March 29th Excursion
A "spring blizzard" swept through the area the previous day (Saturday), depositing 6-8 inches of snow. The temperature dipped below freezing Sunday morning, however by the time I arrived at ONC (8:40 am) it was well above 40 degrees. The snow would slowly melt during my visit but the remaining snow would provide for some great photo opportunities.
The plan for the first leg of the trip was to walk along Coal Creek to Blackbird Marsh, then over to the observation deck. During the walk from the parking area to Coal Creek I could hear several Northern Cardinals (cheer song) and the distinctive kaws of a pair of American Crows.
As I walked along the creek I heard a Belted Kingfisher's rattle as he flew upstream, most likely disturbed by my crunching footsteps. A pair of Mallards burst into flight from the creek as I passed them. Coal Creek's water level was noticeably high from the recent snow and thunderstorms; Warren Bridge was less than a foot above the water.
Much of the water in Blackbird Marsh was frozen and 6 inches of snow covered the boardwalk. I expected to see few birds in the area given the frozen water. However, 3 or 4 male Red-winged Blackbirds could be seen flying to different perches around the marsh, displaying and vocalizing. Small flocks of female Red-wing Blackbirds were flying about throughout the area, possibly shopping a mate (?) . All in all, there were close to 40 Red-wing Blackbirds in the area, and they were quite vocal.
The vast majority of Lake Sherry was free of ice, though a thin sheet covered some of the more shallow areas. A dozen or so Canada Geese were observed across the lake, several had gathered on the small island in the middle. 50 Northern Shovelers, 15 Green-winged Teal, 28 Blue-winged Teal, and 40 Gadwall could all be observed foraging on the lake. A pair of American Coot were feeding along the shoreline of the island. The dabbling ducks seemed to be jumpy; I would often see large group jump into flight and relocate to the opposite side of the lake. As I watched them a raptor gliding above the lake, which I thought to be a Red-tailed Hawk, caught my eye. When I peered through my scope I identified the raptor as a Bald Eagle. Maybe this stout hunter was the reason the ducks on the lake were so apprehensive. It may have been the Red-shouldered Hawk perched in a tree on the island, or maybe both.
As I was loading up my gear to leave the observation deck a large cloud of blackbirds landed in a nearby tree. Upon closer inspection I determined the group to be Common Grackle, their metallic "rusty gate" squawk and strange yellow eyes (and lack of a large tail, like Boat-tailed or Great-tailed Grackle) used as identifiers.
From the Wildlife Study Area's trail I could see that Bird Creek was several feet higher than the last time I had seen it. As with Coal Creek, the snow and rain added significantly to Bird Creek's water level. At the north point of the Wildlife Study Area I spotted a small group of 4 Blue-winged Teal were tucked away along the side of the creek. Hidden among the undergrowth near Bird Creek were several Swamp Sparrows as well as a couple of Song Sparrows. Along the west end of the trail I spotted the resident (I think) male Belted Kingfisher perched on the exposed branch of a submerged dead tree, inches above the swollen creek. He flew off when he spotted me, as did 6 female Red-winged Blackbirds that had congregated on a log along the creek's edge.
As I walked back along Coal Creek to my car, I heard, then identified, a male Red-bellied Woodpecker clambering along the trunk of a tree above me. Along the same path I spotted both male and female Downy Woodpeckers frolicking in a group of branches near the creek.
Bird Count:
Location: Mohawk Park--Oxley Nature Center
Observation date: 3/29/09 Number of species: 27
Canada Goose - Branta canadensis 17
Gadwall - Anas strepera 40
Mallard - Anas platyrhynchos 25
Blue-winged Teal - Anas discors 28
Northern Shoveler - Anas clypeata 50
Green-winged Teal - Anas crecca 15
Great Blue Heron - Ardea herodias 1
Bald Eagle - Haliaeetus leucocephalus 1
Red-shouldered Hawk - Buteo lineatus 1
American Coot - Fulica americana 2
Ring-billed Gull - Larus delawarensis 1
Belted Kingfisher - Megaceryle alcyon 2
Red-bellied Woodpecker - Melanerpes carolinus 1
Downy Woodpecker - Picoides pubescens 2
Northern Flicker - Colaptes auratus 2
Eastern Phoebe - Sayornis phoebe 3
American Crow - Corvus brachyrhynchos 3
Carolina Chickadee - Poecile carolinensis 6
Carolina Wren - Thryothorus ludovicianus 2
American Robin - Turdus migratorius 2
Song Sparrow - Melospiza melodia 8
Swamp Sparrow - Melospiza georgiana 4
White-throated Sparrow - Zonotrichia albicollis 2
Dark-eyed Junco - Junco hyemalis 18
Northern Cardinal - Cardinalis cardinalis 8
Red-winged Blackbird - Agelaius phoeniceus 35
Common Grackle - Quiscalus quiscula 58
-SPQ 3/31/2009
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