Overnight temperatures the past three nights have been in the upper 20s, and the strong winds yesterday and the day before made birding difficult. This morning, even though it was quite chilly, the winds moderated a bit, and many birds that had hunkered down were out and about foraging. I started off close to home along Slabtown Branch Creek between Old Trail Drive and the eastern end of Old Trail, and soon had 25 avian species, including a few that I hadn't seen for a while. This included my first of season Brown-headed Cowbird, a Brown Creeper, and a Golden-crowned Kinglet with a fiery crown.
Female Red-bellied Woodpecker
Male Red-bellied Woodpecker
Juvenile Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Red-shouldered Hawk
Hermit Thrush
Brown-headed Cowbird
Brown Creeper
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Female White-breasted Nuthatch
Male White-breasted Nuthatch
Male House Finch
Song Sparrow
I then headed over to the golf course pond. I had been seeing Tree Swallows for about a week now, but there were Northern Rough-winged Swallows as well.
Tree Swallow
Tree Swallow
Northern Rough-winged Swallow
Northern Rough-winged Swallow
Northern Rough-winged Swallow
The male and three female Ring-necked Ducks were still there, and two Pied-billed Grebes (I had seen one there yesterday).
Female Ring-necked Duck
Pied-billed Grebes
But the highlight of the morning was a male Red-breasted Merganser (my Old Trail species # 154).
Red-breasted Merganser and male Ring-necked Duck
Red-breasted Merganser
Red-breasted Merganser
Yellow-rumped Warbler
I continued birding a few other spots in Old Trail, and ended up with 35 avian species, and was missing a handful of avian species that I have been seeing here the past week or more.
Adult Swamp Sparrow
Juvenile Swamp Sparrow
Juvenile Swamp Sparrow
Hermit Thrush
This morning's list:
Red-breasted Merganser
Ring-necked Duck
Pied-billed Grebe
Turkey Vulture
Red-shouldered Hawk
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Pileated Woodpecker
Blue Jay
American Crow
Northern Rough-winged Swallow
Tree Swallow
Carolina Chickadee
Tufted Titmouse
White-breasted Nuthatch
Brown Creeper
Carolina Wren
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Eastern Bluebird
American Robin
Hermit Thrush
Northern Mockingbird
European Starling
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Field Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
White-throated Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow
Northern Cardinal
Red-winged Blackbird
Brown-headed Cowbird
House Finch
American Goldfinch
House Sparrow