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 **************************************************************** To post messages, send e-mail to: [log in to unmask] Set your e-mail application to PLAIN TEXT ONLY to post messages. To contact the list owner: [log in to unmask] ---------------------------------------------------------------- Web based archives and subscription management are available at: http://listserv.dartmouth.edu/Archives/uv-birders.html ****************************************************************