There were still 11 Killdeer with Canada Geese present when I checked the Newburg Road retention pond.
When I stopped at the Hollo Road retention pond, I noticed a Snow x Canada Goose hybrid among about 200 Canada Geese. I took some photos of it on the near shore.
I then went to the Nazareth Quarry, which held 17 Ruddy Ducks, 15 Ring-necked Ducks, 3 American Black Ducks, and an American Coot among around 2000 Canada Geese. A group of 35 Cedar Waxwings briefly landed in the trees and then flew off to the west.
The Green Pond area produced a Great Blue Heron and 67 Canada Geese, plus a group of 'fly-by' 45 Red-winged Blackbirds.
Thursday, November 13, 2025
Wednesday, November 12, 2025
The Ponds Again ~ November 12, 2025
After switching out one of my daughter's kitchen receptacles, I drove down to the Silver Crest Road pond, which held 36 Common Mergansers, 6 Ruddy Ducks, a Great Blue Heron, and an American Herring Gull among around 350 Canada Geese.
A Northern Harrier also flew by just before I got into the car.
I drove to the nearby Regency Boulevard ponds and noticed a Bald Eagle flying overhead as I was driving in. I quickly parked the car and got these photos as it continued south.
In the ponds were 16 Buffleheads and a Great Blue Heron among 450 Canada Geese.
My last stop was at the Green Pond area. One Killdeer was along the edge of the Farmersville Road retention pond and an American Black Duck was in the back middle pond. Along the paved path, I found a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, 2 Red-bellied and 2 Downy Woodpeckers, a Blue Jay, 4 probable Black-capped Chickadees, one Red-breasted and 4 White-breasted Nuthatches, 3 Eastern Bluebirds, 8 House Finches, 11 Dark-eyed Juncos, and one White-throated and one Song Sparrow. A Common Raven and 22 Cedar Waxwings were seen flying over the golf course.
A Northern Harrier also flew by just before I got into the car.
I drove to the nearby Regency Boulevard ponds and noticed a Bald Eagle flying overhead as I was driving in. I quickly parked the car and got these photos as it continued south.
In the ponds were 16 Buffleheads and a Great Blue Heron among 450 Canada Geese.
My last stop was at the Green Pond area. One Killdeer was along the edge of the Farmersville Road retention pond and an American Black Duck was in the back middle pond. Along the paved path, I found a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, 2 Red-bellied and 2 Downy Woodpeckers, a Blue Jay, 4 probable Black-capped Chickadees, one Red-breasted and 4 White-breasted Nuthatches, 3 Eastern Bluebirds, 8 House Finches, 11 Dark-eyed Juncos, and one White-throated and one Song Sparrow. A Common Raven and 22 Cedar Waxwings were seen flying over the golf course.
Tuesday, November 11, 2025
Green Pond and the Hollo Road Pond ~ November 11, 2025
On this unseasonably cold and blustery day, I decided to go down to the Forks of the Delaware and check for gulls. It was a wasted trip as there were only 18 Ring-billed Gulls there, so I left there and headed for Green Pond. There, I found 2 American Black Ducks and a Great Blue Heron among around 130 Canada Goose. At the nearby retention ponds, the 2 Common Ravens and a Northern Harrier continued along with 4 Eastern Bluebirds.
As I pulled up to the Hollo Road retention pond, I noticed a group of 13 Green-winged Teal in the shallow corner of the pond. As soon as I got done counting them, they all flushed. That's when I realized why. There was an adult male Northern Harrier flying over them. The harrier flew up from the pond and continued north over Hollo Road and along the Shoeneck Creek. It was my 118th species for the site.
As I pulled up to the Hollo Road retention pond, I noticed a group of 13 Green-winged Teal in the shallow corner of the pond. As soon as I got done counting them, they all flushed. That's when I realized why. There was an adult male Northern Harrier flying over them. The harrier flew up from the pond and continued north over Hollo Road and along the Shoeneck Creek. It was my 118th species for the site.
Monday, November 10, 2025
Newburg Road and Green Pond, and the Nazareth Quarry ~ November 10, 2025
In mid-afternoon, I went to the Newburg Road pond to see if the Greater Yellowlegs was still there. It wasn't, but there were still 20 Killdeer in the adjacent grassy field along with a Savannah Sparrow. Also, a Merlin went zipping by and headed north.
Over at Green Pond, I saw 2 American Black Ducks and a Great Blue Heron.
I then went to the Nazareth Quarry. Among the roughly 5000 Canada Geese were 2 Snow Geese, 27 Ruddy Ducks, 14 Ring-necked Ducks, and 3 American Coots. Also in the quarry were around 450 Lesser Black-backed Gulls, 31 American Herring Gulls, and 7 Ring-billed Gulls, plus there were at least 80 American Robins flying over and through the trees.
Over at Green Pond, I saw 2 American Black Ducks and a Great Blue Heron.
I then went to the Nazareth Quarry. Among the roughly 5000 Canada Geese were 2 Snow Geese, 27 Ruddy Ducks, 14 Ring-necked Ducks, and 3 American Coots. Also in the quarry were around 450 Lesser Black-backed Gulls, 31 American Herring Gulls, and 7 Ring-billed Gulls, plus there were at least 80 American Robins flying over and through the trees.
Sunday, November 9, 2025
Another Cave Swallow Search ~ November 9, 2025
A few Cave Swallows were still being reported at some Pennsylvania sites, so I again hopped from pond to pond hoping to find one. I started the search at the Martins Creek PPL power plant area. There were 13 Buffleheads, 2 Ruddy Ducks, and a Hooded Merganser at the pond, but no swallows. The brushy area at the intersection of Depues Road and Depues Ferry Road produced a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, an Eastern Phoebe, a Carolina Wren, 5 Northern Mockingbirds, 22 American Robins, 24 Cedar Waxwings, a Yellow-rumped Warbler, 3 Dark-eyed Juncos, 9 Song Sparrows, 5 White-throated Sparrows, and 7 White-crowned Sparrows.
I went up to Echo Lake and found 10 Mute Swans and 2 American Black Ducks among about 250 Canada Geese.
Over at nearby Lake Minsi, there was absolutely nothing on the entire eastern half of the lake except 6 Canada Geese. I checked an area where a friend had told me he saw 4 Red-headed Woodpeckers a while ago and I found two of them there. They were actively hammering and feeding as I got these photos.
Two Golden-crowned Kinglets and a Yellow-rumped Warbler were flitting around in the same area.
Birds seen on the western side of the lake included 2 Great Blue Herons, 2 American Coots, and a Belted Kingfisher.
I left the northeastern section of the county and drove over to the Regency Boulevard retention ponds where I found 15 Buffleheads, a Green-winged Teal, and 28 Cedar Waxwings.
My next stop was the Green Pond area. As I walked along the paved path, there were a group of birds working their way through the trees. They included a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, a Red-breasted Nuthatch, 5 Eastern Bluebirds, 18 Cedar Waxwings, 2 American Goldfinches, 9 Dark-eyed Juncos, and 2 White-throated Sparrows, but the best birds were two late Pine Warblers that were chasing each other around so much that I wasn't able to get any photos of them. They were probably the same two that I saw here back on October 26th, so I can only assume that they are spending most of their time in the rows of pines on the golf course.
At Green Pond were 2 American Black Ducks and a Great Blue Heron with some Canada Geese and Mallards. Two Common Ravens were in the stubble of the flooded field and flew off while the continuing Northern Harrier hunted the southeast pond.
I then went over to the Newburg Road retention pond and found that there were still 21 Killdeer there, but the surprise was a late Greater Yellowlegs that was with them along the shoreline.
The grassy field was filled with around 600 Canada Geese. In among them was one immature Snow Goose.
I never hit the lottery and found a Cave Swallow, but I ended up with a pretty nice list of birds for the day.
I went up to Echo Lake and found 10 Mute Swans and 2 American Black Ducks among about 250 Canada Geese.
Over at nearby Lake Minsi, there was absolutely nothing on the entire eastern half of the lake except 6 Canada Geese. I checked an area where a friend had told me he saw 4 Red-headed Woodpeckers a while ago and I found two of them there. They were actively hammering and feeding as I got these photos.
Two Golden-crowned Kinglets and a Yellow-rumped Warbler were flitting around in the same area.
Birds seen on the western side of the lake included 2 Great Blue Herons, 2 American Coots, and a Belted Kingfisher.
I left the northeastern section of the county and drove over to the Regency Boulevard retention ponds where I found 15 Buffleheads, a Green-winged Teal, and 28 Cedar Waxwings.
My next stop was the Green Pond area. As I walked along the paved path, there were a group of birds working their way through the trees. They included a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, a Red-breasted Nuthatch, 5 Eastern Bluebirds, 18 Cedar Waxwings, 2 American Goldfinches, 9 Dark-eyed Juncos, and 2 White-throated Sparrows, but the best birds were two late Pine Warblers that were chasing each other around so much that I wasn't able to get any photos of them. They were probably the same two that I saw here back on October 26th, so I can only assume that they are spending most of their time in the rows of pines on the golf course.
At Green Pond were 2 American Black Ducks and a Great Blue Heron with some Canada Geese and Mallards. Two Common Ravens were in the stubble of the flooded field and flew off while the continuing Northern Harrier hunted the southeast pond.
I then went over to the Newburg Road retention pond and found that there were still 21 Killdeer there, but the surprise was a late Greater Yellowlegs that was with them along the shoreline.
The grassy field was filled with around 600 Canada Geese. In among them was one immature Snow Goose.
I never hit the lottery and found a Cave Swallow, but I ended up with a pretty nice list of birds for the day.
Saturday, November 8, 2025
Little Gap and a Cave Swallow Search ~ November 8, 2025
I drove up to Little Gap, arriving a little after sunrise. During the four hours I was there, I saw 2 Bald Eagles, 6 Red-tailed Hawks, 2 Northern Harriers, one each of Sharp-shinned Hawk and American Kestrel, 6 Common Ravens, 53 American Robins, 43 Cedar Waxwings, a Purple Finch, 14 American Goldfinches, 3 Dark-eyed Juncos, and 33 Red-winged Blackbirds.
An influx of Cave Swallows from the Caribbean islands were being reported at a few southeastern Pennsylvania sites, so I spent the rest of the day driving from pond to pond hoping to see one, even though I knew it was a real long shot. I drove down through Bath and stopped at the Silver Crest Road pond. Four American Pipits were along the southern bank of the pond.
The pond held 13 Common Mergansers, 7 Ruddy Ducks, and a Ring-necked Duck among around 600 Canada Geese, plus a Belted Kingfisher and a Savannah Sparrow.
The Regency ponds held 14 Buffleheads and a Great Blue Heron. It's always a challenge to try and get a photo of the male Bufflehead when its head reflects the prism of colors like I did here.
I didn't see the Pied-billed Grebe at the Trio Farms Boulevard retention ponds, so it was either well-hidden in the vegetation or it had left.
I then stopped at Green Pond. There was nothing notable along the paved path or in the adjacent ponds, but at the retention pond along Green Pond Road, I saw a hunting Northern Harrier and an American Pipit.
A Savannah Sparrow was also in the brush near the pipit.
At the Newburg Road retention pond behind the hospital, I counted an impressive number of 32 Killdeer around the pond. I took these two photos of them. One of them shows six and the other is a "Where's Waldo" photo showing 18 of the 32.
Two Northern Harriers were also seen circling overhead.
In the Hollo Road retention pond, there were 2 Buffleheads plus 23 Green-winged Teal.
Searching the sky, I noticed a large group of gulls coming out the nearby Nazareth Quarry. It contained at least 200 Lesser Black-backed Gulls with at least 3 American Herring Gulls mixed in with them.
I had enough time to drive up and check the Martins Creek PPL power plant area for my day's last chance of finding a Cave Swallow but, again, I struck out. The only notables there were 11 Buffleheads, 14 American Robins, and 12 Cedar Waxwings.
An influx of Cave Swallows from the Caribbean islands were being reported at a few southeastern Pennsylvania sites, so I spent the rest of the day driving from pond to pond hoping to see one, even though I knew it was a real long shot. I drove down through Bath and stopped at the Silver Crest Road pond. Four American Pipits were along the southern bank of the pond.
The pond held 13 Common Mergansers, 7 Ruddy Ducks, and a Ring-necked Duck among around 600 Canada Geese, plus a Belted Kingfisher and a Savannah Sparrow.
The Regency ponds held 14 Buffleheads and a Great Blue Heron. It's always a challenge to try and get a photo of the male Bufflehead when its head reflects the prism of colors like I did here.
I didn't see the Pied-billed Grebe at the Trio Farms Boulevard retention ponds, so it was either well-hidden in the vegetation or it had left.
I then stopped at Green Pond. There was nothing notable along the paved path or in the adjacent ponds, but at the retention pond along Green Pond Road, I saw a hunting Northern Harrier and an American Pipit.
A Savannah Sparrow was also in the brush near the pipit.
At the Newburg Road retention pond behind the hospital, I counted an impressive number of 32 Killdeer around the pond. I took these two photos of them. One of them shows six and the other is a "Where's Waldo" photo showing 18 of the 32.
Two Northern Harriers were also seen circling overhead.
In the Hollo Road retention pond, there were 2 Buffleheads plus 23 Green-winged Teal.
Searching the sky, I noticed a large group of gulls coming out the nearby Nazareth Quarry. It contained at least 200 Lesser Black-backed Gulls with at least 3 American Herring Gulls mixed in with them.
I had enough time to drive up and check the Martins Creek PPL power plant area for my day's last chance of finding a Cave Swallow but, again, I struck out. The only notables there were 11 Buffleheads, 14 American Robins, and 12 Cedar Waxwings.
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