We are in the “dog days” of summer. The dog star, Sirius, dips low on the horizon, and our canine companions, sapped by the heat, are low on energy.
For birders, this time of year brings a lull in species sightings. The migrant warblers are in their northern breeding grounds, many weeks off from when southerly instincts stir their souls.
In my part of the world, even the visitors remaining are hard to find. I have not heard a common yellowthroat calling for a week or more, although I did briefly spot two of them this morning at the Pole Farm.
While I regularly heard and spotted indigo buntings a month ago, I’ve been hearing but not seeing them on almost every outing. This morning, I’d heard at least four of them at the Pole Farm before finally spotting one high up in a tree where the woods meet the main meadows. I have paid the bunting the honor of placing the one fair photo I got of it atop this post.
On the trail back to my car, I heard three blue grosbeaks singing. But they refused to show themselves. While other birding friends have gotten photos, I’ve been shut out to the point that I wonder if the grosbeaks are taunting me.
A bit later in the morning, I headed to a driving range in Morrisville, Pennsylvania, to tune up for the nine holes of golf I’m scheduled to play at mid-week. On the way, I took the “Trenton Makes” bridge to make a birding stop at the Morrisville levee along the Delaware River.
I’d been to the levee a couple of times before, never fully comfortable walking along the path atop it. I am, frankly, terrified of heights. The levee slants steeply, and I want no part of tumbling down whatever length it is to the river that George Washington and his troops famously crossed nearby in December 1776.
Standing on the grassy side of the levee toward the town, I swept the river with my binoculars and saw a huge number of gulls sitting on rocks in the water. I heard laughing gulls and took a few photos with my telephoto lens fully extended.
I stayed on the levee about 15 minutes before heading down a steep cement stairway to the street below and walking back to my car. Rather than going to the driving range in Morrisville, I headed back over the river and made my way to the driving range closer to home — no heights involved. I leave that to the indigo buntings. 🦅
The Jersey Birder 
The Indigo Bunting is sweet! 😊
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I love the reminder about Sirius, the dog star. Here is West Virginia, we are deep into the dog days. It’s 90 degrees here, and Zeke and Lucy and I have withdrawn to the indoors for the foreseeable future. Beautiful bunting!
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I know that feeling of waiting for a bird that never seems to land where you hope—your mention of the Indigo Bunting had me nodding, since it’s been elusive for me too. Goldfinches have been everywhere this summer, glowing like little sparks at the feeders, and the house finches have been steady company. I’d even stopped logging daily updates to eBird—my last one before today (August 22) was August 10, because it was the same 18–20 species on repeat for weeks. Then yesterday afternoon a ruby-throated hummingbird showed up in the sassafras, which finally made me put out the feeder. This afternoon it was back, preening on a branch, and I caught a few frames. Today Merlin ID lit up with 29 species, and to top it off a Red-spotted Admiral landed on the deck while I was outside. I can’t help wondering what shifted overnight.
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