Starting late today (10:30), we headed south to the Middletown area and ended
NE of Winchester where we refound the 2 SHORT-EARED OWLS we had 2 nights ago.
In mid-afternoon, we went to the top of North Mountain where we found both of
our target birds - BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEES as well as a single RAVEN. Also up
there, I flushed a single RUFFED GROUSE (right near Sue's Peacock spot, so she
can believe it or not!).
At 3PM, we found a HUGE mixed-flock of Starling/blackbirds, where we found at
least 3 Rusty, Grackles, Cowbirds, etc. I couldn't positively ID any Brewer's,
but there may have been some (bad lighting and they kept stirring about).
Missed bird was Harrier, although we had a nice male yesterday - there are very
few of them out here this year. Also missed was the single American Tree
Sparrow we had yesterday. But all-in-all, a great day!
Here's our whole list:
Black Vulture
Turkey Vulture
Canada Goose
Mallard
Bald Eagle - 2
Sharp-shinned Hawk - 2
Cooper's Hawk - 1 with a HUGE crop (let's hope it was a Starling!)
Red-shouldered Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk - 6 (rather scarce today for whatever reason)
A. Kestrel - 8 (a nice showing but fewer than yesterday)
RUFFED GROUSE - 1 (probably the most unexpected one of the day)
A. Coot - 2
Rock Pigeon
Mourning Dove - hundreds
SHORT-EARED OWL - 2
Red-headed WP - 1 NE of Middletown (also seen yesterday)
Red-bellied WP
Downy WP - 4
Hairy WP - 3
N Flicker - 2
Pileated WP - 2
Blue Jay - lots
A Crow - many
Raven - 1
Horned Lark - 12 (we never found the flock of 100 from yesterday)
Carolina Chickadee - a few
BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEE - at least 4 (heard & seen up-close with very bright
"hockey stick")
Tufted Titmouse - large numbers around lately
WB Nuthatch - 12+
Carolina Wren - 6+
Bluebird - 15 or so
Robin - dozens
Mockingbird
Starling - hundreds, of course
Song SP
Swamp SP - 2
White-throated SP
White-crowned SP - 2
Junco
Cardinal
RW Blackbird - many
Rusty Blackbird - 3 or more
Grackle - picked out at least 10 or so
Cowbird - many
Purple Finch - 1 female
House Finch
Goldfinch - many
House SP
Jon & BJ Little
Winchester
