Birds on an Overcast Afternoon

Yesterday was not nearly as warm as Saturday, but it still was not very cold. I took a short walk around Donaldson Park and added a few new year birds for my county. Soon after I entered the park, a flock of Red-winged Blackbirds flew overhead. As I rounded the trail past the boat ramp, I noticed a Hooded Merganser swimming with a couple of Mallards. That sighting means that I have now seen all three species of merganser in the county this year. (Now, does anyone have a spare Smew?) Finally, there was a Red-tailed Hawk sitting on top of the radio tower, a species I somehow had not seen yet this year. Canada Goose numbers were down yesterday (perhaps because of extra people walking dogs and running remote-control cars around), and I was not able to find the Cackling Goose among the relative few that were present.