New Year's Day Christmas Bird Count

On New Year's Day I participated in the Taunton-Middleborough Christmas bird count, which was led by Jim Sweeney. We started at the Bristol agricultural school fields, where in the midst of newly spread manure on the snow, there were horned larks and pipits feeding along with ringed-billed gulls. A large flight of Canada geese flew out of the Taunton River and it included a snow goose. We saw about 21 different species of birds. On our way to our next site. We stopped at the Dighton town hall where we picked up 13 species of birds.

Canada Geese and Snow Goose

We then went to the Boyden wildlife sanctuary in Taunton, where the interesting finding was a fox sparrow. the fox sparrow did not cooperate for a picture, how ever a golden-crowned Kinglet did pose.

Golden-crowned Kinglet

White-breasted Nuthatch

We continued into Dighton and went through the cemetery at the community Church and continued walking into the Pokanoket Fields. The field is noted for the Council Oak. The remnant of this tree is where King Philip held his counsel sessions.

the Taunton River between Dighton and Somerset were on next area to bird. There were a large number of different species of ducks on the water including Buffleheads and Greater Scaup. We also found a single Ruddy duck in the River.

Greater Scaup

Bufflehead

Common Merganser

American Tree Sparrow

After a lunch at McDonald's. We finished up the day birding multiple sites in Dighton. We were able to get a good view of a Marsh Wren . A red tailed hawk was very obliging to sit patiently in the tree while we pulled up and photograph it from a car.

Red-tailed Hawk

The day was a huge success, especially since for 1 January the temperature was into the 50s and a bright Sun was shining