Looking For a Rarity and the Nazareth Quarry ~ December 2, 2025

I planned on running up to the Nazareth Quarry to look for storm birds, but before leaving, I found out that there was a brief, one-time sighting of a male Pine Grosbeak at the feeder of a reliable birder in Forks Township as the early snowstorm changed over to all rain. This sighting would be a potential first Northampton County record. I was able to go over to her house, hoping to refind it. I walked around her yard with her and searched the trees in the area for about an hour or so, but it had apparently moved on.

On the way to the quarry, the Hollo Road retention pond held 2 Green-winged Teal and an American Black Duck.

I then went to the Nazareth Quarry and scoped it. I counted 35 Snow Geese among the roughly 2000 Canada Geese when I got there, but as sunset approached, the numbers grew to about 4000 Snow Geese and 5000 Canadas. I took a few cell phone photos of the Snows.

Snow Geese

Other birds seen there included 64 Ring-necked Ducks, 33 Ruddy Ducks, 9 Buffleheads, 8 American Black Ducks, 6 Mallards, 4 Common Mergansers, 11 American Coots, a Red-tailed Hawk, a Belted Kingfisher, and gulls comprised of 100 Lesser Black-backed Gulls, 11 American Herring Gulls, 3 Ring-billed Gulls, and a first-winter Iceland Gull.

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