I got an early start to my day today and had a chance to stop at Stearns Lake for a longer walk this morning. I had made two brief stops early in the week, but had no time to walk or look carefully.
This morning was one of those great wintery overcast days. There was no wind, and the fog had left a nice coating of frost on everything. While the light was once again terrrible the blanket of cloud gave everything a calm and secluded feeling. A great way to start the day. The birding was not spectacular. I had ten commmon species, one of which was the Kestrel above.
However I have great hope for the next visit. As I walked on what I believe was the Rock Creek Farm loop, I flushed two large birds from a group of trees I had just passed. Of course I had just pulled out my phone to check the time, and was trying to catch back up to them as they flew. No picks, and I didn't have bins with me to get an ID in flight. I hope they were owls, but they were more likely buteos or eagles. They seemed very silent in flight, and the wrong shape for hawks, but I want to find the owl I saw last summer in the same area, so I may have been projecting. Anyhow, I'll keep checking the area and report back when I spot him or get good picks of the Baldies that have been reported in the area.
I met a couple of birders heading in to the park as I left. Hopefully they will have time to do a thorough check of the geese in the lake and find all the rareities I missed.
2009 Count: 46
Lifetime: 84
No comments:
Post a Comment