I had gotten an email yesterday from one of my neighbors and friend, David Banks. David is an avid hiker, and as he is out on wooded trails a lot, he does a bit of bird watching while hiking. The day before, he had been hiking on the upper trail at the Ragged Mountain Reservoir. Around 12:30 p.m., he noticed an unusual bird right along the trail, took a photo and a couple of short videos, and sent them to me for species identification. It was an American Woodcock - a great find, especially for the middle of day. I asked David where on the trail he had seen it, and from memory, he sent me a map of the trail with two points marked on it, and the Woodcock was seen somewhere between those two points.
American Woodcock and trail map (courtesy of David Banks)
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker; Pileated Woodpecker
I got a late start, and birded here in Old Trail between 10:30 and noon, and ended up with 26 avian species. There was some sunshine coming through the mostly cloudy skies, but also a brisk wind that made the low 40s temperatures a bit chilly, and yesterday's snow shower made the trails fairly wet. I saw Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers in three locations: along the golf course pond (juvenile), Western Park near the lodge (juvenile), and along Slabtown Branch Creek (adult male).
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Swamp Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Hermit Thrush
I've been lucky getting some good photos of secretive Winter Wrens for the past few years, and found a cooperative one this morning as well.
Winter Wren
Winter Wren
Winter Wren
Winter Wren
Winter Wren
Winter Wren
Winter Wren
Winter Wren
Today's list:
Canada Goose
Pied-billed Grebe
Turkey Vulture
Red-shouldered Hawk
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Northern Flicker
Pileated Woodpecker
American Crow
Tufted Titmouse
White-breasted Nuthatch
Carolina Wren
Winter Wren
Hermit Thrush
Northern Mockingbird
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Field Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow
Northern Cardinal
House Finch
Pine Siskin
American Goldfinch
House Sparrow