I spent the last couple of days dancing at the annual Dancing Bears camp in Wasilla at a lakeside camp. Although various aches and pains remain, the camp (dancing, singing, workshops, friends, food, lake, woods and mountain scenery) was all wonderful! I even donated some time in the future to act as a bird guide to help raise money for the Dancing Bears.
Although at first the bird population at the camp seemed to be minimal with just a few singing warblers being easily heard (Yellow-rumped and Wilson’s), in a couple of short walks on the camp grounds between dancing time I managed to find 19 species. The first highlight was a calling Common Loon that flew right over my head as I walked from one event to another. I was not even carrying a camera or my binoculars. Later I saw two distant Common Loons on the lake and periodically heard them.
Birds I did photograph included one of a couple of American Wigeons, a Red-necked Grebe and a Swainson’s Thrush. Other birds for the camp were Mallard, Ring-necked Duck, Barrow’s Goldeneye, Sandhill Crane (distant audio), Spotted Sandpiper, Greater Yellowlegs, Hairy Woodpecker, Black-capped Chickadee, American Robin, Hermit Thrush, Dark-eyed Junco, Lincoln’s Sparrow, and Common Redpoll.
Today at home, I was delighted to find that the male Mallard that has been coming alone to our yard was once again there with a female Mallard. Who knows where (or if) they have a nest and whether we will get to see any of their babies.
Although we periodically have a female Hairy Woodpecker coming to our suet, today for the first time a male Hairy Woodpecker came a couple of times to different feeders.
Lynn Barber's Birding Blog 