Sunday, November 28, 2010

2010-11-28 Holland Ponds - November Trips

Now that the weather has turned cold, and many birds have left, we only visit infrequently. This will allow me to go back and add pics and stories to previous blogs (and this one as well ...). For now, just dumping eBird lists. I have all of our records from eBird here, but I intend to add photos as soon as we stop "going" and start "doing".

As I said previously, I think it is important to document on a fairly regular basis a few chosen local spots. I doubt we will go to Holland Ponds or anywhere else regularly during the winter, but it is certainly one of our most favorite spots when the temperatures are above freezing!



Location: Holland Ponds Observation date: 11/28/10
Notes: 41 degrees, full sun. Shallow ponds are mostly frozen now. Canal and Waterfowl Pond are open.
Number of species: 9

Mallard 30 (10 in pond by road; 20 in Waterfowl Pond)
hawk sp. 1
Red-bellied Woodpecker 1
Downy Woodpecker 2 Saw female; heard another
Blue Jay 2
Black-capped Chickadee 1 Heard only
White-breasted Nuthatch 1
Eastern Bluebird 8 north and west side of HP
American Tree Sparrow 1
sparrow sp. 4
Northern Cardinal 1

Location: Holland Ponds Observation date: 11/11/10
Notes: Another day of gorgeous weather (61 degrees; calm; light haze) and very few birds! Walked back along the heron trail with nothing to report. Several red damselflies and one painted turtle.
Number of species: 6

Mallard 30
Cooper's Hawk 1 Perched in tree. Good photos.
Red-tailed Hawk 1 Flying high
Belted Kingfisher 1 Heard only
Blue Jay 1 Heard only
American Crow 1 Flyover

Location: Holland Ponds Observation date: 11/8/10
Notes: Sunny 58-63 degrees; amazing November weather. About the fewest species we have ever seen there.
Number of species: 7

Mallard 34
Red-tailed Hawk 1
Downy Woodpecker 1 Excavating dead tree
Blue Jay 1
Black-capped Chickadee 2
Eastern Bluebird 10 Very busy in corner of HP by landfill gate.
American Robin 2