Quiet Time

I went to Turkey Creek Sanctuary today and spent a silent walk through most of it. Besides various groups of birds flying or soaring overhead (vutures, crows and some smaller sparrows and/or warblers), I only saw 6 individual birds inside the Sanctuary, and 6 individuals upstream from the weir on the canal. That’s a pretty low bird density and count for about 3 hours.

Here’s the official list (including the overhead flyers I could positively identify):

1. Ovenbird (1)
2. Ruby-crowned Kinglet (1)
3. Blue-gray Gnatcatcher (2)
4. Turkey Vulture
5. Black Vulture
6. Fish Crow
7. Northern Cardinal (2)
8. Little Blue Heron (1)
9. Cattle Egret (1)
10. Pied-billed Grebe (1)
11. Common Gallinule (3)

It was particulary noteworthy to me that I neither heard nor saw any Gray Catbirds at all. The Gopher Tortoises were out again en force, and I managed to catch a glimpse of one squirrel and one snake (a Black Racer, I believe). 

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays everyone. Depending on my Christmas situation there may be a Christmas Count post upcoming, but I make no guarantees.