Birdwalk Highlights for 6/20: Old Town House Park, North Yarmouth.

We enjoyed another exceptional Saturday morning birding stroll today at one of our favorite breeding season destinations. Of course, we began and ended with BOBOLINKS (20-30), including lots of great views of both males and females. But perhaps today they were a little upstaged.

The highlight was a pair of rare ORCHARD ORIOLE, with the male in particular well seen for an extended period of time. The female appeared to carry off some food, confirming breeding in the vicinity for yet another season. Less expected were three BROWN THRASHERS sitting in the same bare tree, and 8 fly-over GLOSSY IBIS!

A fly-over AMERICAN KESTREL and extended views of a singing WILLOW FLYCATCHER were some of the other notable sightings today. We also watched a total of 6 species mobbing a COOPER'S HAWK - of course, the most aggressive attacks coming from EASTERN KINGBIRDS!

Of course, the park was also pleasantly birdy and richly filled with the expected species: 20 AMERICAN GOLDFINCHES, 15 SONG SPARROWS, 10 YELLOW WARBLERS, 10 GRAY CATBIRDS, 8 COMMON YELLOWTHROATS, 5 AMERICAN REDSTARTS, 4 BALTIMORE ORIOLES, 4 EASTERN WARBLING VIREOS, 3 EASTERN BLUEBIRDS, 2 RED-EYED VIREOS, and one each of BLACK-AND-WHITE WARBLER, OVENBIRD, BROAD-WINGED HAWK, and PURPLE FINCH.