January 26, 2008

A steady snow was coming down when I set out to do the census, blanketing the ground and muffling sounds – including my foot steps. The river, swollen to flood levels not very long ago, was back to more seasonal height and frozen over except for a few open leads, mostly along the far shore. There was very little bird activity along the river or in the flats – 2 Canada Geese and a lone Common Merganser. There were small pockets of birds once the trail wound back into the woods below the cemetery but most activity was around the feeders. The most beautiful sight was a stunning male Eastern Bluebird sitting on a perch in the forest, about 10′ above the ground, with snow falling all around.

Observed 15 species:
2 Canada geese
1 Common Merganser
4 Mourning Doves
3 Red-bellied Woodpeckers
2 Hairy Woodpeckers
5 Downy Woodpeckers
2 Blue Jays
2 American Crows
9 Black-capped Chickadees
5 White-breasted Nuthatches
2 Eastern Bluebirds
6 Northern Cardinals
1 American Tree Sparrow
16 Dark-eyed Juncos
7 American Goldfinches

Rick

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