CUC Bird Walk Report: Sun Jan 5

Bird Walk Results
Sunday Morning Jan 5 (National Bird Day)

Report filed by:
Rev. LoraKim Joyner, DVM

Time of observations: 8:30am - 9:30am EST
Site: Grounds of Community Unitarian Church, 468 Rosedale Ave (approx. 8 acres)

Rusty Blackbird

The weather was great for our bird walk on Sunday. I mean, really. It was warmer than 10 degrees F, and there was no snow or freezing rain. As a recent transplant from Florida I’m pleased to see how mild the winters are here. To prepare for the walk we had beach blankets and coolers in hand.

Though a temperate clime, we couldn’t go on the trails due to the snow. Flip flops tend to get lost when there is more than 4 inches on the ground. So we stuck to the pavement for most of the time. Beginning at the parsonage we went up “on top” and went behind the church to enjoy the memorial garden. There we saw a mature red-tailed hawk fly over and observed many deer tracks. We also noticed a couple of robin nests on the beams outside the church, although no robins in the air. Blue jays staid in the tops of the trees and juncos stuck to the ground. In between were cardinals, a downy woodpecker, and mourning doves.

After the walk we went to the parsonage to enjoy good company and a warm fire and beverage to heat up. Poems were read and friends made. There we could see many of the birds up close at the new feeders installed on the outside porch. In total there were only slighty more humans present than species of birds - 16 of us, observing 14 species (see list below). It total, we have seen 23 species of birds on CUC grounds since the start of the year.

The bird species and numbers will be compiled for a running bird list for the year, and were also entered on ebird (www.ebird.org - a great place for citizen scientists to contribute to understanding and conserving birds).

Please join us for our next walk, Sun Feb 9 at 8:30am at the parsonage. Dress according to what the ground hog sees the week before.

Red-tailed Hawk

Species Seen Jan 5

1 Red-tailed hawk
2 mourning doves
1 downy woodpecker
2 blue jays
1 American crow
5 rusty blackbirds
2 tufted titmice
2 black-capped chickadees
1 white-breasted nuthatch
2 song sparrows
3 white-throated sparrows
4 dark-eyed juncos
4 northern cardinals
1 house sparrow

Subsequent Bird Walk Reports (click on date)
Sun Mar 2
Sun Feb 9