[EBB Sightings] Fw: This AM

Dear Birders:

Still nursing a Christmas cold, I was relieved that it was showery yesterday morning when the first-Friday-of-the-month Jewel Lake walk was scheduled.  No one was apt to show up, right?  Wrong!  At the last moment I decided I'd better drive over to the parking lot.  And there were five intrepid birders waiting for 'the leader.' (note the quotes)  I snuffled, wheezed, coughed and handed out lists of birds we might see this time of the year, offered my apologies and headed back home.  Several folks persevered. One of them, David, sent this email yesterday which I am passing on.

Next walk: February 6 when the red-flowering currant should be blooming and maybe we'll hear some early spring song.  Dave Quady will be back from his holiday and hopefully he and Alan Kaplan can join us for what then is always a wonderful walk.

A Happy, Healthy New Year,

Phila Rogers  


> 
> Subject: This AM
> To: "Phila Rogers" 
> Date: Friday, January 2, 2009, 3:26 PM
> Hi Phila- As you can imagine the birds were pretty hunkered
> down this morning, but I did see a Varied Thrush quite
> clearly on the Pack Rat Trail. It was in the low branches of
> a Bay Laurel about half way along. Colors fairly muted,
> therefore a female? At the lake I saw Buffleheads (1m, 1f,)
> and a?different duck which took wing before I got close.
> Best guess would be a male Northern Pintail. Throw in one
> Black Phoebe and one Ruby Crowned Kinglet, and that was
> about it other than Robins and Stellar's Jays. 
> ?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????
> 
> ??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????
> Cheers,? David?