Point Count on a Very Cold Morning

Morning on Silver Creek

It had been a very long time since I was available to participate in the monthly point count at The Silver Creek Preserve so even though it was colder than a “well diggers” you know what I joined Poo Wright-Pulliam the morning of December 30, 2010 for this count, a count that has been conducted monthly since 2004.


Poo Wright-Pulliam

Poo Snowshoeing To The Survey Point Above Sullivan Pond

Me On the Road Up to the Sullivan Pond Overlook

Poo Counting Ducks

You won’t see any bird pictures while we are in the preserve it was so cold and there was a wind chill and the birds were so hunkered down or far out in little bits of open water of which there wasn’t much that there was no point in trying for bird images. Even with the cold however we did manage to count some birds. We saw: Magpies, Ravens, Songs Sparrows, Mallards, Red-tailed Hawks, Buffleheads, Canada Geese, Gadwalls, Coots, Northern Pintails, American Kestrels, Northern Shrike, Common Merganser, American Wigeons, Trumpeter Swans, Tundra Swans, Ring-necked Duck, Green-winged Teals, Common Goldeneyes, Bald Eagle, and a Hairy Woodpecker.

Winter Along Stocker Creek

A Closer Look at Drifts Along the Creek

After the count we birded the Hayspur Fish Hatchery and saw: a Northern Flicker, a Wilson’s Snipe, an American Robin, several Junco, a flock of House Finch, some House Sparrows, a flock of Starlings, a Belted Kingfisher, and a Great Horned Owl.
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A Commentary On Our Presence?


While driving we saw a covey of 24 Gray Partridge, and in a feedlot we counted 74 Chukars

Chukar with Cattle

Chukars

It was a good morning, really cold but a good morning.