November 27, 2005 [LINK]
Fox sparrow, Winter wren
I took advantage of the first mild temperatures in several days by going for a walk on the trail behind Staunton-Augusta Rescue Squad this morning, and saw the two above-named birds for the first time this season. There was a nice variety of other winter birds, with the notable absence of any kinglets. To my surprise, given the recent cold snap, I saw a late-lingering catbird back there once again, probably the same one as I saw on Nov. 14.
- Red-bellied woodpeckers
- Towhees
- Robins
- Yellow-rumped warblers
- Fox sparrows (FOS)
- Purple finches
- Cedar waxwings
- Downy woodpeckers (F, M)
- Hairy woodpecker (F)
- Winter wren (FOS)
- Goldfinches
- Yellow-bellied sapsucker (F)
- White-breasted nuthatch
- Catbird (VERY late in the season!)
Osprey Web cam at Blackwater
My friend Dave Givens sent me a link to a Web camera mounted on an Osprey nest platform at the Blackwater Wildlife Refuge, south of Annapolis, Maryland. The image reloads automatically every 30 seconds. Most of the time it's empty, but I got lucky this afternoon, when this Bald eagle showed up. See www.friendsofblackwater.org, or just click on the image.