When I looked out the window early this morning I was discouraged by the sight of piled up snow and grey skies.
I decided to take a pass on birding for the day and headed to the local diner for breakfast but tossed my birding gear into my trunk just in case I had a change of heart.
After breakfast I decided to take a ride down to the shore just to have a quick look around. I took my camera out to snap a picture of a Hooded Merganser that had his bill tucked in.
I was happy to see that there was just enough light to get some bird photos.
I found a nice flock of Horned Lark picking through piles of sticks and dirt protruding though the snow. I only spent about an hour at the shore but was able to add Brant, Horned Grebe, and Black Scoter to my year list.
Just as I was about to arrive home I noticed a large number of ducks down in the brownstone quarries. Not surprisingly, most of them were mallards. What I didn’t expect was seeing over 20 Wood Ducks swimming near the shoreline. I rarely see them here and certainly wouldn’t expect to find them here in the middle of February!
I almost didn’t make it out the door this morning but was glad I made the effort. I saw birds that I didn’t expect to see, was able to get a few photos, and the temperature was fairly comfortable for this time of the year.
Larry Nichols
Married, I am not a casual weekend birder,-still learning-still making mistakes. I am not a writer or photographer but enjoy blogging about my outdoor adventures. I am currently using a Canon PowerShot SX50 HS camera, Meopta Meostar 8x42 binoculars, and a vortex spotting scope. The Name Brownstone Birding Blog comes from the fact that I in which Portland has been known for its brownstone quarries for many years. Much of the brownstone used for older buildings in New York came from the town of Portland.
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