Bona Dea Update

Bona Dea was cloudy all day. It had rained 1.05 inches in past 24 hours. It was very cold and windy. I started the adventure by walking Old Shorty Trail. There I saw Tufted Titmouse and White-throated Sparrows all over the place. Also a male Cardinal. Close to the bridge I saw a Brown Thrasher for the first time in a long time. Don't see them much in winter. See photo of one. Also there were a flock of blackbirds on the ground. They were either the Common Grackle or Brewers Blackbirds. They look a lot alike. But usually when the Grackles or scattered, they make a crackeling sound. These birds flew quitely with no voice sound. A photo of a Brewers Blackbird. A gray squirrl was out doing its thing at the same place where the Brown Thrasher was. A very small bird staying very close to the ground when it few was either a Kinglet or Bushtit. Photos of such in recent posts. I could hear but did not see the Chickedees. There were a pair of Eastern Blue Birds real close to the parking lot. In the same exact location there was the Northern Flicker woodpecker hammering on a tree and making a vocal sound. After there I went over on Swinging Bridge Trail. There were Gulls and Turkey Vulchers flying overhead and also flocks of some type of blackbirds. In Goose Pond I scared off some Northern Sholvers and Mallard ducks. Also heard some Canaidian Geese over in Black Water Swamp. The spillway was running well. I was a little surprised to not see flocks of the smaller birds at the old Swinging Bridge that I saw the other day. But it was really windy in that area. Check out the photos and I.D. info. at the All About Birds link to the right for these birds.