Yesterday in Schenley Park

Schenley Park outing participants, 25 August 2024 (photo by Kate St. John)

26 August 2024

Yesterday morning 13 of us found 24 species of birds in Schenley Park plus flowering plants and insects.

Best Birds were the six+ ruby-throated hummingbirds (Archilochus colubris) sipping nectar at orange jewelweed (Impatiens capensis) along Phipps Run and at Panther Hollow Lake. Between sips they chased each other everywhere.

Orange jewelweed, favorite of hummingbirds, Schenley Park, 25 Aug 2024 (photo by Kate St. John)

So many hummingbirds was a happy sign after 7-8 years without big numbers in Schenley Park. Orange jewelweed is their favorite food on migration but it was eradicated 7-8 years ago by Schenley’s overabundant deer population. This year jewelweed patches thrive in inaccessible places at Phipps Run and among the cattails in Panther Hollow Lake. If you want to see hummingbirds, pause here and watch the jewelweed. Also check the wires above the lake.

Best insects were several red spotted purple butterflies flitting on the Lake Trail. Hailey Latona found one resting … but not for long. (Bug people: If I’ve misidentified this butterfly please correct me!)

Red spotted purple butterfly in Schenley Park, 25 Aug 2024 (video by Hailey Latona)

We also found a Honeybee Heaven near the railroad tracks. I had never noticed Japanese hop (Humulus japonicus) growing there but yesterday I could hear the flowers humming and saw it swarming with honeybees.

A species of hops at Schenley Park. Is it Japanese hops? 25 Aug 2024 (photo by Kate St. John)

By 10:30am it was getting hot but we found a chestnut-sided warbler so we paused to look harder. Alas, it was the only warbler species for the outing. Here’s our checklist.

Schenley Park, Allegheny, Pennsylvania, US Aug 25, 2024 8:30 AM – 11:00 AM

Canada Goose (Branta canadensis) X Maybe 40 on Flagstaff Hill; evidence at Panther Hollow lake
Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura) 4
Chimney Swift (Chaetura pelagica) 2
Ruby-throated Hummingbird (Archilochus colubris) 6 — Lots of chasing
Downy Woodpecker (Dryobates pubescens) 2
Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus) 2
Eastern Wood-Pewee (Contopus virens) 3 Heard
Red-eyed Vireo (Vireo olivaceus) 5
Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata) 6
Carolina Chickadee (Poecile carolinensis) 4
Tufted Titmouse (Baeolophus bicolor) 1 Heard
White-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta carolinensis) 2
Carolina Wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus) 4
Gray Catbird (Dumetella carolinensis) 3
Wood Thrush (Hylocichla mustelina) 1 Seen
American Robin (Turdus migratorius) 4
Cedar Waxwing (Bombycilla cedrorum) 9
House Finch (Haemorhous mexicanus) 4
American Goldfinch (Spinus tristis) 10
Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia) 8
Baltimore Oriole (Icterus galbula) 2
Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus) 3
Chestnut-sided Warbler (Setophaga pensylvanica) 2
Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) 2

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S192748114

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