Monday, August 28, 2023

Newburg Road and Regency Ponds and Green Pond ~ August 28, 2023

A stop at the west pond by Koch Toyota along Newburg Road yielded 17 Lesser Yellowlegs, 2 Solitary Sandpipers, a Least Sandpiper, and a Snow Goose.
Four Horned Larks and a Killdeer were near the hospital.

After visiting my daughter's place in Bath, I drove down to the Regency Boulevard ponds. They were still very full of water, so no shorebirds were present, but there were 2 Wood Ducks a Green-winged Teal in the north pond.
In the south pond, there were seven more Wood Ducks and this Blue-winged Teal.

The Green Pond area held a Great Egret, 3 Green Herons, a Great Blue Heron, 3 Eastern Kingbirds, and a Bank Swallow among 22 Tree Swallows and 3 Barn Swallows.

Sunday, August 27, 2023

Jacobsburg State Park and Newburg Road Pond ~ August 27, 2023

Once again, I led a bird walk at Jacobsburg State Park. It wasn't as good as last week's walk, but we did find 40 species that included five species of warblers plus Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Broad-winged Hawk, Cedar Waxwing, Scarlet Tanager, and Rose-breasted Grosbeak. This immature Broad-winged Hawk was finishing eating something in a tree above the parking lot.
This Broad-winged Hawk also circled overhead.
Here's the species list from the bird walk.

1) Common Merganser-16
2) Rock Pigeon-2
3) Yellow-billed Cuckoo-1
4) Chimney Swift-1
5) Turkey Vulture-3
6) Broad-winged Hawk-3
7) Red-bellied Woodpecker-8
8) Downy Woodpecker-3
9) Hairy Woodpecker-2
10) Northern Flicker-1
11) Eastern Wood-Pewee-7
12) Eastern Phoebe-3
13) Great Crested Flycatcher-1
14) Eastern Kingbird-2
15) Red-eyed Vireo-2
16) Blue Jay-19
17) American Crow-8
18) Fish Crow-1
19) Tufted Titmouse-2
20) Tree Swallow-6
21) White-breasted Nuthatch-3
22) Carolina Wren-2
23) European Starling-13
24) Gray Catbird-16
25) Eastern Bluebird-4
26) Wood Thrush-2
27) American Robin-7
28) Cedar Waxwing-1
29) House Finch-3
30) American Goldfinch-15
31) Chipping Sparrow-1
32) Red-winged Blackbird-2
33) Black-and-white Warbler-1
34) Common Yellowthroat-1
35) American Redstart-3
36) Cape May Warbler-1
37) Chestnut-sided Warbler-1
38) Scarlet Tanager-3
39) Northern Cardinal-3
40) Rose-breasted Grosbeak-1
plus Empidonax sp.-2 (One was likely a Willow Flycatcher.)

From there, I stopped at the Newburg Road retention pond. The grassy west pond by Koch Toyota was fairly full of water and held 17 Lesser Yellowlegs and 3 Solitary Sandpipers.
Thirteen Killdeer and 4 Horned Larks were in the large field next to the hospital.

Saturday, August 26, 2023

Hollo Road Pond ~ August 26, 2023

In the early afternoon, I looked out the window and spotted this immature Cooper's Hawk perched on the fence watching for prey.

I drove over to the Hollo Road pond where an extremely early female Gadwall had been reported but, instead, found a female Green-winged Teal. Notice how the speculum colors on the wings change depending on the angle from blue and purple to the actual greenish color.

I was surprised to see a Prairie Warbler in a tree along the edge of the pond. I got these photos of it before it disappeared into the brush.

Friday, August 25, 2023

Stilt Sandpiper at Richmond Road ~ August 25, 2023

Adam Miller stopped at the flooded field at Richmond Road and Frutchey Hill Road this morning and found a Stilt Sandpiper. It was still there when I arrived and let me get a few photos of it.

Also present were the Great Egret, 4 Semipalmated Sandpipers, 6 Least Sandpipers, a Solitary Sandpiper, and 3 Lesser Yellowlegs.

In the early evening, I counted eleven Horned Larks in the field next to the Newburg Road retention pond.

Thursday, August 24, 2023

Richmond, Hollo, and Newburg Road Ponds Again ~ August 24, 2023

I ran a similar route again today. The flooded field at Richmond Road and Frutchey Hill Road held the Great Egret, 2 Wood Ducks, 3 Semipalmated Sandpipers, 25 Least Sandpipers, a Pectoral Sandpiper, 4 Lesser Yellowlegs, and a Semipalmated Plover.

There were 12 Wood Ducks, 2 Pectoral, 2 Semipalmated, and 9 Least Sandpipers, and 10 Lesser Yellowlegs and a Greater Yellowlegs at the Hollo Road pond.
Five Horned Larks were at the field next to the Newburg Road retention pond.

Wednesday, August 23, 2023

Richmond Road, Hollo, and Newburg Road Ponds ~ August 23, 2023

I followed yesterday's route and checked out the same areas for shorebirds. The flooded field at the intersection of Richmond Road and Frutchey Hill Road produced the continuing Great Egret and a Semipalmated Sandpiper among a Spotted Sandpiper, two Leasts, and 3 Lesser Yellowlegs.
I drove over to the other flooded area just south of there and found 3 Semipalmated Sandpipers, 20 Least Sandpipers, a Solitary Sandpiper, and a Lesser Yellowlegs.

At the Hollo Road pond, the Wilson's Snipe continued along with 3 Semipalmateds, 3 Leasts, and a Solitary Sandpiper, plus 2 Greater and 6 Lesser Yellowlegs.

There was only a Lesser Yellowlegs at the Newburg Road retention pond, but the adjacent grassy field held 14 Killdeer and 11 Horned Larks.

Tuesday, August 22, 2023

Richmond Road and Hollo Road ~ August 22, 2023

Kathy Sieminski had posted on PABIRDS that she saw a Great Egret and some Yellowlegs at a flooded field along Richmond Road. Adam Miller checked out the spot and one other nearby and found a good number of shorebirds there. I was finally able to get over there on Tuesday. I stopped at the flooded field at the intersection of Richmond Road and Frutchey Hill Road. There, I found the Great Egret, 2 Semipalmated Sandpipers, 3 Least and 2 Spotted Sandpipers, a Solitary Sandpiper, 3 Lesser Yellowlegs, and 4 Killdeer.

I got a photo showing the camparison between a Least Sandpiper and one of the Semipalmated Sandpipers.
I drove a short distance south, parked at Glover Road, and walked up to the other flooded field area. This one had more birds and the lighting was much better for photos. I counted 4 Semipalmated Sandpipers, 44 Least Sandpipers, 5 Solitary Sandpipers, and 4 Lesser Yellowlegs.
Here's another comparison photo between a Semipalmated Sandpiper (left) and a Least Sandpiper (right).
From there, I drove over to the Hollo Road pond and spotted a Wilson's Snipe and another Semipalmated Sandpiper.