Weekly Report - 2017-12-08 - Winter Birding is Back Baby!!!
Mr. BQ is BACK after a two week absence with the weekly report!
With daylight savings time behind us, there is a lot more light in the mornings for good birding. The light still isn't plentiful enough for great photography, but this Friday morning was loaded with bird activity as I walked the trail. Not only were there a lot of individual birds, but there was a good diversity with 21 different species.
Songbirds were present but hard to observe. Lots of chip notes from Song Sparrows and White-throated Sparrows. With the recently mowed meadow, I noticed Song Sparrows foraging quite actively in the grass near the vacant post on the edge of the meadow closer to the tree line. Along that tree line, I noticed two Dark-eyed Juncos tussling in what seemed to be over territory. They would both do their scold call, then both jump into the air and tumble together until they land on the branches again. This was the first I'd ever observed this behavior!
As the walk was ending, I observed numerous Canada Geese coming in to land on the baseball field. I scanned the geese pretty diligently in hopes of finding a different species of goose, but no luck... yet!
Bethel Springs E.S.--Nature Trail Dec 8, 2017 7:16 AM Traveling 0.50 miles 36 Minutes All birds reported? Yes Comments: Conditions were cloudy and cold with temperatures in the low 40s. Bird activity picked up by the end but was slow most of the morning walk. Either way, great to be back on the trail after a longer than expected absence! Submitted from eBird for iOS, version 1.6.1 Build 25 50 Canada Goose -- Estimate. Some flyovers and others landing on the baseball field. 1 Red-shouldered Hawk 1 Mourning Dove 1 Red-bellied Woodpecker 6 Blue Jay 4 Carolina Chickadee 4 Tufted Titmouse 2 White-breasted Nuthatch 1 Carolina Wren 38 American Robin 1 Northern Mockingbird 1 European Starling 4 Dark-eyed Junco 6 White-throated Sparrow 3 Song Sparrow 1 Eastern Towhee 4 Northern Cardinal 1 Red-winged Blackbird 1 Common Grackle 4 House Finch 2 American Goldfinch Number of Taxa: 21
