JBWR 11/28

Nothing nearly as exciting as yesterday's Barnacle Goose, which turned out to have been banded on an island off the west coast of Scotland. With the bird not being an escapee it can be "ticked" on the life list with a clear conscious. Unfortunately, it was not relocated today. But happily it has been photographed by at least two people (including Shari) and its bona fides registered.

Photo Shari Zirlin

The most interesting bird of the day was pointed out to us by another birder in the blind on the West Pond trail. A Sharp-shinned Hawk eating a bird. It was hidden pretty well in the bushes, but Shari, once we were finally able to make it out, was able to digiscope a decent photo of it. We never would have been sharp-eyed enough to find this "Where's Waldo?" bird.

Lists for West & East Ponds.
West Pond
Number of species:    31
Snow Goose    100    F/0
Brant    250
Canada Goose    150
Gadwall    1
American Wigeon    60
American Black Duck    10
Mallard    5
Northern Shoveler    50
Green-winged Teal    1
Greater Scaup    1000
Bufflehead    50
Red-breasted Merganser    2
Ruddy Duck    300
Horned Grebe    5
Double-crested Cormorant    4
Great Blue Heron    1
Great Egret    1    roosting high in tree
Sharp-shinned Hawk    1    Eating bird in trees behind blind. 
American Coot    4
Herring Gull    1
Great Black-backed Gull    2
American Crow    2
Carolina Wren    2
European Starling    11
Yellow-rumped Warbler    1
American Tree Sparrow    2    Across from Bench 6
Song Sparrow    2
White-throated Sparrow    5
Northern Cardinal    1
House Finch    4
American Goldfinch    4


East Pond
Number of species:    20
Snow Goose    300    One blue morph. One tagged 73CJ
Canada Goose    50
Mute Swan    15
American Wigeon    50
American Black Duck    22    Two on Big John's Pond
Mallard    15    Ten on Big John's Pond
Northern Shoveler    5
Greater/Lesser Scaup    2
Bufflehead    10
Hooded Merganser    9
Ruddy Duck    300
Double-crested Cormorant    2
Great Egret    2
Northern Harrier    1
Sharp-shinned Hawk    1    Big John's Pond
American Coot    90
Ring-billed Gull    1
Herring Gull    2
Carolina Wren    1
American Robin    1
American Goldfinch    3