On an overcast afternoon, I headed off to the millpond, intent, as usual, on documenting the comings and goings of invertebrates and hopeful that I might finally get a glimpse of Dragonhunter dragonflies, which have been conspicuous in their absence. In the stream below the waterfall, I did spot a couple of them laying eggs in the water, but they weren't stopping long enough to be photographed, and I wasn't quick enough on the draw to get them in mid-air. However, this handsome fellow appeared unbidden, and gradually worked its way up the stream and into my viewfinder. It paid scant attention to me and simply went about its business of gleaning stream creatures. I knew it was a waterthrush, no doubt a returning migrant, and I knew I had good pictures... but what species: a Northern or a Louisiana? Earlier this year, I'd reviewed The Warbler Guide, by Tom Stephenson and Scott Whittle (Princeton University Press), and here was a great field test of this authoritative book. In short order, using the various comparison tools the guide puts at your disposal, I had my ID: definitely a Louisiana Waterthrush. As I wrote in a thank-you note I sent to the authors, "Now, I'm definitely a believer."

Louisiana Waterthrush