A Bunch of Ponds in the Afternoon ~ October 31, 2025

I made an afternoon run to several bodies of water to see what the winds might have deposited into them. The St. Luke's Anderson Campus pond only held the expected Canada Geese and Mallards. A short walk around the surrounding fields produced an American Robin and a Dark-eyed Junco plus 'fly-by's of a Sharp-shinned Hawk and a group of 18 Cedar Waxwings.

Over at Green Pond, 5 Eastern Bluebirds were dropping down into the grass from the fenceposts to feed.

Eastern Bluebirds

Along the paved path, I saw a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, a Red-bellied Woodpecker, 2 Dark-eyed Juncos, 2 White-throated Sparrows and a Song Sparrow as a Black Vulture flew overhead.

A terribly-backlit photo of a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker.

The ponds had all filled up most of the way, so I didn't find the Lesser Yellowlegs that was there yesterday, but the back middle pond held a "Richardson's" Cackling Goose among the 40 Canadas there, allowing for some comparison photos between them, an American Black Duck, and some Mallards. Note the much smaller size, very short neck, "block-shaped" head with the steep forehead leading down to its tiny, stubby bill, and the overall lighter, grayer back than the Canada's, which appears darker and more brownish.

A Cackling Goose of the "Richardson's" subspecies in front of the much larger and darker-backed Canada Goose.

A Cackling Goose between the much larger and longer-billed Canada Geese. Also note the similar size to the Mallards at the top left.

A Cackling Goose with a similar-sized American Black Duck behind it.

There were around 500 more Canada Geese in Green Pond itself and 2 Killdeer were along the edge of the Green Pond Road pond.

Over at the Newburg Road retention pond, there were 9 Killdeer among around 300 Canada Geese. One goose had white feathering in the neck. I'm not sure whether this was a hint of hybridization with a Snow Goose or a leucistic trait.

A strangely-marked Canada Goose.

A flock of 16 Cedar Waxwings also flew by while I was there.

Next, I decided to check the Nazareth Quarry. I scoped through at least 3000 Canada Geese and found 22 Ring-necked Ducks, 10 Ruddy Ducks, 2 American Coots, and a Mallard. Around 40 Cedar Waxwings were in the trees above.

Cedar Waxwing

The Hollo Road retention pond produced 15 Green-winged Teal among 47 Canada Geese and 37 Mallards.

On the way to my daughter's house, I stopped at the Silver Crest Road pond to see if I could find the Greater White-fronted Goose again, but I only found 3 Ruddy Ducks and 5 Mallards among the roughly 600 Canada Geese.

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Red-throated Loon Near the Martins Creek PPL Power Plant ~ October 30, 2025

I got a text from Adam Smith that he had a loon near the Martins Creek PPL power plant that he didn't think was a Common Loon, but he was looking at it through wind-blown rain, so he wasn't sure what it was. I headed up there about an hour later and, thankfully, the rain had subsided and the loon was still there. The upturned bill, the plain face, and speckled back confirmed that it was a Red-throated Loon. I got some fairly good, long distance photos of it.

Red-throated Loon

I drove down to the boat launch area and found 28 Common Mergansers, 2 Double-crested Cormorants, 2 Great Blue Herons, and a Belted Kingfisher.

Common Merganser

Great Blue Heron

It was close to sunset when I got to the Green Pond area. Today, I couldn't find the 3 Pectoral Sandpipers in the Farmersville Road pond, which had filled up with water from the recent rains, but the Lesser Yellowlegs that I couldn't find yesterday was in the Green Pond Road pond along with 3 Killdeer.

Lesser Yellowlegs

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Green Pond ~ October 29, 2025

I was surprised when I looked out the window at my little pond and found an Opossum drinking from it. I snuck out the back door and got this photo of it before it walked off into the neighbor's yard.

Opossum

I made a quick run over to the Green Pond area. I couldn't find the Lesser Yellowlegs, but the 3 Pectoral Sandpipers were still there along with 6 Killdeer.

Pectoral Sandpipers

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Little Gap, Regency Ponds, and Green Pond ~ October 28, 2025

I went up to Little Gap in the late morning and spent most of the afternoon there. Here's the view looking east-northeast up the ridgeline.

The view from the Little Gap Hawkwatch.

I got distant looks at two Golden Eagles, my first of the year. Other raptors seen there included 3 Bald Eagles, 2 Northern Harriers, 13 Red-tailed Hawks, 5 Red-shouldered Hawks, 4 Sharp-shinned Hawks, and a Cooper's Hawk. Three Common Ravens and a dozen Purple Finches also flew by.

Common Raven

A group of birds behind the lookout were comprised of 21 Dark-eyed Juncos, a Ruby-crowned Kinglet, a Golden-crowned Kinglet, and 2 Yellow-rumped Warblers.

Yellow-rumped Warbler

I drove down through Bath and stopped at the Silver Crest Road pond. Three Ruddy Ducks and a Belted Kingfisher were there among the roughly 500 Canada Geese.

I continued on down to the Regency ponds where 18 American Pipits, a Pied-billed Grebe, and 5 Killdeer were the highlights.

I then stopped at the Green Pond area and checked the mostly muddy Farmersville Road pond to see if the 3 Pectoral Sandpipers and the Lesser Yellowlegs were still there. They were, along with 6 Killdeer.

The Lesser Yellowlegs (top) and the 3 Pectoral Sandpipers.

Pectoral Sandpipers

Lesser Yellowlegs

The back middle pond held 3 Green-winged Teal while a Great Blue Heron was in the Green Pond Road pond.

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Green Pond, Newburg Road Pond, and Hollo Road Pond ~ October 27, 2025

I checked the Green Pond area and found the 3 Pectoral Sandpipers and the Lesser Yellowlegs continuing in the Farmersville Road pond.

Lesser Yellowlegs

Pectoral Sandpiper (left) and Lesser Yellowlegs (right).

Pectoral Sandpipers

Pectoral Sandpipers and the Lesser Yellowlegs (bottom).

Six Killdeer were in the same pond and a Great Blue Heron was in the Green Pond Road pond.

The Newburg Road pond held 8 Killdeer, and the Hollo Road pond held 16 Green-winged Teal and a Killdeer.

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Good birds at the Ponds ~ October 26, 2025

Around 8:30 in the morning, I got a text from Ann Coote, one of the residents from the Regency development, with three distant photos taken by her. She told me that "Merlin" suggested that it was a Great Egret, but she said it was much smaller than that. I darkened the best one of the three, which appears to confirm that this was actually a Western Cattle-Egret!

An apparent Western Cattle-Egret. Photo by Ann Coote.

Unfortunately, she also told me that the bird had left soon after. I headed over there as soon as I could and searched there and other area ponds but couldn't refind it. It was another good bird that got away.

There was nothing else of note at the Regency ponds, but I found a White-crowned Sparrow in the vegetation at the dead end part of Steuben Road.

White-crowned Sparrow

I drove up to the Silver Crest Road pond to look for the egret and also see if the Greater White-fronted Goose that I found yesterday was there. I didn't find either one, but a Ruddy Duck and a Great Blue Heron were there among around 500 Canada Geese, plus 13 American Pipits.

American Pipits

The Trio Farms Boulevard ponds was the next place I checked for the egret but only found a Pied-billed Grebe hiding in the vegetation in the front pond.

Pied-billed Grebe

The Newburg Road pond held 16 Killdeer and a Great Blue Heron while 2 Savannah Sparrows and a Palm Warbler were in the brushy patch across the street.

Palm Warbler

The Lesser Yellowlegs continued at the Farmersville Road pond by Green Pond along with 8 Killdeer and were joined by three newly-arrived Pectoral Sandpipers.

Lesser Yellowlegs

Pectoral Sandpipers

All 3 Pectoral Sandpipers.

The nice surprises came along the paved path where I found 2 Red-breasted Nuthatches and 2 Pine Warblers among 4 Eastern Bluebirds, 5 Dark-eyed Juncos, plus 6 White-throated, 6 Song, and 3 Chipping Sparrows.

Red-breasted Nuthatches

Pine Warblers

My last walk was at the St. Luke's Anderson Campus pond and trails where I saw at least 85 Mourning Doves, a Northern Mockingbird, 2 Red-winged Blackbirds, 2 Dark-eyed Juncos, and sparrows comprised of 21 Song, 10 White-throated, 2 Field, a Chipping, and a Savannah Sparrow.

A small portion of the 85 Mourning Doves.

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