Hermit Thrush
As I was processing these bird photos, I thought of my late brother, Dave, who would have been 70 years old today, had he survived his 2009 heart attack. Until his passing, Dave was my birding guru.
It was cold but sunny this morning. Although I logged 22 species here in Stoney Creek, the best birds were either in deep shadow or far away. The almost winter solstice and low sun angle made photography even more difficult.The best birds of the hike were the Hermit Thrush in the small pine forest at the end of our street, a Brown Creeper, and an Eastern Phoebe. Phoebes are common here, but only a few of them stay year-round.
Hermit Thrush
Brown Creeper
Eastern Phoebe
Great Blue Heron
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Belted Kingfisher
American Goldfinches
Mallards
I went to the trail this afternoon, and hiked the downstream and part of the Glenthorne Loop trails. There was very little avian activity except in the area near Yellow Bird Thicket. I did manage to log 14 species this afternoon, including 6 species that I had not seen this morning.
Red-shouldered Hawk
Field Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow