Ballas Park, Field Birding, and the Nazareth Quarry ~ January 26, 2024.

In the morning, I walked around Ballas Park. An adult Red-shouldered Hawk was perched in a tree at the pond across the road. In the southwestern corner, I came across 18 American Goldfinches, 4 Eastern Bluebirds, and 2 American Tree Sparrows. On the east side of the park, there were 21 American Robins. I had been keeping an eye out for Northern Harrier, which is often seen there, but instead spotted this circling Peregrine Falcon!

Peregrine Falcon

I birded four different field areas and found Horned Larks at each one of them, but couldn't find a Snow Bunting or Lapland Longspur among them.

Horned Lark

I eventually ended up seeing a male Northern Harrier, also known as a "Gray Ghost", from S. Summit Road between Moorestown and Bath, but it was too far away for photos.

My last stop was at the Nazareth Quarry. Two male Redheads continued along its northern edge. After a while, I spotted a male Greater Scaup with them. Lesser and Greater Scaup are tough to tell apart, but this bird always showed a head with its peak in front of the eye and sloping from there down the rear of the head. It also appeared about the same size or larger than the adjacent Redheads. Unfortunately, it never flew or raised its wings to allow a look at its wing stripes.

A Greater Scaup with two Redheads.

A Greater Scaup with one of the Redheads.

Greater Scaup

Redhead

Two Redheads with a Greater Scaup.

A pair of Gadwall was also present, staying very tight to the rocky shoreline in the northwest corner.

A pair of Gadwall.

There was only one Snow Goose present and it was in among 77 Ring-billed Gulls and 7 Lesser Black-backed Gulls. I counted about 45 Ruddy Ducks and 16 American Coots sprinkled in among the Canada Geese. Also seen in the quarry were 9 Buffleheads, 6 Ring-necked Ducks, 2 American Black Ducks, and 3 Common Mergansers, plus a Belted Kingfisher was heard doing its loud, rattling call while a Common Raven flew by.

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