The Stroud Preserve, 4 January 2013

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Did I start my last post about the Stroud Preserve off with “Burr?” I should have saved that for today. While the temperature was a few warmer today the wind made it feel much, much colder. Double Burr!

The birdlife was typical with about the winter average of 31 species. The single larges group of birds today was a single flock of about 200 Morning Doves feeding on the ground in one of the plowed fields. The usual species with large numbers, crows and geese, seemed to be somewhere else today.

The first three birds of the day were good ones, Fox, Savannah, and Tree Sparrows. The Savannah may have been the same individual that I saw there on Wednesday as it was in the same general area. More impressive news about this group of sparrows was the number of American Tree Sparrows; 24 in all! That may be the most that I have ever seen in one place at one time. One sparrow that seems to have disappeared with the arrival of the artic weather is Swamp Sparrow. They are usually an easy find along the road between the parking area and the old farm pond, however, I have not observed one since 15 December.

The number of American Tree Sparrows would usually be enough to qualify it for the bird of the day. However, that will have to go to the Ring-billed Gulls as it was only the second time I have seen them at the Preserve. Any gull over the preserve is notable as was also only the 5th observation of a Herring Gull.

 

Stat time: 8:50
End time: 11:00
Temp: 32
Wind: Brisk out of the NW
Skies: Overcast
Species Total: 31
 
Great Blue Heron – 1
Black Vulture – approximately 12
Turkey Vulture – approximately 40
Canada Goose – approximately 175
Red-tailed Hawk – 6, 5 adults, 1 immature.
Ring-billed Gull – 2
Herring Gull – 1
Mourning Dove – approximately 275
Red-bellied Woodpecker – 6
Downy Woodpecker – 2
Hairy Woodpecker – 1
Northern Flicker – 2
Blue Jay – approximately 10
American Crow – approximately 60
Carolina Chickadee – approximately 20
Tufted Titmouse – approximately 10
White-breasted Nuthatch – 3, heard only
Carolina Wren – 4, heard only
Eastern Bluebird – approximately 25
American Robin – 13
Northern Mockingbird – 2
European Starling – 7
Eastern Towhee – 2
American Tree Sparrow – 24
Savannah Sparrow – 1
Fox Sparrow – 1
Song Sparrow – approximately 100
White-throated Sparrow – approximately 100
Dark-eyed Junco – 4
Northern Cardinal – approximately 12
American Goldfinch – heard only