The Martins Creek Area and the Nazareth Quarry ~ February 21, 2026

This morning, I drove up to the Martins Creek Environmental Preserve. As I arrived, a male Northern Harrier flew across the road. At the fenced-in basin, I found one Snow Goose among around 150 Canada Geese, 18 Redheads, 106 Ring-necked Ducks, 3 Greater Scaup, 2 Buffleheads, a Common Merganser, 6 Turkey Vultures, 5 Black Vultures, a Bald Eagle, and 2 Common Ravens.

I went down to the Martins Creek PPL boat launch area where I found 2 Mute Swans, 2 Buffleheads, one Common Goldeneye, 5 Hooded Mergansers, one Common Merganser, and an adult Bald Eagle.

The Nazareth Quarry has been exceptional this winter, mainly because it's been the largest unfrozen body of water in the area. Today's stop produced four of the five continuing White-winged Scoters, the Long-tailed Duck, and the continuing female Red-breasted Merganser.

The continuing female Long-tailed Duck.

The continuing female Red-breasted Merganser.

I picked out a Cackling Goose among the roughly 300 Canada Geese, and also saw my 'first of the year' American Wigeon.

A Cackling Goose (at center).

American Wigeon

Other notables included 3 Wood Ducks, 5 Northern Shovelers, 3 American Black Ducks, 13 Redheads, 4 Ring-necked Ducks, 9 Greater Scaup, 12 Buffleheads, 15 Common Mergansers, 4 Hooded Mergansers, around 40 Ruddy Ducks, 16 American Coots, a Pied-billed Grebe, 9 Ring-billed Gulls, a Common Raven, and 2 Red-winged Blackbirds.

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Housenick Park, Regency Boulevard, and the Nazareth Quarry ~ February 19, 2026

I walked Housenick Park in the morning where I ran into Adam Miller and, later, Linda Freedman. Notables found there included 2 American Black Ducks, 2 Northern Flickers, a Ruby-crowned Kinglet, and around 80 American Robins.

I then checked out the Regency Boulevard area, which is now gated, so it's only open to the vehicular traffic of the residents. The ponds were still frozen, but a male American Kestrel was perched on the wire by the entrance.

American Kestrel

I then made another check of the Nazareth Quarry. I saw three of the 5 White-winged Scoters, the continuing female Long-tailed Duck and Red-breasted Merganser.

The continuing female Long-tailed Duck taking a nap.

Other birds seen there included 80 Canada Geese, 2 Snow Geese, 2 Gadwall, 22 Mallards, 13 American Black Ducks, 3 Green-winged Teal, 24 Redheads, 14 Ring-necked Ducks, 19 Greater Scaup, 16 Buffleheads, a Common Goldeneye, 24 Common Mergansers, 4 Hooded Mergansers, around 50 Ruddy Ducks, 10 American Coots, a Pied-billed Grebe, and 31 Ring-billed Gulls, but today's new species for the year was an influx of 11 Northern Shovelers.

A group of American Black Ducks.

Some of the 11 Northern Shovelers.

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Plainfield Township and the Nazareth Quarry ~ February 17, 2026

In the mid-afternoon, I drove around Plainfield Township looking for Rough-legged Hawk. I found 5 Eastern Bluebirds and a couple Horned Larks along Hower Road, but never found a Rough-legged.

I also made a 20-minute stop at the Nazareth Quarry and found four of the five continuing White-winged Scoters, the female Red-breasted Merganser, 37 Canada Geese, a couple Snow Geese, 3 American Black Ducks, a Green-winged Teal, 18 Redheads, 14 Greater Scaup, 16 Buffleheads, 23 Common Mergansers, around 60 Ruddy Ducks, and 15 American Coots, but the new species for the year was Northern Pintail, of which there were three.

Northern Pintails

I didn't see the Long-tailed Duck, but I assume it's probably still there somewhere.

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Common Chaffinch AND Tufted Duck in Pennsylvania! ~ February 14, 2026

With the weather finally warming to more reasonable temperatures, I was planning to walk some trails early this morning. I was just about ready to head out when I got an early morning call from Jason Horn letting me know that a Common Chaffinch had been discovered in a Montgomery County backyard yesterday and that the homeowners, Pat and Tony Mastase connected with the Valley Forge Audubon Society, were allowing birders to come see it! Obviously, my plans quickly changed and I started the hour-plus drive down to Eagleville. I got there around 9:30 and joined the roughly dozen birders already in the house watching their feeders. The bird had been seen about a half-hour before I got there. It took about two hours before the Common Chaffinch finally returned to the backyard, allowing all of us nice looks at this European bird. Of course, there has been discussions whether this is a wild bird or an escaped one. In my opinion, if the European Robin from several years ago got accepted, then I see no reason why this bird, a drab female nonetheless, shouldn't be. I took a bunch of photos through the window, so I knew they weren't going to be real sharp, but many of them still came out pretty nicely.

A female Common Chaffinch in Pennsylvania!

I thanked the homeowners for letting me in to see this first Pennsylvania record and then decided to drive 15 minutes farther to see the Tufted Duck that had also been found yesterday along the Oaks section of the Schuylkill River. I parked and walked down the trail where I found a group of birders watching the duck along the Chester County side of the river. It was pretty far downriver, but I still managed to get a few photos showing the tuft of feathers sticking out of the back of its head.

A male Tufted Duck!

While there, a Bald Eagle was seen flying back and forth across the river with nesting material, which I got a couple distant photos of.

A Bald Eagle with a stream of nesting material trailing behind.

Other birds seen there included 14 Hooded Mergansers, 3 Gadwall, and an adult Red-shouldered Hawk. It was an exceptional day that made the drive back home a lot more enjoyable. More photos of the Common Chaffinch can be seen at my Pennsylvania Notables Photos Album.

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The Scoters and Long-tailed Duck Still Present ~ February 12, 2026

When I first began today's check of the Nazareth Quarry, I noticed a female White-winged Scoter in the spot that the five had been hanging out in the days before.

A female White-winged Scoter.

I kept looking in that area for the other four to pop up from diving, but it didn't happen. Guy de Bruyn arrived and I pointed the female out to him. Then later, I finally did spot the other four near the section of the quarry with the three snags in the water.

Three of the other four White-winged Scoters.

Also near the snags were 18 Redheads, the sporadically-seen pair of Gadwall, and 14 American Coots.

Some of the 18 Redheads.

A pair of Gadwall.

I looked for a while for the Long-tailed Duck and couldn't find it. As I was leaving, Stephen Kloiber and Megan Davis arrived, so I walked back over to the fence with them. When I looked out along the left side of the quarry, there was the Long-tailed! I realize it's a big quarry, but it amazes me how hard it is to find some of the birds at times.

The female Long-tailed Duck.

Other birds seen there today included 2 Snow Geese, 12 Canada Geese, 11 American Black Ducks, 11 Greater Scaup, one Lesser Scaup, 24 Buffleheads, 13 Common Mergansers, around 50 Ruddy Ducks, 7 Ring-billed Gulls, a Pied-billed Grebe, and a Red-tailed Hawk.

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White-winged Scoters and Long-tailed Duck Continue ~ February 11, 2026

I did a fairly quick check of the Nazareth Quarry in the early afternoon before heading over to my mom's. The 5 White-winged Scoters continued along the left side of the quarry. The males would occasionally point their heads upwards and call.

Five White-winged Scoters. Note the male calling with its head up.

The Long-tailed Duck was also there along with a female Red-breasted Merganser, but they were both much farther out and too far for any chance of a worthwhile photo.

There were also 5 Greater Scaup, but I hadn't seen any Lessers there so far this year. It's usually the other way around most years. Well today, I finally spotted 2 Lesser Scaup there. They flew across and landed in the near left corner of the quarry.

Two Lesser Scaup in flight. Note the brightest part of the white wing strip only reaching halfway out the wing.

A Lesser Scaup showing its head peak near the back of its head.

Other birds included 3 Snow Geese, 6 Canada Geese, 7 Mallards, 4 American Black Ducks, 6 Ring-necked Ducks, 14 Buffleheads, 17 Common Mergansers, around 45 Ruddy Ducks, 8 American Coots, and a Pied-billed Grebe, plus 50 Ring-billed Gulls, 11 Lesser Black-backed Gulls, and 4 American Herring Gulls.

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White-winged Scoter Count Increases to Five! ~ February 10, 2026

After getting a haircut by my daughter in Nazareth, I drove over to the Nazareth Quarry at around 3:00 to see what might be there today. With practically every body of water frozen solid by the extremely cold temperatures, the large, unfrozen quarry is attracting most of the waterfowl present in the area. Adam Miller had reported earlier that the pair of White-winged Scoters that I found yesterday were still present. When I got there, I was surprised to see that there were now FIVE White-wingeds there, three males and two females! I got the usual distant documentation photos of them, which also included the continuing Long-tailed Duck.

Five White-winged Scoters and a Long-tailed Duck (left).

Five White-winged Scoters.

Good numbers of 53 Ruddy Ducks, 26 Ring-necked Ducks, 21 Redheads, 17 Buffleheads, 14 Greater Scaup, 21 Common Mergansers, and 24 American Coots continued.

Most of the 21 Redheads along with some American Coots and Buffleheads.

A Double-crested Cormorant was a new find, and a female Red-breasted Merganser was found among the Commons. Other birds included 2 Bald Eagles and 2 Common Ravens, plus 7 Canada Geese, 3 Snow Geese, 7 Mallards, and 5 American Black Ducks.

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