[EBB Sightings] Today's field trip at Jewel Lake

Dear Birders,

A baker's dozen of us gathered at the Jewel Lake parking lot this
morning for the monthly Audubon walk to Jewel Lake.  The morning began 
cool with heavy dew on the lawn but warmed to shirt-sleeve weather when
we reached the lake at mid-morning.

In a mostly-bare willow tree along the road at Big-Leaf picnic area
(just south of the intersection of Canyon Drive and Central Park
Drive), we had long looks at a Sapsucker which was definitely not the
common Red-Breasted Sapsucker, and because it showed a yellowish belly,
a red throat and lacked the red nape of the Red-naped Sapsucker, we
decided it was most likely a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker  Unfortunately,
Dave Quady couldn't join our group until we were back at the northwest
corner of the parking lot looking for warblers in the oaks and sparrows
feeding at the margin of the lawn and the brush, so our consensus
couldn't be confirmed (or refuted) by the expert.

At the lake, we were treated to two male Buffleheads, and a young
Double-crested Cormorant successfully fishing close to the shore
directly in front of us. Across the lake, mostly in the shadows, a
female Hooded Merganser was hanging out with several resident mallards.
The local Kingfisher arrived on the scene and a Great Blue Heron flew
the length of the lake on its broad silvery-blue wings, and then
reversed its course flying the length again assuring that everyone had
a chance to fully admire this common, but always elegant, bird.

This morning, as we have had on other occasions, a young birder joined
us -- a four-year-old with his grandmother.  He was interested, growing
in knowledge, never bored -- a heartening sign for the future of 
birdwatching.  The road to the lake also worked well for one of our
group with his motorized wheelchair.

And again a special thanks to Dave who joins us when he can, and for
the information he always imparts about the finer points of bird
observation.

We saw or heard 28 species.


Phila Rogers

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