Bethlehem - Easton - Hellertown CBC ~ December 31, 2011

Andy Cuttic, Stephen Kloiber, and I were at the Nazareth Quarry at first light to try and get a fairly accurate count of the Snow Geese before they started heading out to feed in the nearby fields. We conservatively estimated 20,000 birds stretching across the entire quarry.

Many of the Snow Geese rising out of the Nazareth Quarry, Northampton County and heading to their preferred feeding areas.

Among the mass of white, we found 4 Cackling Geese, a Hooded Merganser, 3 Pied-billed Grebes, a Horned Grebe, and a 1st-winter Iceland Gull in addition to 14 American Black Ducks, 19 Ring-necked Ducks, 14 Buffleheads, 21 Common Mergansers, 16 Ruddy Ducks, 3 Great Blue Herons, 2 Black Vultures, 8 American Coots, 9 Herring Gulls, and a nice count of 56 Lesser Black-backed Gulls.

The surrounding ponds and woods produced a Sharp-shinned Hawk, a Belted Kingfisher, a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, a Winter Wren, a Golden-crowned Kinglet, 18 Eastern Bluebirds, 15 American Robins, a Yellow-rumped Warbler, an American Tree Sparrow, and a Swamp Sparrow.

While checking the quarry out once more before leaving there, an immature Bald Eagle came soaring in from the east.

An immature Bald Eagle over the Nazareth Quarry, Northampton County.

As the eagle approached, a thunderous sound erupted as the Snows launched into the air.

Thousands of Snow Geese at the Nazareth Quarry, Northampton County.

A stop at the flooded fields by Green Pond produced a female Wood Duck, two Green-winged Teal, and this unexpected Northern Shoveler.

A Northern Shoveler at the flooded fields by Green Pond, Northampton County.

After a fairly quiet afternoon along the Lehigh River, we headed back up towards Nazareth and spotted a nice adult Peregrine Falcon that landed on one of the high-tension towers near the Hecktown Road exit of Route 33. We ended the day with 57 species!

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