Housenick Park and the Tatamy Exit Pond Before the Rain ~ May 6, 2026

This morning's walk around Housenick Park produced 2 Common Mergansers, an Osprey, 2 Bald Eagles, a Great Crested Flycatcher, an Eastern Warbling Vireo, Tree and Barn Swallows, 2 Blue-gray Gnatcatchers, a Northern House Wren, a Brown Thrasher, an Eastern Bluebird, 2 Wood Thrushes, 4 Baltimore Orioles, a Black-and-white Warbler, 2 Common Yellowthroats, and a Scarlet Tanager.

Great Crested Flycatcher

Tree Swallow

Scarlet Tanager

I then went on a pond run looking for shorebirds. The Christian Springs Road pond held 3 Solitary and 8 Least Sandpipers. The Hollo Road retention pond produced one Killdeer, 2 Greater Yellowlegs, 2 Least Sandpipers, and 8 Northern Rough-winged Swallows. The Tatamy Exit retention pond yielded 5 Killdeer (2 adults with 3 chicks), a Spotted Sandpiper, 2 Solitary Sandpipers, 2 Greater and 2 Lesser Yellowlegs, a Pectoral Sandpiper, and 16 Least Sandpipers.

Pectoral Sandpiper

One of the Leasts was a very pale bird that appeared to be leucistic. Here's a photo of it with a normal-colored Least followed by more of the pale bird.

An apparently leucistic Least Sandpiper (left) with a normal-colored Least on the right.

An apparently leucistic Least Sandpiper.

As the rain moved in, I stopped at the Nazareth Quarry to see if something odd had dropped in, but I only saw 3 Double-crested Cormorants there.

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