Trip Report, Rockland Audubon Society

 

02/15/09 Rockland Lake   

 

Led by: Della and Alan Wells

 

Participants: Frank Kemmer, Veronika Krause, Dan Albantides, Gloria North, Caroline McDonald, Susan Freiman, Karen D’Alessandri, Jim Previdi, Zenon Bachir, John Brown, Wendy Brown, Drew Ciganek, Julia Warger, Mike Towle, Brian Matthews, Scott Neabore, Lindsey Konkel, Christine Imrich, Chrissy Fanning

 

Weather: Clear and sunny. Relatively cold, about 29 F, but steadily warming. Air temperature reached 36°F by 11 AM. As we walked around the edge of the lake we were serenaded by the moaning of the slowly thawing and shifting ice of the lake. Quite eerie!

 

Trip Highlights:  Rockland Lake was still covered with a layer of ice so we did not expect to find much in the way of waterfowl. We were right!. The lake was almost completely devoid of waterfowl except for a large group of Canada Geese (and two Snow Geese) crammed into a small patch of open water at the south end. Luckily, after a few minutes, they flew to the lawn at the Nature Center and began grazing. Thereby saving us a long walk!

 

Despite the lack of waterfowl, we managed to compile a respectable winter-time list of 27 species. And coincidently the Great Backyard Bird Count was taking place, so we decided to count the numbers seen and report our totals to the GBBC.

 

It was great to see so many “young” faces on this trip. Hope Lindsay’s journalism project with interview was a great success!

 

   

     

Common Name Comments
Snow Goose  2 (Adult, Juvenile)
Canada Goose  111
Mute Swan  2 Pair
Mallard  16
Common Merganser  13 Fly by
Black Vulture  3
Turkey Vulture  1
Red-tailed Hawk  1
American Coot  4 In flow stream
Ring-billed Gull  35
Herring Gull  1
Red-bellied Woodpecker   1
Downy Woodpecker  2
Blue Jay  2
American Crow  5
Fish Crow  1 Heard and seen
Tufted Titmouse  2
White-breasted Nuthatch  1
Northern Mockingbird  1
European Starling  10
Song Sparrow  1
Northern Cardinal  2
Red-winged Blackbird  2
Common Grackle  1
Brown-headed Cowbird  1
House Finch 1 Heard only
House Sparrow 3

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Click to Enlarge.

Snow Goose
Photo 1. Adult Snow Goose at Rockland Lake. Photo: Alan W. Wells

 

Snow Goose
Photo 2. Juvenile Snow Goose at Rockland Lake. Photo: Alan W. Wells

 

House Sparrow
Photo 3. House Sparrow at Rockland Lake Administration Building. Photo: Alan W. Wells

 

 

Mallard
Photo 4. Male Mallard at Rockland Lake. Photo: Alan W. Wells

 

 

Downy Woodpecker
Photo 5. Downy Woodpecker searching through Phragmites. Photo: Alan W. Wells