Well, It just seemed like the sky fell in. Last Friday, May 17, when I got up in the morning seemingly from out of nowhere the backyard feeders were swarming with birds. I scrambled to get my camera, taking some pictures through the glass and some through a slightly opened window with no screen. They just kept coming and there were birds everywhere. Within a day or two most of the migrants were gone, but it was fun to watch while it lasted.
Click here to see photos from the day.

Friday morning at the backyard feeders:
Goldfinches - 50+
Indigo Buntings - 4
Baltimore Orioles- 5 male, 4 female
Orchard Oriole - 1 male, 1 immature male
Rose-breasted Grosbeak - 3 pair
American Redstart - 1 male, one female
Yellow Warblers - several
Black and White Warblers
Common Yellowthroats
Mourning Doves - 6
Brown Thrasher - 1
Scarlet Tanager - 1 male
Harris' Sparrows - 2
Least Flycatchers
House Finches
Purple Finches
Cardinals
Robins
Downy Woodpeckers (& Hairy Woodpeckers?)
Red-Bellied Woodpeckers
House Sparrows
Grackles
and several Warblers that I could not ID
This was just at the feeders. I didn't walk out to the fence-row trees or the neighbors wood grove. I can't imagine what I missed during the day while I was at work. Click here to see photos from the day.

Sunday I went for a drive. I wanted to check on an Eagles nest a bit north of here, and I knew the light would be the best in the morning. I was pleased to find at least two Eaglets in the nest. I was in the car viewing the nest in the tree, so it was a bit hard to tell, but I did see the two in the picture below. The adult male had just brought lunch and then went stand guard in a nearby tree. As I was leaving I spotted 13 Cormorants on the river. The next stop was to look for a Barred Owl that I had heard several times, but hadn't gotten a picture. After a bit of a search in the woods I did find it and he posed nicely for me. In the same vicinity I saw Hermit Thrushes, Yellow-rumped Warblers, Chickadees, Nuthatches, Mallards and three White-tailed Deer.
Next, back to the back yard. The sun had come around to the deck and there was nice lighting on the birds near the feeders. Red-bellied Woodpeckers, White-Throated Sparrows, House Finches, Purple Finches, Cardinals, Blue Jays, Chickadees, Nuthatches, House Sparrows, Mourning Doves and two male Rose-Breasted Grosbeaks had just arrived. It was a busy day at the bird feeders.
[You can click any of the pictures here to see a larger image.]

It was a beautiful Sunday morning. Quiet, clear and finally getting warmer. I went down to the pond in the dark to set up to take pictures of Wood Ducks and whatever other ducks I might find. I quietly settled in as close as I could get to the water without getting wet, sat on my padded stadium seat, set up my tripod and camera across my legs and pulled the camo netting over my head and camera. I waited as the sky gradually filled with light and watched the ducks as they swam around the pond, foraging for food and preening. Some light clouds drifted in softening the light, but also reducing the intensity a bit.  I really wanted a little more sun to bring out the colors on the heads of the drakes, but I also knew that I had to take pictures in the less than ideal light because they could spook and fly away at any time. The female Wood Ducks were checking out all of the nest boxes and the males followed them around from one corner of the pond to another. I got a few photographs of the Wood Ducks as the light improved slightly and I'm glad that I didn't wait, because they soon flew off to the trees.  The other ducks were a bit more cooperative. I also got several nice pictures of the Bluebills (aka Scaup) as well as Blue-Winged Teal. But soon the early morning joggers and walkers scared most of birds away... but it was time to leave anyway. 
Click the images to see a larger picture or see more pictures of ducks here.