Merlins Are the Bird of the Day ~ October 3, 2025

A crew was working at the outflow end of the Tatamy Exit retention pond, which was almost dried up, so no shorebirds were there.

The Hollo Road pond produced the continuing 10 Green-winged Teal and a Lesser Yellowlegs.

As I walked up to the Newburg Road retention pond, 6 Killdeer were noisily flying around. I realized why when I saw a Merlin zipping around after them. It was unsuccessful, but I was able to get some photos of it while it tried.

Merlin

Across the street from the pond were 3 Song Sparrows and a Savannah Sparrow.

Savannah Sparrow

One Great Blue Heron was in Green Pond while another Great Blue and one Great Egret were in the Farmersville Road pond.

A Great Egret with a minnow.

The treeline along the paved path held 2 Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers, 2 Northern Flickers, 2 Palm Warblers, a Yellow-rumped Warbler, 5 Northern Rough-winged Swallows, and 12 Brown-headed Cowbirds.

Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers

Palm Warbler

Northern Rough-winged Swallow

A Merlin also flew in and landed in the top of one of the trees.

Merlin

The Green Pond Road pond continued to hold the Solitary Sandpiper.

Solitary Sandpiper

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A Late Day Pond Run ~ October 1, 2025

After installing a door at my daughter's house, I hit a bunch of ponds on the way back home. The Silver Crest Road pond held a Great Blue Heron and a Belted Kingfisher among around 200 Canada Geese.

At the Regency ponds, two Wood Ducks and a Great Blue Heron were there among 29 Mallards.

Wood Duck

The Hollo Road pond produced 10 Green-winged Teal and 2 Killdeer.

The Tatamy Exit retention pond held 16 Killdeer, 3 Least Sandpipers, a soltary Solitary Sandpiper, and an American Kestrel on the wire by the exit.

Solitary Sandpiper

The Newburg Road retention pond held 22 Killdeer among around 350 Canada Geese. A Red-tailed Hawk was on one of the powerline towers. Across the street from the pond were 4 Song Sparrows, 2 Savannah Sparrows, and a Lincoln's Sparrow.

The Great Egret count increased to four around the edge of Green Pond along with a Great Blue Heron and a Belted Kingfisher.

Great Egret

The Farmersville Road pond held 69 Mallards plus a Spotted Sandpiper and an Eastern Phoebe around its edge.

Spotted Sandpiper

The Green Pond Road pond held the continuing Solitary Sandpiper.

Solitary Sandpiper

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Green Pond ~ September 29, 2025

After going to my daughter's, I had a little time to stop and check out Green Pond on the way home. Two Great Egrets and a Great Blue Heron were at the pond. An Eastern Phoebe was found around the edge of the Farmersville Road pond. The surprise of the day was a Merlin that flew from the fence between the two ponds along the paved path.

Merlin

The continuing Solitary Sandpiper was found along the edge of the Green Pond Road pond today.

Solitary Sandpiper

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A Return to Jacobsburg and the Ponds ~ September 28, 2025

I returned to Jacobsburg State Park since Terry Master had told me yesterday that he was doing another walk there this morning. I met up with his field trip group and we headed off. It was immediately obvious that it was a lot less 'birdy' today than yesterday. It took a while before we ran into any warblers. The totals for the six species seen were 4 Magnolias, 3 Cape Mays, 2 Black-throated Greens, a Black-throated Blue, a Northern Parula, and a Common Yellowthroat.

Scanning the skies produced a swirl of 37 Lesser Black-backed Gulls, 3 Black Vultures, 2 Sharp-shinned Hawks, and 3 Bald Eagles.

Some of the 37 Lesser Black-backed Gulls.

Sharp-shinned Hawk

A fairly late Broad-winged Hawk flew across the creek and disappeared into the woods. Other notables among the 33 total species included a Great Blue Heron, 2 Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers, a Hairy Woodpecker, 3 Eastern Phoebes, at least 75 Blue Jays, a Northern House Wren, a White-throated Sparrow, an Eastern Towhee, and an Indigo Bunting.

On the way down Route 33, I stopped at the Tatamy Exit retention pond. There were 5 Least Sandpipers and one Pectoral Sandpiper there.

Least Sandpiper

Pectoral Sandpiper

My last stop was Green Pond. Three Great Egrets were still present there. The treeline along the paved path produced 4 American Goldfinches, 2 Chipping Sparrows, and my first three Yellow-rumped Warblers of the season.

Yellow-rumped Warbler

The continuing Solitary Sandpiper and 2 Eastern Phoebes were found around the edge of the Farmersville Road pond.

Solitary Sandpiper

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Jacobsburg State Park and the Ponds ~ September 27, 2025

I went to Jacobsburg State Park at sunrise. Soon after, I ran into Terry Master and his field trip group from the Pennsylvania Ornithological Society, which was having its Birding Festival in Allentown this weekend. In the group was Ron Wagner, my friend who I used to go with to Hawk Mountain Sanctuary back in the 1970's. I was able to tag along with the group. We came across a few sizeable groups of warblers. I tallied eleven species of them----Cape May, Tennessee, Magnolia, Bay-breasted, Chestnut-sided, Blackpoll, Black-and-white, Black-throated Blue, Black-throated Green, Northern Parula, and Common Yellowthroat.

Other notables included Chimney Swift, Sharp-shinned Hawk, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Hairy Woodpecker, Eastern Wood-Pewee, Eastern Phoebe, Red-eyed Vireo, Tree Swallow, Brown Thrasher, Eastern Bluebird, Swainson's Thrush, Cedar Waxwing, American Goldfinch, White-throated and Lincoln's Sparrow, and Eastern Towhee. I got this poor photo of one of the 4 Purple Finches found, which were my first of the year.

Purple Finch

I ended up seeing 47 species there. The entire group's list came to an impressive 63 species, a really good number for this time of year.

On the way home, I stopped at two ponds. The first was the Tatamy Exit retention pond, which still held 5 Least Sandpipers, 2 Pectoral Sandpipers, and a Killdeer.

Pectoral Sandpiper

The other was the Newburg Road pond. There, I saw 11 Killdeer, 2 Great Egrets, and a Savannah Sparrow.

Great Egrets

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The Ponds Before the Storm ~ September 25, 2025

I decided to do a run to the ponds before an approaching line of storms got here. The Newburg Road retention pond produced a Great Blue Heron, a Green Heron, and a Killdeer among 350 Canada Geese, plus a Savannah Sparrow.

The Hollo Road pond held 12 Green-winged Teal, 2 Greater and 5 Lesser Yellowlegs, a Least Sandpiper, and a Cooper's Hawk that scattered the whole group.

The Tatamy Exit retention pond held 2 Killdeer, 9 Least Sandpipers, and a Pectoral Sandpiper.

When I pulled up to the intersection at Green Pond, I could see 3 Great Egrets and a Great Blue Heron there. Birds seen along the paved path included 4 Eastern Phoebes, 3 Northern Rough-winged Swallows, 8 Eastern Bluebirds, and 3 Chipping Sparrows. The retention pond along Green Pond Road held the continuing Solitary Sandpiper.

Solitary Sandpiper

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Back to the Ponds ~ September 24, 2025

After an appointment, I checked three local ponds in the early afternoon. The Tatamy Exit retention pond held 11 Killdeer, 2 Lesser Yellowlegs, 7 Least Sandpipers, a Solitary Sandpiper, a Pectoral Sandpiper, and a Savannah Sparrow.

Solitary Sandpiper

Pectoral Sandpiper

The Hollo Road pond held 13 Green-winged Teal, 3 Killdeer, a Greater Yellowlegs, and 2 Cedar Waxwings.

The Newburg Road retention pond produced a Green Heron, 5 Killdeer, and a Least Sandpiper among 100 Canada Geese.

Green Heron

The field across the street from the pond held 4 Savannah Sparrows, 3 Song Sparrows, and 2 Lincoln's Sparrows.

Savannah Sparrow

Song Sparrow

Lincoln's Sparrow

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