Around noon, I checked out the Nazareth Quarry. It had a nice variety of waterfowl. There were around 8000 Snow Geese and 1500 Canada Geese present. Scoping the area, I found the two continuing male Redheads plus 28 Ring-necked Ducks, 16 Buffleheads, , 8 Mallards, 7 American Black Ducks, 2 Lesser Scaup, a Gadwall, a Green-winged Teal, 9 Common Mergansers, 3 Hooded Mergansers, 31 American Coots, and a Pied-billed Grebe in among an impressive number of 94 Ruddy Ducks. A Horned Grebe had recently been reported there, but I wasn't seeing it. After about an hour-and-a-half, I finally spotted it among one of the groups of Canada Geese. I ended up with 16 species of waterbirds. I also saw 2 immature Bald Eagles and 2 Red-tailed Hawks, one of which was carrying a branch in its beak.
I stopped to see if the Hollo Road retention pond was still frozen, and it was, so there wasn't anything there. However, the corn-stubbled fields and brush along the adjacent Shoeneck Creek held a good number of sparrows. I conservatively counted 23 White-throated Sparrows, 18 Dark-eyed Juncos, 2 Song Sparrows, and one White-crowned Sparrow. Closer inspection of the White-crowned's head revealed clean, pale lores and a dull orange bill with a hint of pink, which most closely matched that of one representing the "Gambel's" race. I managed to get one decent photo before it flew off.
