Birding Journal Observations / Nov. - Dec. 2011

Great Blue Heron photo by Dr. Patrick Dennis Sr.

Drought conditions and a lack of rain continue to make any bird bath a powerful attractant for songbirds. On the subject of waterfowl however, the lack of rain and unusually warm temperatures has left waterfowl sightings a bit thin. The November waterfowl season was fruitful with a number of gadwall in the Atlantic Flyway along with green-winged teal, blue-winged teal, northern shovelers and pintails. The same areas that waterfowl utilize are home to plenty of other birds and I also witnessed bald eagles, great blue herons, wood storks and ibis. At the backyard bird feeder I recorded a Carolina chickadee, hairy woodpecker, cardinal, red-bellied woodpecker, white-throated sparrow, chipping sparrow, yellow-bellied sapsucker, white-breasted nuthatch, tufted titmouse, downy woodpecker and pileated woodpecker.

To view past birding journal blog entries click here.