Date: January 27, 2000

Time: 8:15-12:15 AM

Northeast Creek causeway, Farrington Point causeway, Ebenezer Point, north end of Big Woods Road, north of Farrington

Sunny, calm, chilly becoming warm (30-60 degrees F)

PODICIPEDIFORMES
Pied-billed Grebe	1	on farm pond
PELICANIFORMES
Double-crested Cormorant	100	mostly immatures, including 30 or so diving repeatedly near Farrington Point
CICONIIFORMES
Great Blue Heron	10	scattered
Turkey Vulture	10	first soaring about noon
Black Vulture	6	soaring south of Farrington Road, including one bird at low altitude with its wings held in a V (its short tail and white primaries identified it)
ANSERIFORMES
Canada Goose	6	including 2 pairs in the marsh at the northern end of Big Woods Road
Mallard	4	two pairs, one on a farm pond, one in the marsh
Hooded Merganser	2	Northeast Creek, as usual the male followed the female when she took flight
FALCONIFORMES
Red-tailed Hawk	10	scattered, including one pair, 2 immatures, began soaring about noon, soon after Turkey Vultures
Red-shouldered Hawk	4	north of Farrington Point, one pair copulated in plain view, another adult and immature in the area, lots of calling
Bald Eagle	2	possibly same first-year bird, began soaring just before noon, with the Turkey Vultures
CHARADRIIFORMES
Killdeer	18	in pairs in fields with short grass
Ring-billed Gull	200	mostly adults, some second-winter birds, mostly in upper reaches of lake
Bonaparte's Gull	75	loose flocks on water and flying, 50 of them near Farrington causeway
COLUMBIFORMES
Rock Dove	18	Northeast Creek causeway bridge
Mourning Dove	6
CORACIIFORMES
Belted Kingfisher	1
PICIFORMES
Downy Woodpecker	1	in the middle of the beaver impoundment -- none with the chickadee flock
PASSERIFORMES
FLYCATCHER FAMILY
Eastern Phoebe	1	singing briefly beside marsh on Big Woods Road
JAY AND CROW FAMILY
Blue Jay	2
American Crow	8	singles and a family party
CHICKADEE FAMILY
Carolina Chickadee	2	in chickadee/kinglet flock
Tufted Titmouse	6	about 4 in chickadee/kinglet flock, others singing briefly
NUTHATCH FAMILY
Brown-headed Nuthatch	2	in chickadee/kinglet flock
CREEPER FAMILY
Brown Creeper	1	in chickadee/kinglet flock, silent
WREN FAMILY
Carolina Wren	4	singing briefly
House Wren	1	in brushy edge of marsh at northern end of Big Woods Road -- seen only by RHW
MIMIC FAMILY
none!
THRUSH FAMILY
American Robin	20	scattered
Eastern Bluebird	12	pairs scattered
KINGLET FAMILY
Ruby-crowned Kinglet	4	including several in chickadee/kinglet flock, stuttering call
Golden-crowned Kinglet	4	in chickadee/kinglet flock, silent
WOOD-WARBLER FAMILY
Pine Warbler	1	in chickadee/kinglet flock, singing briefly
Palm Warbler	1	in willows on Northeast Creek causeway
CARDINAL FAMILY
Northern Cardinal	6	pairs, scattered along roadsides
SPARROW FAMILY
Dark-eyed Junco	75	several flocks along roadsides, lots at Ebenezer Point
Chipping Sparrow	8	beside road
White-throated Sparrow	10	in brushy edge of marsh
Swamp Sparrow	20	in brushy edge of marsh
Song Sparrow	30	lots in brushy edge of marsh at northern end of Big Woods Road
FINCH FAMILY
Americna Goldfinch	20	scattered

NOTES

A glorious morning. Unusually calm -- not even a breath of wind before 11:00.   Very few ducks and other waterbirds on the lake.   Two Hooded Mergansers were a nice exception.

About 11:30 the first Turkey Vulture began to soar; soon after a first-year Bald Eagle took wing, circling in a weak thermal right above our heads; by noon Black Vultures were rising.

About 11:50 two Red-shouldered Hawks copulated in plain sight in bright sunlight.   A good deal of happy screaming followed.   At least one other adult and an immature red-shoulder were in the same area.

A big rambling flock of chickadees, titmice, both kinglets, a Brown Creeper, at least 2 Brown-headed Nuthatches, and a Pine Warbler offered nice views of everybody.

The House Wren (scarce in winter) got away before anybody other than one person saw it.   The drab color, medium-length tail, and no more than a faint eye-line identified it.