Having a week with temperatures in the 70s is a treat and it’s bringing the birds back. Today we got a good look at an Eastern Phoebe. This is about a month earlier than I’m used to seeing them.

Last night at sunset we enjoyed hearing Woodcock’s giving their buzzy peent call and then launching up for their aerial mating display. From the PGT Center we must have heard at least 12 Woodcock all around us.

In the past week we’ve observed that each body of water at the PGT is now patrolled by Red-winged blackbirds.

We’ve also seen small flocks of Field Sparrows. They are the most common sparrow here in summer but I don’t remember ever seeing them in February.

Here is a list of the 30 different species we saw on the walk this morning:
40 Snow Goose (flying north)
2 Canada Goose
1 Red-tailed Hawk
3 Killdeer
12 American Woodcock
5 Mourning Dove
8 Red-bellied Woodpecker
3 Downy Woodpecker
2 Northern Flicker
1 American Kestrel
1 Eastern Phoebe – shown in the picture
12 Blue Jay
6 American Crow
8 Black-capped Chickadee
10 Tufted Titmouse
5 White-breasted Nuthatch
8 Carolina Wren
21 Eastern Bluebird – checking out their houses
5 American Robin
1 Northern Mockingbird
3 European Starling
1 American Tree Sparrow
15 Field Sparrow
1 Fox Sparrow
29 Dark-eyed Junco
24 Song Sparrow
12 Northern Cardinal
10 Red-winged Blackbird
1 Eastern Meadowlark
16 American Goldfinch