Martins Creek Area and Green Pond ~ February 10, 2024

Several birders joined me as I led a walk at the Martins Creek Nature Trail on Saturday morning. Of the 32 species we listed, notables included 27 Common Goldeneyes, 4 Common Mergansers, a Great Blue Heron, a Belted Kingfisher, 2 Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers, one each of Ruby-crowned and Golden-crowned Kinglet, a Brown Creeper, 3 Eastern Bluebirds, a Hermit Thrush, an Eastern Towhee, and a flyover flock of around 40 Common Grackles.

Eastern Bluebird

Brown Creeper

After the walk, a few of us drove over to the power plant area. A pair of American Kestrels were on one of the wires. The holding pond produced around 30 Buffleheads, 12 Ring-necked Ducks, 4 Redheads, 2 Gadwall, 4 Common Mergansers, 2 Ruddy Ducks, 2 American Coots, a Belted Kingfisher, and a Cackling Goose among the Canadas. As we headed back to our cars, an estimated 6000 Snow Geese flew over in multiple skeins. A Northern Harrier soared low over the field on the way out to the highway.

I stopped at Green Pond on the way back home. Fifteen American Black Ducks and a Common Merganser were on Green Pond while 21 Lesser Black-backed Gulls flew over heading south. Fourteen Red-winged Blackbirds were perched in one of the trees, but the best birds were 4 adventurous Killdeer that were feeding in the flooded field on the north side of Green Pond Road. I could only manage to get three of the four birds in one frame.

Three of the four Killdeer present.

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Martins Creek Nature Trail and Preserve ~ February 7, 2024

I walked the Martins Creek Nature Trail this morning. At around 11:00 AM, I heard some gulls calling overhead. When I looked up, I saw about 15 Ring-billed Gulls circling, but one of the birds looked obviously different. There were large white markings in the primaries. I took as many photos as I could of it as it got higher and eventually headed west with the group in the direction of the Grand Central landfill. After going through my gull books and doing a lot of research online, there's a possibility that it might have been a Common Gull, a Eurasian bird that occasionally shows up in the Northeast. It's also probable that it might have been an aberrantly-marked Ring-billed Gull. I am adding all of the photos here with notations.

Probable Common Gull. Note the large white spots in the primaries, and the short, thin bill. No dark mark can be seen on the bill.

Here are three photos showing the bird next to a young Ring-billed Gull for comparison.

Probable Common Gull. Note the large white spots in the primaries, and the short, thin bill compared to the young Ring-billed Gull below it.

Here are another three photos showing the bird leading the same young Ring-billed Gull and an adult Ring-billed Gull behind it, again for comparison.

Probable Common Gull. Note the large white spots in the primaries compared to the young Ring-billed Gull and adult Ring-billed Gull behind it.

Along the trail, I found an Eastern Towhee, a Hermit Thrush, 3 Ruby-crowned Kinglets, and a Fox Sparrow that dropped out of sight before I could get a photo.

Eastern Towhee

Hermit Thrush

Ruby-crowned Kinglet

Along the river, I spotted 13 Common Goldeneye, 11 Buffleheads, 4 Common Mergansers, 2 Golden-crowned Kinglets, a Hairy Woodpecker, and a Yellow-rumped Warbler.

Golden-crowned Kinglet

Hairy Woodpecker

Back near the parking lot, there were 3 Field Sparrows.

Field Sparrow

At the nearby Martins Creek Environmental Preserve, I saw 22 Buffleheads, 14 Ring-necked Ducks, 9 Common Mergansers, 3 Redheads, 2 Ruddy Ducks, 2 Gadwall, 2 American Coots, 2 Northern Harriers, a Belted Kingfisher, 2 American Tree Sparrows, and an American Kestrel.

American Tree Sparrow

American Kestrel

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Green Pond and Newburg Road Pond ~ February 4, 2024

I checked out Green Pond and found two male Common Mergansers there.

Common Mergansers

Six Eastern Bluebirds flew around and fed in the vicinity of the flooded field area.

Eastern Bluebird

Over at the Newburg Road retention pond, a Great Blue Heron worked the edge of the pond while while three more Eastern Bluebirds fed around its perimeter.

Great Blue Heron

Eastern Bluebird

Eastern Bluebird with a caterpillar

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Regency and Silver Crest Road Ponds ~ February 3, 2024

The Regency Boulevard ponds, like many of the other retention ponds, had been frozen the last few weeks. With the recent warmer temperatures, I figured they'd be open, so I decided to head over there. The north pond held 12 Buffleheads. When I got to the south pond, I was surprised to see a male Canvasback, which was my 137th species for the Regency site. I got some pretty good photos of it.

Canvasback

I left there and drove up to the Silver Crest Road pond. There, I found a Great Blue Heron, a Ruddy Duck, a Common Merganser, and a Cackling Goose among about 1200 Canada Geese.

Cackling Goose

A Cackling Goose in front of a Canada Goose for comparison.

Cackling Goose

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Upper and Lower Mount Bethel Townships ~ February 1, 2024

I did a check of Echo Lake in Upper Mount Bethel Township. Even though the lake was partly frozen, it held 15 Mute Swans, 42 Ring-necked Ducks, 12 American Wigeon, 8 Buffleheads, 2 Common Mergansers, 2 American Black Ducks, a Ruddy Duck, and 2 Gadwall among Mallards and Canada Geese. A Bald Eagle also flew over the lake and stirred up the birds a little.

Gadwall

The other stop was at the Martins Creek PPL power plant area in Lower Mount Bethel Township. There, I found 11 Common Mergansers, 9 Buffleheads, 4 Redheads, 2 Ruddy Ducks, 2 Gadwall, 2 American Coots, and a Cackling Goose among the Canadas. A Belted Kingfisher was also there.

Redheads, Buffleheads, and American Coots

Redhead

Cackling Goose

Nearby were a Northern Harrier, a male American Kestrel, and about 2000 Snow Geese flew over the area.

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