January Roundup - #133

It's been a great January. I've really come to enjoy winter birding. In some ways it's easier to find birds in the winter... just look where the food is and there they'll be! Plus they sometimes stand out more in the leafless trees or snowy backdrops. There may not be quite as many birds around but the ones that hang in there through the winter with you sure gain your admiration and respect.

Today was the Bird Club breakfast at the Wilderness Center in Wilmont. It was a really good turn out and I counted 21 different species of birds:

Eastern Towhee
Red-winged Blackbird
Tufted Titmouse
Brown-headed Cowbird
White-breasted Nuthatch
Carolina Chickadee
Northern Cardinal
White-throated Sparrow
Song Sparrow
House Sparrow
Common Grackle
American Tree Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Blue Jay
Mourning Dove
Dark-eyed Junco
Downy Woodpecker
American Goldfinch
American Crow (HO)
Black-capped Chickadee (Prob)

The drive home was no let down either! I added another lifer to my list as well as two other decent birds. Thanks to Levi Yoder for letting us tromp around his property until we could find my life bird #133, the Common Redpoll! A really good looking bird. We heard more calling from the woods, but only one was venturing out to the feeder at the time.

Common Redpoll, Identification, All About Birds - Cornell Lab of Ornithology

The two other birds of note were Black Vulture and A flock of about 30-40 Horned Lark hanging in the fresh manure... Got to love the farm country :) Today's birds put me at 40 species for my year list. Feelin' purty darn good about the year so far:)

Photo Credits:
Common Redpoll - Cephas