Christmas Bird Count

Well, we went out his morning to do our share int he Christmas Bird Count and all I can say is it was boring--very boring. Terry and I were asked to cover a couple of stretches of the Hike and Bike (or is it "Bike & Hike"?) Trail that starts behind the CVS on old Route 15 in Mansfield and runs on up through the Lambs Creek Recreation Area.

The weather was great--beautifully clear and almost no wind, temperatures were in the 20s. Still, the birds didn't cooperate. We saw only nine species at on each of the two stretches of trail we covered. Seven of the nine were common to both, so we only saw a TOTAL of 11 species--in about three hours and four miles of walking.

Here's Terry's and my lists:

Location: Mansfield Bike Path (8-9:30 AM; 2 miles walked)
Observation date: 12/18/10
Notes: Just 23 degrees F but little or no wind. Clear blue skies.
Number of species: 10

Rock Pigeon 1
Mourning Dove 1
Blue Jay 3
American Crow 9
Black-capped Chickadee 14
White-breasted Nuthatch 2
White-throated Sparrow 13
Dark-eyed Junco 10
Northern Cardinal 2
American Goldfinch 10

Location: Lambs Crk Rec Area (9:45-11:15 AM; about 2 miles walked)
We started at the gate on the boat launch road. Then walked the edge of the first hayfield (part of a cross-country track?) before returning to our car.
Observation date: 12/18/10
Notes: Clear skies. Very little breeze. Temp 25-30 degrees.
Number of species: 9

Downy Woodpecker 1
Blue Jay 8
American Crow 7
Black-capped Chickadee 4
American Tree Sparrow 2
White-throated Sparrow 8
Dark-eyed Junco 4
Northern Cardinal 2
American Goldfinch 6

After completing our walks, we gathered with others from the Tiadaghton Audubon Society to compare our mornings and to enjoy a nice, warm lunch.