There were half a dozen Hermit Thrushes in the woods near the back of the house this morning, all of them grayish birds feeding on the ground, jumping up to a low perch with a 'chook' and reddish tails a-wagging.
There was a big flock of Double-crested Cormorants moving high overhead but relatively few cormorants in the creek. A surprising sight was the overflight of a 'flock' of eight Great Blue Herons. A number of individuals of this species continue to frequent the marsh, the pond and Weesuck Creek edge. Ditto for Greater Yellowlegs, four of which appeared over the creek with one coming in to feed in the low water of the pond. A few Black Duck are interspersed with the Mallards. Back in the woods, there was a White-breasted Nuthatch, a couple of handsome Downy Woodpeckers (which appear to have molted into breeding plumage) and small numbers of Golden-crowned Kinglets.
The most unusual observation was early on when a low, short, buzzy call -- quite unfamiliar -- came from the far edge of the marsh by the creek. That part of the property is basically accessible only from Bay Avenue, a detour that offered plenty of time for the mystery caller to escape. Better luck next time!
Eric Salzman
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