Vastly different weather than yesterday. The weatherman said sunny, but we mostly got clouds and wind, which may have kept the bird population down.
There weren’t nearly as many small birds as yesterday, and no waterfowl to speak of.
You can't go far in the park without seeing a Dark Eyed Junco.
I went years without seeing a Lincoln's Sparrow, and now they're everywhere.
We had another near perfect morning, even though it was somewhat breezy with occasional clouds. I got to Terrapin early, and noticed lots of small birds right away. I walked the beach path, then spent most of my time in the marsh ponds and the adjacent field, which was accommodating hundreds of sparrows, juncos and kinglets. I was anticipating the arrival of a hawk to this potential feast, and he showed up.
A wonderful day.
This Palm Warbler was a welcome change from all the sparrows.
I'm always glad to see a Red Bellied Woodpecker.
White Throated Sparrows in good light are as attractive as any bird.
This Mockingbird was enjoying a nice feast.
I only seem to get juvenile White Crowned Sparrows, no adults.
I only saw Chipping Sparrows near the beach.
There were dozens of Ruby Crowned Kinglets feeding frantically everywhere in the park.
There were still plenty of bugs for this Eastern Phoebe to eat.
I almost overlooked this Field Sparrow mixed in with the other sparrows.
This Lincoln's Sparrow is a first for me.
This Dark Eyed Junco is for my sister.
It was tricky to capture this Snowy Egret, who was well back in the corner of the pond.
There was a single Snowy Egret in the marsh pond.
This Cooper's Hawk had hundreds of birds to choose from.
The weather was better than promised this morning, with skies clearing early. I went back to Sands Road in hopes of finding some sparrows, and I found on new one. Other than that, it was the usual suspects.
The Red Bellied Woodpecker has a very distinctive call.
Song Sparrows are in every part of the park.
Eastern Towhees aren't numerous, but I see one or more nearly every visit
I had to work this morning, so I only got out for a short while. I went to Jonas Green because it’s nearby, and often a good site. There were plenty of birds today, but not much variety, with Song Sparrows and Yellow Rumped Warblers dominating the mix.
There's not too many places you can go without finding a Ruby Crowned Kinglet.
This Ring Billed Gull reminds me that I don't often look for birds near the bay in Summer.
I went back to Sands Road again, and I guess I pushed my luck too far. The birds weren’t nearly as numerous, but the Nuthatch is a bird I haven’t seen in a while, so it will have to do.
I found this Eastern Comma in the parking lot as I was leaving.
Clear skies and temps in the 50s tempted me back to Sands Road this morning. There’s still some good birds there I haven’t seen.
I did see an interesting bird I couldn’t photograph, the rest were the usual suspects, but they posed nicely in good light.
Perfect weather and perfect birding today. It’s sparrow season, and Sands Road is good habitat, so I got there about dawn, and the activity was almost non-stop. I walked about a quarter way around the big field, and spent the last hour looking for migrant sparrows. The warbler was unexpected, and the local Harrier put on a show as well.
Hermit Thrushes are being seen in many places.
This Yellow Bellied Sapsucker may spend the Winter here.
She may not look like it but this Eastern Towhee is a member of the sparrow family.
This handsome Carolina Chickadee looks even better with a nice background.
A small flock of Goldfinches was feeding near the field.
Song Sparrows seem to be the dominant sparrow.
This Palm Warbler is heading South.
Look in marshy areas to find the Swamp Sparrow.
I saw this Northern Harrier from a distance, and was able to sneak close enough for a decent image.
We're nearing the end of migration, so this Nashville Warbler was a nice find.
I had planed to work this morning, but the schedule was changed, and I got a late start. I’m convinced I do better when I start early.
There was some action when I arrived around 9:00, but it slowed quickly, and I only stayed two hours.
Yellow Rumped Warblers are still easily found.
I watched this Great Blue Heron for half an hour, and he didn't move from his perch.
Two Belted Kingfishers were fishing in the cove.
There were 15-20 Mallards in the cove.
I saw this Downy Woodpecker in the trees, then he landed right in front of me.
It was very windy this morning, with lots of clouds, so I got a late start. Quiet Waters is just a mile away, and I’ve had good luck there in the past, so I gave it a try and did fairly well. Sparrows and Juncos have arrived in good numbers, and the warbler was a nice bonus.
Downy Woodpeckers are quite athletic, and a treat to watch.
White Throated Sparrows will be numerous 'til Spring.
I saw a large flock of very active Ruby Crowned Kinglets.
I usually find Dark Eyed Juncos on the ground.
There are many regional differences among Song Sparrows.
Yellow Rumped Warblers are usually found in small flocks.
The male Red Bellied Woodpecker may be our most attractive woodpecker.
The Eastern Towhee is well camouflaged for Fall.
This Black Throated Green Warbler may be migrating a little late.
I had planned to work this morning, but my plans changed and I got to Terrapin about 8:30. I suspect I missed the best time, but there were enough birds still around to make it worthwhile. There weren’t as many birds as yesterday and I didn’t see any kinglets at all.
