Just as I lamented the initial lack of bird activity at Lake
Shenandoah yesterday morning, a Sharp-shinned Hawk, from his (perhaps?) hopeful
perch above the shallow inlet creek, seemed to agree.
From there forward, things livened up. Total was about 30 species. These were
some highlights:
First American Coot of the season. For a while it had its tail elevated high,
looking more like a Ruddy Duck x Coot!
Two spatting Golden-crowned Kinglets in a cedar brought my
attention to two silent birds interacting below them – a Yellow-rumped Warbler
seemed
to be pestering a Winter Wren. They were
low, near the Lake’s edge.
Other waterfowl included Ring-Necked Ducks (3), a Ruddy Duck,
and two Pied-billed Grebes. When one of
the Grebes chased the other; I saw something in the lead bird’s bill. Yikes!
I’d have never imagined a grebe would tackle
a fish that big.
For a short while a Bonaparte’s Gull floated mid-lake.
At Leonard’s Pond, finds included three Pectoral Sandpipers,
two Wilson ’s Snipe, and six Green-winged Teal.
A few photos of the day start here and end with the fish-tackling Grebe:
http://smu.gs/HOrkwy
Diane Lepkowski, Harrisonburg
