Sunday morning I decided to drive out to Mill Creek Lake in Amherst County
to see what might be there on a beautiful but chilly morning. Shortly after I
arrived, Mark Johnson showed up and we looked for more than an hour for any
waterfowl or other interesting birds in the area. There was nothing there, not
even a grebe, mallard, Canada goose or any ruddy ducks that usually inhabit the
lake during winter. Mark did manage to see a lone d.c. cormorant fly in far
away and he thinks that is the same one which seems to live at the lake. In
the 15 years I have been living and birding here, I have never visited Mill
Creek without seeing something on the water. Mark had also checked Thrasher's
and Stonehouse lakes nearby without seeing anything but a bufflehead at
Thrasher's I think. We heard a downy woodpecker working in a tree but no
other small birds or raptors.
Last week I visited Gala Lake in Appomattox which contained a few Canada
geese and "Dollar Pond" at Winfall in Campbell County where I saw a pair of
hooded mergansers, 2 bufflehead, a kingfisher and a great blue heron. The
brownheaded nuthatches were also present.
Around Concord and in my yard, the usual, white throats, juncos,
housefinches and goldfinches abound. A sharpie hunts here every morning and a
red shouldered hawk is around frequently. I haven't seen a redtail in weeks
and no harriers. White crowned sparrows can be found nearby as well as yellow
rumps and cedar waxwings. Have not seen a fox sparrow yet this year.
Extended weather forecasts do not indicate any weather systems approaching
which could drive waterfowl into our area before the Lynchburg CBC on December
19. I am afraid that the many ponds in my count area might be empty.
Peggy Lyons
Concord
Campbell County
