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I joined David L, Jim M, Scot T, and Bill S to bird the North Central section of the count circle Sunday. We started at 5:50, about one hour before sunrise in hopes of getting owls but no luck there. While the day was reasonably warm, 40s to low 60s, the almost constant 25 mph wind made the wind bitter all day. It also contributed to a lowered count as I suspect many birds were subdued else blown away. I finished around 4 needing to get home for other duties.

Here are my results for the day:
White-throated Sparrow 14
Carolina Wren 4
American Crow 1
Carolina Chickadee 3
Blue Jay 6
Mallard 1215
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 2
Eastern Towhee 1
Golden-crowned Kinglet 2
Canada Goose 2
Tufted Titmouse 2
Red-winged Blackbird 4500
Northern Flicker 2
Ruby-crowned Kinglet 4
Turkey Vulture 3
Red-bellied Woodpecker 2`
Brown Creeper 1
Downy Woodpecker 1
Snow Goose 2500
Ross’s Goose 11
Horned Lark 16
Killdeer 6
European Starling 5
American Pipit 50
Great Blue Heron 3
Eastern Phoebe 2
Least Sandpiper 30
Common Grackle 1
American Kestrel 1
Swamp Sparrow 3
Northern Cardinal 9
Lesser Scaup 27
American Goldfinch 3
Winter Wren 1
Northern Mockingbird 2
Savannah Sparrow 5
Field Sparrow 7
White-crowned Sparrow 17
Eastern Meadowlark 50
Ring-billed Gull 2
Ruddy Duck 35
Canvasback 35
Mourning Dove 3
Loggerhead Shrike 3
Greater White-fronted Goose 145
Northern Harrier 5
Northern Shoveler 720
Red-tailed Hawk 3
House Sparrow 11
Eastern Bluebird 4
Great Egret 1
Eurasian Collared Dove 15
Wilson’s Snipe 55
Lapland Longspur 50
Northern Pintail 100
Fox Sparrow 1
Red-shouldered Hawk 1

Plus one Mink and two Fox Squirrels.

I worked the Southern & Western Rest Areas and the bay in between this morning. I arrived at about 8:30 and the temperature was in the mid-30s and it was perfectly clear and sunny. It did not take long for the lake to suck all heat from my hands. My feet were okay in my two pair of socks and new insulated waterproof (I hope) calf half boots and the rest of me too but the hands needed more than the fingerless gloves that I had. Of the three spots, the SRA was the busiest. Left at 10 AM.

Species seen or heard:
• American Crow
• Lesser Scaup
• Common Goldeneye
• Common Loon
• Horned Grebe
• Bufflehead
• Brown Creeper
• Tufted Titmouse
• Carolina Chickadee
• Ring-billed Gull
• Chipping Sparrow
• Belted Kingfisher
• Bald Eagle
• Turkey Vulture

Samantha and I made a run down to the lake to see the reported Western Grebes. It took 53 minutes to get to Degray Lake State Park from home. It was still cold and we found the western end of the Caddo peninsula to still be locked when we go there so we had to walk the remain half mile or so. It was worth it as when we got to that westernmost point and looked even further west, we saw two Western Grebes right where they have been reported. Life birds for both of us.

Species seen or heard:
• Western Grebe
• American Crow
• Turkey Vulture
• Blackbird sp.
• Pied-billed Grebe
• Northern Mockingbird
• Canada Goose
• Dark-eyed Junco
• Carolina Chickadee
• Ring-billed Gull
• Duck sp.
• Belted Kingfisher
• Tufted Titmouse
• Blue Jay
• Red-bellied Woodpecker
• Carolina Wren
• Northern Cardinal
• Turkey Vulture
• Great Blue Heron