Also seen there were 4 Buffleheads, a Common Merganser, and a pair of croaking Common Ravens.
Wednesday, February 26, 2025
Forks of the Delaware ~ February 26, 2025
I went back to the "Forks of the Delaware" in Easton to hopefully refind the "mystery gull" that I saw there yesterday. I scanned the changing groups of gulls for almost three hours and never saw it. The only consolation prize was a Great Black-backed Gull that towered over the 59 Lesser Black-backed Gulls and 16 American Herring Gulls.
Also seen there were 4 Buffleheads, a Common Merganser, and a pair of croaking Common Ravens.
Also seen there were 4 Buffleheads, a Common Merganser, and a pair of croaking Common Ravens.
Tuesday, February 25, 2025
Martins Creek PPL Power Plant Area and the Forks of the Delaware ~ February 25, 2025
I spent the morning in the area around the Martins Creek PPL power plant. On the pond, I found 78 Ring-necked Ducks, 32 Buffleheads, 2 Ruddy Ducks, 3 Lesser Scaup, a Greater Scaup, a female Redhead, and an American Wigeon.
Around 2000 Snow Geese were seen flying in the direction of Merrill Creek Reservoir. I also found a Cackling Goose among the Canadas, providing a nice comparison between the two.
Also notice that the Cackling Goose is also much more smaller than the 2 Snow Geese that were there.
Down at the Martins Creek PPL boat launch area, a female Red-breasted Merganser was spotted on the rocks by the bridge, but it flew before I could get a photo. A Bald Eagle circled over the river and stirred up the 43 Ring-billed Gulls.
Other birds seen there included a Mute Swan, 2 Buffleheads, 3 Hooded Mergansers and one Common Merganser plus 22 American Robins.
I left there and headed down to the "Forks of the Delaware" in Easton to check for gulls. Most of the roughly 400 gulls were on the New Jersey side of the Delaware River. While scanning through the flock, I came across a gull that I couldn't identify to species. What caught my eye was its very noticeably barred back. It had a clean white head with a smudge around the eye. It also had what appeared to be a small, all-dark bill like that of a young Iceland Gull, but the head shape was wrong and the wingtips were all dark. The head was too clean and the bill appeared too small for Herring Gull. Vega Gull could be a very remote possibility, but so is the possibility of a dreaded hybrid. I couldn't really determine the leg color.
I went home and got out my gull guides and still couldn't pin this bird to a particular species. I plan on going down there again tomorrow to see if I can refind it and hopefully get some much closer and better photos.
Around 2000 Snow Geese were seen flying in the direction of Merrill Creek Reservoir. I also found a Cackling Goose among the Canadas, providing a nice comparison between the two.
Also notice that the Cackling Goose is also much more smaller than the 2 Snow Geese that were there.
Down at the Martins Creek PPL boat launch area, a female Red-breasted Merganser was spotted on the rocks by the bridge, but it flew before I could get a photo. A Bald Eagle circled over the river and stirred up the 43 Ring-billed Gulls.
I left there and headed down to the "Forks of the Delaware" in Easton to check for gulls. Most of the roughly 400 gulls were on the New Jersey side of the Delaware River. While scanning through the flock, I came across a gull that I couldn't identify to species. What caught my eye was its very noticeably barred back. It had a clean white head with a smudge around the eye. It also had what appeared to be a small, all-dark bill like that of a young Iceland Gull, but the head shape was wrong and the wingtips were all dark. The head was too clean and the bill appeared too small for Herring Gull. Vega Gull could be a very remote possibility, but so is the possibility of a dreaded hybrid. I couldn't really determine the leg color.
I went home and got out my gull guides and still couldn't pin this bird to a particular species. I plan on going down there again tomorrow to see if I can refind it and hopefully get some much closer and better photos.
Monday, February 24, 2025
Palmer Bikeway and the Tatamy area ~ February 24, 2025
I drove over to Penn Pump Park and walked the Palmer Bikeway. In the section of pines, a Brown Creeper worked its way up a tree right next to the trail. It's amazing how much their plumage matches the tree bark.
Just past the pines, I found a Ruby-crowned Kinglet fairly high up in a tree.
A little farther up the trail, I heard and then found a Winter Wren, which posed very nicely for photos.
On the way back to the car, I spotted a Golden-crowned Kinglet flitting from branch to branch.
A pair of Carolina Wrens were also there, one of which was singing away.
After a dentist appointment, I headed for the Wendy's near Tatamy. There, I spotted a male Northern Harrier, also called a "Gray Ghost", hunting the field on the north side of Main Street.
During one of the drops into the grasses, it successfully caught a mouse.
Just past the pines, I found a Ruby-crowned Kinglet fairly high up in a tree.
A little farther up the trail, I heard and then found a Winter Wren, which posed very nicely for photos.
On the way back to the car, I spotted a Golden-crowned Kinglet flitting from branch to branch.
A pair of Carolina Wrens were also there, one of which was singing away.
After a dentist appointment, I headed for the Wendy's near Tatamy. There, I spotted a male Northern Harrier, also called a "Gray Ghost", hunting the field on the north side of Main Street.
During one of the drops into the grasses, it successfully caught a mouse.
Saturday, February 22, 2025
Red-breasted Mergansers at the Nazareth Quarry ~ February 22, 2025
I dropped my wife off at my daughter's work for a hair appointment and had about an hour-and-a-half to play with, so I drove over to the Nazareth Quarry. There were three Redheads continuing along the northern side along with a Horned Grebe, 16 Buffleheads, 6 Common and 5 Hooded Mergansers, 5 Ring-necked Ducks, and 2 American Black Ducks. During one of the scope scans I spotted a pair of Red-breasted Mergansers. Apparently, they were previously out of sight in the cove behind the first point. I took some very long-distance documentation photos of it.
Also seen there were about 60 Ruddy Ducks, 8 American Coots, and 9 Snow Geese among about 600 Canada Geese.
Also seen there were about 60 Ruddy Ducks, 8 American Coots, and 9 Snow Geese among about 600 Canada Geese.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)