Current Count: 46 species (own pics to come)

Deeper into the night the thunder rumbled and the rain pelted the tent, which meant a temporary evacuation and eventually a switching of the guard.

Unfortunately, I was the one to switch into the soaked tent. Still, I made due with a narrow band of dry patches and tried to sleep through the rain rattling the nylon tent and tarp. Then, around midnight, a light flashed through the tent as Jackson and Fiona returned to listen for night birds. But the rain sent them back in.

Two hours later, they returned when the skies began to clear. Still, there were no birds, but plenty of frogs. Finally, I convinced everyone to get some sleep and that I would call at 4:30 to try again.

At 4:45 a.m., it was surprisingly light and loud. Birds had burst into calls and songs, so much so that it was hard to decipher between them. As Jackson joined me in the gray light, the noises calmed and became easier to pick out. And some of the brighter birds could be picked out even at dawn. These included a Scarlet Tanager, Magnolia Warbler, and a Chestnut-Sided Warbler. In the distance, a Wild Turkey and Great-Crested Flycatcher could be heard, as well as the always eerie Northern Flicker. Then, when we had given up hope, the call of a Great Horned Owl approached.

By 6:00, we were back inside and napping for an hour. When we woke up, the sun was bright and there were even more birds flitting from tree to tree and singing, further highlighting the morning with Black-Throated Green Warblers and Black-Throated Blue Warblers, as well as the return of the Scarlet Tanager.

Dragging, we wondered what would be next and what he had energy for.