We are finally seeing buteos at Turkey Point, pretty evenly split
between Red-tails and red-shoulders. Yesterday Don Bayard
counted over 170 birds there.

Today's count was less (70), but the passerines are still fun to spot.
Both House Finch and Purple Finch were there, Palm Warbler,
Chipping Sparrows, and the usual winter crowd of White-throats
and both Kinglets. Lots of LBJs in general, but I'm really bad
at identifying them when they're in flight or as they dive into
the shrubs. There were lots of them along both meadows.

There was frost in the meadows today and the trees are turning
color, so it's very pretty right now, and with today's clear air, the view
from the point was spectacular. Y'all shoud stop by.

Today's mystery bird was a duck. Four ducks flew overhead, and three
looked like mallards, but the fourth was about 2/3 the size of the others
and very light colored, beige or buffy. It was hard to tell, because they
were very high. Any guesses what kind of duck it might have been?


--Pat

Pat Valdata, Elkton, MD | 
"The natural function of the wing is to soar upwards
and carry that which is heavy up to the place where dwells the race of gods.
More than any other thing that pertains to the body
it partakes of the nature of the divine." --Plato