This morning's Norwich 2010 Birding Quest walk for about an hour at  
Foley Park in Norwich by the Ledyard Bridge yielded 13 species  
including Canada Geese, Mallards, Hooded Mergansers, Common  
Mergansers, one Ring-billed Gull, and an assortment of land birds,  
among which a few soaring Turkey Vultures and an aggregation of four  
Downy Woodpeckers were particularly notable. Water levels in the  
Connecticut River were substantially higher than on the previous two  
days, and there was a newly formed, very thin, layer of ice over some  
side areas without much current.

After the Foley Park walk, several of the participants continued  
birding in Norwich for the remainder of the morning, going northward  
along the Connecticut River to Pompy and then west onto Campbell Flats  
Road. Two first-of-the-year species for Norwich were an American  
Kestrel at Pompy and one Herring Gull seen in the Connecticut River  
from Kendall Station Road. Other notable species for the latter part  
of the morning included American Black Ducks, Green-winged Teal,  
Killdeer, an adult Red-tailed Hawk and a few Common Ravens. One field  
along Route 5 North and another field along Campbell Flats Road  
contained numerous American Robins, estimated at over 100 birds in  
each field.

Highlights of a late afternoon walk around Lake Morey in Fairlee, VT,  
included over 30 Ring-necked Ducks, 6 Buffleheads, and at least 37  
Common Mergansers.

George

George Clark
Norwich, VT

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