Finally We Got Some Sun! So I Went Birding.

We started the day with a light coat of ice on the deck and 31 degrees on the thermometer. But, the clouds finally burned off and the temps rose into the low 50s by midday, so I decided to head out and do some birding.

My first stop was up on the northwest corner of Cowenesque Lake where I've had some success in the past. It wasn't great today as the only waterfowl visible were a bunch of Canada Geese and two Double-crested Cormorants. There were several first-of-the-year birds, however.

The full list of 27 species seen:
Canada Goose
Double-crested Cormorant
Great Blue Heron
Green Heron
Red-tailed Hawk
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Eastern Phoebe
Eastern Kingbird *
Blue Jay
American Crow
Fish Crow
Common Raven
Tree Swallow
Barn Swallow
Black-capped Chickadee
American Robin
Gray Catbird
Brown Thrasher *
Common Yellowthroat *
Song Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow
Northern Cardinal
Red-winged Blackbird
Baltimore Oriole *
American Goldfinch
       * First-of-the-year

A couple were kind enough to pose and I was lucky enough to get some decent photos.

Gray Catbird

Green Heron

Double-crested Cormorant

Tough getting good shots when the birds hide in the bushes or won't stop long enough to get a decent focus. Doing it off hand without a mono-pod, tripod, walking stick, or a convenient tree to steady the camera as I zoom in isn't easy either!

******

My second stop of the day was up on the western rim of the Grand Canyon of Pennsylvania at Colton Point State Park. I drove to my usual spot almost across from Leonard Harrison, but there was not one song being sung nor one bird flitting about. So I was on my way home when I passed the trail head out to the Barbour Rocks Overlook and I figured, what the heck. I'd never walked out to that particular point before. It's a well graveled, handicapped accessible trail of 0.7 miles (one way).

Nice walk, but it was very unproductive. Except for two warbler species and a Hermit Thrush. I had heard the thrush before and the Black-throated Green Warbler, too. But this time I got some pretty fair pictures of them. Which is good seeing as they were totally silent at 4 in the afternoon.

My complete list from this little walk:
Turkey Vulture
Eastern Phoebe
Blue Jay
Common Raven
Hermit Thrush
Hooded Warbler *
Black-throated Green Warbler
    * First-of-the-year

Now for some pictures (there's some heavy cropping going on with the three birds, FYI):

Hooded Warbler

Black-throated Green Warbler

Hermit Thursh

And, if you want to get an idea of what the view was like.... This is looking south from the overlook.

Looking south from the Barbour Rocks overlook.

If tomorrow morning is nice, I may head out and do some more birding/picture taking.