Birdwalk Highlights for 4/15: Florida Lake Park, Freeport.

Birdwalks are back! I might still be using binoculars with one arm, but at least we're back to our routine. And we got off to a great (re)start this morning at our favorite spring destination.

We had our first few migrants in the parking lot, and plenty more in the hot corner of the lake. Early on migrants were nicely concentrated at the sunny edge, but soon dispersed. Our best guess of numbers this morning was a goodly 40 YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS, 40 PALM WARBLERS, 9 RUBY-CROWNED KINGLETS, 8 PINE WARBLERS, 6 SONG SPARROWS, 5 BROWN-HEADED COWBIRDS, 3 WHITE-THROATED SPARROWS, 3 EASTERN PHOEBES, 2 SWAMP SPARROWS, 1 NORTHERN FLICKER, and 1 PURPLE FINCH. Three CEDAR WAXWINGS dropped in briefly, and we heard a BROWN CREEPER singing from the woods.

About a dozen TREE SWALLOWS were buzzing around the lake and birdhouses and 26 RING-NECKED DUCKS continue. Two GREEN-WINGED TEAL dropped in, joining one of the 3 WOOD DUCKS we spotted this morning. Two migrant GREAT BLUE HERONS passed high overhead as we were watching a pair of OSPREYS fishing in the lake.

One the walk out, an EASTERN BLUEBIRD stopped by in perfect light, and then the icing on the cake was a drumming RUFFED GROUSE, felt as much as heard as we approached the parking lot.