Hi Tweeters,

Just to add a bit to the earlier posts. The Hooded Warbler was really moving around when I was there shortly before and after noon. When I arrived, I could hear it calling from just a short distance passed the trail head. It moved around quite a bit, but was almost impossible to see up in the leafy canopy. After walking up and down the trail, I finally got a very unsatisfactory view while I was standing just beyond the gravelly part of the trail, just a short way in. Then it stopped singing. After waiting for maybe 10 minutes, I hiked up to the original location mentioned by Dave, maybe a bit over 1/2 a mile up the trail. As I approached the tree with the white tape (also mentioned by Dave), I could hear it vocalizing, but this time it sounded almost level with me. I went a little farther up the trail, to just above the 5 (I think) wooden steps, and scanned the trees in the direction from which it was calling. It landed on a branch in the open that was just above eye-level, maybe 50' from where I was, and sat there for several seconds, calling a few times. Then off it went. I was able to get 1 more even briefer look at this beautiful warbler before it vanished again. It called for a little longer, then stopped. As I was making my way back down the trail, I heard it calling from the canopy once again near the trail head.

In addition to this vagrant, the forest here was alive with several different species of vocalizing birds. It's worth taking one's time just to check out our local species. It was also nice meeting a few birders whose names I am familiar with but whom I had never met, plus catching up with a couple of birders that I hadn't seen in a while.

Great find Dave and Sherry!

Lonnie Somer
Kent
wheelermombi at comcast.net