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Index of Subjects Pleasant Hill Cemetery Rarities. Hi All Finally getting caught up on my field notes for Pleasant Hill. Fortunately Dennis has taken up the slack and has been doing a great job of keeping reports up to date. The following are a few additional details. Thus far this year the birding has been pretty exciting at Pleasant Hill. The first rarity of the year was a Willow Flycatcher that arrived with a small wave of Alders Flycatchers the first week of June. It was present and singing for 2 days on the Pine Slope behind the strip mall. I believe this may be the male half of the pair found by Dennis in nearby Second Lake Park as the straight line distance between the two sites in just under 2 kilometers. I should also note that this pair bred successfully, producing 3 young. The highlight during June and July at Pleasant Hill was the families of Gray Catbirds and Northern Cardinals. This is the second summer that 2 families of catbirds have nested there and the cardinals have been present for several summers. However the real excitement was that there was a Northern Cardinal explosion in Sackville this year. This summer I found 9 breeding pairs of Northern Cardinals in just in Lower Sackville. August 17 - August 17 marked the first wave of warblers at Pleasant Hill. No rarities but a nice mix of 6 species warblers (Yellow-rumped, BTGW, C Yel, Y War, N Par, A Red). August 21 - The first fall rarity of a Lark Sparrow at my feeders in Beaverbank sent me to cemetery which as expected I saw another 1 maybe 2 Lark Sparrows which were mixed in with a flock of White-throats and Song Sparrows. August 27 - Connecticut Warbler shows up at the bottom of the Irving Street entrance to the cemetery adjacent to the Little Sackville River, by the next mourning it is in the cemetery itself. August 28 - 2 very friendly Towsend's Warblers ( 1 adult female and 1 immature male) present at the top left hand corner of Pleasant Hill just below the new Jewish section. Couldn't find the Connecticut but on the Iron Cross Trail I encounter a Hooded Warbler. Also present was an uncooperative warbler sized green and gray mystery skulker. August 31 - Day 4 for the Connecticut Warbler and probable last day but hard to say for sure as this particular individual moves around a lot and likes to stay out of sight. I mainly tracked it by its call note. September 6 - Day 2 for Kentucky Warbler, I arrive at the crack of dawn to look for Dennis's Kentucky Warbler and first hear then see a calling Greater Golden Plover as it makes a low pass over the cemetery heading in the general directing of Bedford Basin. Shorebirds of any type are unusual at the cemetery so I was surprised to encounter 3 species that day, 1 Killdeer flying due south, the Greater Golden Plover heading roughly south east and a mystery shorebird that I could hear but not see due to the fog. I only had until 6:30 to check for birds so despite all the warblers present I had to run before I could id most of them. September 7 - Lots of warblers present, Day 3 for the Kentucky Warbler and my first decent look (Upper Field), 1 Prairie Warbler sticking like clue to a Blackburnian Warbler near Irving. 1 Hooded warbler near the Schultz Street Entrance. 1 White-eyed Vireo in the Jewish Section. September 8 -Lots of warblers present, Day 4 for the Kentucky Warbler which is still in the Upper Field and may be encountered on its own or in the presence of two Common Yellowthroats. Day 2 for the White-eyed Vireo now in the Pig Run. New Arrival = Yellow-breasted Chat in the Pig Run. Also a mystery skulking warbler that would not show itself. If you are planning to visit Pleasant Hill the best time to visit the cemetery is in the mourning before 10:30, after that it becomes very quiet and one really has to dig to find most of the birds. Sometimes in the evening it can be good as well unless it is windy. This is NOT a good location to be at for first light as it takes a little while for the sun to hit Pleasant Hill due to its orientation. Also keep in mind this is an active cemetery with burials and family visits being very common on the weekends. - Cheers, Clarence
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