Pokeweed flowers opening, Duck Hollow, 26 July 2026 (photo by Kate St. John)

27 July 2026

Yesterday the river was a running high and the birds were subdued when three of us joined up for the Duck Hollow outing. Even so we had some good sightings.

Best Bird was a surprise –> a singing yellow-throated warbler (Setophaga dominica) which we could hear but not see in the thick leaves. We were amazed it was singing at the end of July.

From a distance I saw splashes in the river that looked like a school of fish surfacing. It was a flock of chimney swifts drinking from the river and perhaps bathing in flight by splashing their bellies in the water.

We noticed that some Canada geese have completed their wing molt and are able to fly. The flightless geese called to them from Duck Hollow.

We found pokeweed (Phytolacca americana) in bloom (above) and evidence that deer are eating it (below). Pokeweed is deadly poisonous to humans but not to deer. With careful collecting and cooking we humans can eat pokeweed in the Spring but it’s too late now in July. See West Virgina Public Broadcasting’s Edible Mountain Pokeweed video.

Pokeweed eaten by deer, Duck Hollow, 26 July 2026 (photo by Kate St. John)

Common burdock (Arctium minus), nature’s velcro, is blooming now. The intricate flowers attract bees and other pollinators.

Burdock flowers not quite open and full flower, Duck Hollow, 26 July 2026 (photos by Kate St. John)

Spotted lanternflies have not reached the pest stage (yet?). Yesterday we saw just two red instars and one winged adult. It’s been three years since we were plagued with them in 2023.

Spotted lanternfly last instar, Duck Hollow, 26 July 2026 (photo by Kate St. John)

Look at this! A voracious bug has been eating Japanese knotweed (Reynoutria japonica) leaves. Does anyone know what bug this might be?

Japanese knotweed leaves eaten by insect, Duck Hollow, 26 July 2026 (photo by Kate St. John)

In 90 minutes we tallied 20 species. The day was warming up so we went home.

Duck Hollow, Allegheny, Pennsylvania. Jul 26, 2026 8:30?AM – 10:00?AM
20 species

Canada Goose (Branta canadensis) 15 Some were still flightless due to wing molt.
Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) 25 All males in eclipse plumage
Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura) 3
Chimney Swift (Chaetura pelagica) 14 flock drinking from the river
American Herring Gull (Larus smithsonianus) 2
Downy Woodpecker (Dryobates pubescens) 2 second individual may have been juvenile
Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus) 1
Eastern Phoebe (Sayornis phoebe) 1
Red-eyed Vireo (Vireo olivaceus) 1
Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata) 3
Carolina Chickadee (Poecile carolinensis) 2
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher (Polioptila caerulea) 1
Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos) 1
American Robin (Turdus migratorius) 7
American Goldfinch (Spinus tristis) 9
Chipping Sparrow (Spizella passerina) 1
Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia) 2
Yellow-throated Warbler (Setophaga dominica) 1 Amazed to hear it singing.
Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) 9
Indigo Bunting (Passerina cyanea) 2

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S376678053