Leaders: Kathy Horn and Bernie Hodgdon
Temp: 43° F
Winds: W 5-15 mph
Weather Conditions: mostly cloudy
The variety of ducks at the State Park is always good in the winter and we got great, close looks at them on the numerous ponds. Less common in winter is seeing so many lingering Great Blue Herons and Great Egrets but there is plenty of open water so they’re having no trouble finding food so far. It’s always a pleasure to see our native Tundra Swans as wintering visitors and this morning we were especially lucky to hear them calling several times, making the whistling call for which they were previously named.
31 species
Species | Count |
Canada Goose | 40 |
Mute Swan | 21 |
Tundra Swan | 8 |
Northern Shoveler | 12 |
Gadwall | 50 |
American Wigeon | 35 |
Mallard | 28 |
American Black Duck | 13 |
Northern Pintail | 14 |
Ring-necked Duck | 5 |
Bufflehead | 6 |
Hooded Merganser | 2 |
Mourning Dove | 3 |
American Coot | 32 |
Herring Gull | 2 |
Great Black-backed Gull | 17 |
Great Blue Heron | 1 |
Great Egret | 3 |
Black Vulture | 1 |
Turkey Vulture | 2 |
Bald Eagle | 1 |
Northern Flicker | 1 |
American Crow | 2 |
Carolina Chickadee | 2 |
Carolina Wren | 6 |
American Robin | 9 |
White-throated Sparrow | 8 |
Song Sparrow | 4 |
Swamp Sparrow | 2 |
Yellow-rumped Warbler | 15 |
Northern Cardinal | 5 |