"Sparrow season" has clearly passed but winter waterbird season is now clearly upon us, and our walk today reflected that.
Landbirds were few, especially sparrows: 16 SONG SPARROWS, 3 AMERICAN TREE SPARROWS, and 1 DARK-EYED JUNCO. About 20 HOUSE FINCHES joined them in the garden, with other landbirds limited to a truant NORTHERN FLICKER, a dozen AMERICAN GOLDFINCHES, 2-3 RED-TAILED HAWKS, 2 GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLETS amongst BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEES and TUFTED TITMICE, and a total of 8 EASTERN BLUEBIRDS. Five fly-over COMMON GRACKLES proved that songbird migration is not yet completely over, however. 24 CANADA GEESE foraged in the pasture.
But along the water's edge, action is really heating up. Scanning the cove at the beginning and end of the walk yielded the following: 145 BUFFLEHEADS, 110 COMMON GOLDENEYES (they arrived en masse just in the last few days), 21 WHITE-WINGED SCOTERS,12 RED-BREASTED MERGANSERS, 7 each of AMERICAN BLACK DUCK and MALLARD, 2 COMMON LOONS, 1 HORNED GREBE, and 1 BELTED KINGFISHER. 'Tis the season!