The Stroud Preserve, 6 February 2013

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It was another slow and quiet day at the preserve. Despite the slowness of the dead of winter I do enjoy the quite stillness. I think of this time of year as the pause one takes between a deep breath and a long exhale. I also find the colors of the vegetation to hold an unsurpassed beauty during this pause in the seasons. It is all one subtle shade of gray after the other. As a painter I have always thought it is the grays that you should give your attention to. Without a gray, a vibrant red is just a red. Likewise, the seasons without this pause would be one long pant that would leave you dizzy and light headed.

In contrast to yesterday, total numbers of individuals and species were down. The only bird that I saw today that I didn’t see yesterday was Common Grackle. I also had the place to myself as I saw no one there other than the preserve manager, Fred, who I always enjoy stopping to talk shop with.

Start time: 9:30

End time: 12:30

Temp: 30-34°

Wind: none

Skies: overcast

Species Total: 32

  • Great Blue Heron – 5, high count
  • Black Vulture – 6
  • Turkey Vulture – approximately 20
  • Canada Goose – approximately
  • American Black Duck – 5, another high count. Bird of the day! While this might be a common place species for most Pennsylvanian birders, I greatly enjoy seeing them after 20 years of their absence living in the Pacific Northwest. 
  • Mallard – 37
  • Sharp-shinned Hawk – 1 adult
  • Red-tailed Hawk – 7, 6 adults and 1 imm
  • Great Horned Owl – 1, female on the nest
  • Red-bellied Woodpecker – approximately 5
  • Downy Woodpecker – approximately 5
  • Hairy Woodpecker – approximately 10! Where did all these come from?
  • Northern Flicker – 4
  • Blue Jay – approximately 10
  • American Crow – approximately 125
  • Fish Crow – 1
  • Carolina Chickadee – approximately 10
  • Tufted Titmouse – approximately 10
  • White-breasted Nuthatch – approximately 8
  • Carolina Wren – 7
  • Golden-crowned Kinglet – 3
  • Eastern Bluebird – approximately 5, heard only
  • Northern Mockingbird – 3
  • European Starling – approximately 75
  • Eastern Towhee – 2, heard only
  • Fox Sparrow – 2, heard only
  • Song Sparrow – approximately 20
  • White-throated Sparrow – approximately 60
  • Dark-eyed Junco – approximately 30
  • Northern Cardinal – approximately 15
  • Common Grackle – 2
  • House Finch – 2