Today was a picture-perfect hawk day -- party cloudy, cool, dry, breezy, autumnal. I went down to the water to scan the skies. But instead of a Red-shouldered Hawk what I found was its size opposite, a Red-breasted Nuthatch; 4.5" x 8.5" instead of 20" x 40". Typically I heard the little yank-yank-yanks first and then found the 'hatch creeping along the branches of a Pitch Pine. It is the earliest of what we usually term 'winter visitors'.
Today's Goldfinch flock seemed somewhat reduced although somewhat augmented by House Finches (which seem to be recovering from their recent afflictions) and I didn't find quite the variety of warblers as yesterday -- only the regulars: N Waterthrush, Am Redstart, Common Yellowthroat, and Black-and-white. All four woodpeckers were in view including a pair of Hairies and there was a noisy Brown Thrasher. A single vireo was probably not a Red-eyed but a likely Warbling (cap same color as back, light yellow wash at the sides) but I never got a really good look.
Yesterday, in the wake of the rain, I had a Merlin. Today, only Osprey.
Eric Salzman
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