The Stroud Preserve, 17 October 2012

Today’s walk around the Stroud Preserve was very calm, but full of birds. The first four birds of the day were an adult Cooper’s Hawk, adult Bald Eagle, male Kestrel, and adult Red-tailed Hawk. Not a bad start. The parking lot was completely empty when I arrived and I saw almost no people despite the nice weather. For the past couple of weeks I’ve been reading about an invasion of Pine Siskins to the Delaware Valley. Flocks of hundreds of them seemed to be everywhere except the Stroud Preserve. Finally today they arrived.

Stat time: 9:00
End time: 11:45
Temp: 42-58
Wind: none to start, later a light breeze from the southwest.
Skies: mostly sunny
Species Total: 48
 
Turkey Vulture – approx.25
Canada Goose – approx. 200
Wood Duck – 4, 3 females, 1 male
Bald Eagle – 2 adults
Sharp-shinned Hawk – 7 appeared to be all juveniles
Cooper's Hawk – 2, 1 adult, 1 juvenile
Red-tailed Hawk – 7, 6 adults and a juvenile
American Kestrel – 2, adult males
Rock Dove – approx. 10
Mourning Dove – approx. 50
Red-bellied Woodpecker – 5
Downy Woodpecker – 3
Northern Flicker – 1
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker – 1
Blue-headed Vireo – 2, Bird of the Day! Great prolonged views from about 8 feet!
Blue Jay – approx. 30, did not appear to be on the move as in previous weeks.
American Crow – approx. 150
Tree Swallow – approx. 50
Carolina Chickadee – approx.30
Tufted Titmouse – approx.20
White-breasted Nuthatch – 6
Carolina Wren – approx. 10
Golden-crowned Kinglet – approx. 10
Ruby-crowned Kinglet – approx.25
Eastern Bluebird – approx. 30
American Robin – approx.20
Gray Catbird – 1
Northern Mockingbird – 3
European Starling – approx. 25
Cedar Waxwing – approx. 30
Yellow-rumped Warbler – 4
Palm Warbler – 3
Common Yellowthroat – 1
Field Sparrow – 5
Savannah Sparrow – 1
Song Sparrow – approx. 150
Lincoln's Sparrow – 4
Swamp Sparrow – approx. 25
White-throated Sparrow – approx. 40
White-crowned Sparrow – approx. 20, mostly immatures
Dark-eyed Junco – 1, first of the season
Northern Cardinal – approx. 10
Red-winged Blackbird – approx. 100
Common Grackle – 5
House Finch – approx. 200
Purple Finch – approx. 200
American Goldfinch – approx. 200
Pine Siskin – approx. 50, new species (138) for the preserve list!