Finishing up the sparrows

Another great hike on a beautiful day

The much-anticipated cooler weather finally arrived, and I got out on the bike as soon as I could to take advantage of the nice weather and hopefully increased bird movement. A report on eBird of Harris's Sparrow AND Winter Wren at Blue Lake (where I went a few times last winter/early spring) made my choice of destination easy. I still needed both of those!

The ride over was a delight - much, much nicer than my last wind-battered slog to Marsh WMA (minimal headwinds and less weight on the bike made a world of difference). It was a beautiful morning also - one of those days that makes you so grateful to be able to be outside to enjoy it. I pulled into the parking lot and immediately heard lots of call notes from the brush. A good sign, I hoped.

Lots of sparrows on the move now, including this Song Sparrow

I sifted through the flocks of White-throated Sparrows around the parking lot. Dark-eyed Juncos have arrived and were there in good numbers. A Lincoln's Sparrow popped up, which I always enjoy. Several Orange-crowned and Yellow-rumped Warblers were actively feeding, and American Robins were gorging on berries. All of a sudden though, things got quiet. That often means a raptor is nearby. I looked up in a tree, and sure enough, there sat a Merlin. 

Stare down with a Merlin

It looked back at me, seemingly annoyed with my presence. I snapped a couple of pictures and watched it for a minute. They are fierce little falcons and I'm fascinated with them. I had ground to cover though, and I didn't want to flush the sparrows and make a meal for the Merlin, so I left. 

I went through one flock after another of the White-throated Sparrows. There were so many, the cold front definitely got things moving. I started picking out different birds, including Fox Sparrows, which provided a nice splash of color to the flocks and more Lincoln's. A few Song Sparrows also popped up. No Harris's though after about 30 minutes of walking. Surprised, I decided to scan through the waterfowl flocks on the sewage pond and lake on the area. Maybe I could find a Canvasback or something. 

A nice mixed bag of waterbirds

No Canvasback (of course), but there were definitely more waterfowl around. A few American Wigeon and Gadwall swam amongst the Mallards and American Coots, and I sifted out a pair of Northern Pintails, one of my favorites. Such an elegant duck. 

I walked over the sewage ponds which were right next to Blue Lake. Palm Warblers were flitting around the fenceline which was fun. There weren't many birds on the ponds, which wasn't surprising. They don't get really good until other bodies of water have frozen, and we aren't even close to that yet! There were a couple of Northern Shovelers and sleeping Ring-necked Ducks, but otherwise, same stuff. Back to the sparrows. 

Count the coots! 

More flocks of sparrows flushed up from the trail and a few other new birds for the day also revealed themselves, including Hermit Thrush and Ruby-crowned Kinglet. Still no Harris's though, and I was reaching the end of my planned trek as I reached a junction. I saw another birder a little further up another part of the trail and decided to walk over and say hello. 

We introduced ourselves had a pleasant conversation, and another birder who I'd met before walked up as we were talking. All of us were looking for Harris's Sparrow. We talked about other potential spots where the previously reported bird could have been and what we hoping for the rest of the fall. One of them had picked up a Winter Wren calling nearby, which was great - I couldn't wait to get over to that spot, which wasn't far. Then all of sudden in mid-conversation, one of them raised his binoculars - "Harris's Sparrow!". I guess we just had to stop paying attention. After a little searching, we all got eyes on it. Nice! I was thrilled - and relieved.

We chatted a bit more then parted ways. I walked over the Winter Wren spot with one of the birders as he left the area, and this time the target bird was quite cooperative. I got quick but definitive looks at the bird right away as it skulked around a moist, tangly area, and it was calling frequently. Woo-hoo! Having got both my targets for the day, I started the walk back to the bike. 

I kept sifting through sparrow flocks, curious to see if there might be another Harris's in the mix. None! It was really fortunate that I'd decided to go say hello rather than just turning around earlier. As I got close to my bike, I decided to make a short detour on the way home to nearby Quarry Lake and see if there might a diving duck there, like a scoter or something. It's still a little on the early side, but why not? 

I got to Quarry Lake after a short ride and scanned the lake. There was nothing there except a few gulls perched on the ski jumps (they do water ski shows here during the summer). Definitely a nice spot though with nice deep water, and I decided to keep it in mind for later.

Nobody here but us gulls

So, with those two species, I'm up to 228 green birds. I'm very pleased with that number. It also means that the shift to waterbirds and big lakes is officially on. There are a few landbirds that I still need - Pine Siskin, Redpoll, and American Goshawk, for example - but none of these require intentional trips (with the exception of perhaps a Long-eared Owl, which aren't in yet). Now, it's time for finding a good spot and scanning big lakes for diving birds - scoters, grebes, and once things start freezing up - gulls on the ice. I enjoy this kind of birding, it takes me back to my seawatching days. Fun to bundle up with a warm drink and wait for the birds to come to you!

Anyhow, I'll be getting out here soon to start on those big water birds. Thanks for reading!