Photo: Northern flicker by Sheen Watkins

Hello everyone,

A sure sign of spring’s arrival is when our fair-weather birders return to the group, and many of them were with us today. Welcome back everyone!

Another sign is when our spring migrants return in large numbers. We had a lot of Kinglets, and this week the Ruby-crowned outnumbered the Golden-crowned. We had quite a few Northern Flickers and Eastern Phoebes too. The Mallard males were looking especially handsome in their bright breeding colors, with their iridescent heads changing from green to purple as the light changed.

The gorgeous Tree Swallows are back and a couple of them stopped to pose for us long enough to allow us to study their pretty feathers. One Purple Martin was spotted so it’s likely that we’ll have more by next week’s walk.

BIRDERS: Luther, Emma, Darby, Maddie, Jen, Mike, Jennie, Marian, Roger, Leslie, Mark C., Gary, Cheryl, Daniela, Lucy, Eric, Lillian, Jim, Rob, Meghan, Marisa, Tyler, Bruce, Renate, and welcome to Simone, Robert, Lex, Tally, Lily and Jennifer.

TIME: 8:00am to 10:45am                 

WEATHER: 48 degrees, sunny

Compiler: Cheryl

Photographers: Marisa, Eric, Gary

1. Canada Goose   Number observed: 21

2. Wood Duck   Number observed: 2

3. Blue-winged Teal   Number observed: 5

4. Mallard   Number observed: 8

5. Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon)   Number observed: 2

6. Ring-billed Gull   Number observed: 5

7. Herring Gull   Number observed: 1

8. Caspian Tern   Number observed: 3

9. Double-crested Cormorant   Number observed: 2

10. Northern Harrier   Number observed: 1

11. Cooper's Hawk   Number observed: 2

12. Belted Kingfisher   Number observed: 1

13. Downy Woodpecker   Number observed: 5

14. Hairy Woodpecker   Number observed: 1

15. Northern Flicker   Number observed: 9

16. Eastern Phoebe   Number observed: 5

17. American Crow   Number observed: 11

18. Black-capped Chickadee   Number observed: 4

19. Tree Swallow   Number observed: 6

20. Purple Martin   Number observed: 1

21. Northern Rough-winged Swallow   Number observed: 2

22. Barn Swallow   Number observed: 1

23. Ruby-crowned Kinglet   Number observed: 11

24. Golden-crowned Kinglet   Number observed: 10

25. Brown Creeper   Number observed: 2

26. Winter Wren   Number observed: 1

27. European Starling   Number observed: 9

28. Brown Thrasher   Number observed: 1

29. Hermit Thrush   Number observed: 1

30. American Robin   Number observed: 20

31. House Sparrow   Number observed: 4

32. House Finch   Number observed: 1

33. American Goldfinch   Number observed: 8

34. Chipping Sparrow   Number observed: 1

35. Song Sparrow   Number observed: 3

36. Eastern Towhee   Number observed: 1

37. Red-winged Blackbird   Number observed: 23

38. Brown-headed Cowbird   Number observed: 14

39. Common Grackle   Number observed: 6

40. Yellow-rumped Warbler   Number observed: 4

41. Northern Cardinal   Number observed: 5

If you’d like more information about a bird, check out the All About Birds ID guide:

https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/

Corrections, additions and comments are welcome.

Good birding everyone,

Jennie