Baltimore Oriole, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, American Goldfinch, Black-capped Chickadee, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, American Crow, Brown-headed Cowbird, Red-winged Blackbird, Common Grackle, American Robin, Least Flycatcher, Canada Goose, Mallard, Blue-winged Teal, Northern Shoveler, Wild Turkey, Gadwall, American Coot, American Tree Sparrow, Song Sparrow and White-throated Sparrow.

Conditions: 45 degrees and very windy. Some sleet.