I was having too much fun birdwatching on a fine spring Saturday, so I did not get to the creek test until Sunday. It was a fine spring Sunday as well, and the creek passed its test yet again. It is much more pleasant to wade in the creek when the water temperature is 62° as compared to my previous tests. I am still trying to find out what these numbers actually mean...
Only yellow flowers are brave enough to bloom up here right now. Daffodils, dandelions, and these little yellow flowers down by the creek—marsh marigolds.
The Big Day Bird Count officially started at noon on Saturday. I was disappointed when I signed up that there were very few birds in sight. Then, at about 1:45, the eagle flew over and I knew it was going to be a good day.
I am still a novice when it comes to identification, but the species I could easily ID were: house finch, goldfinch, red wing blackbird, robin, pigeon, starling, crow, black capped chickadee, turkey vulture, eastern kingbird, barn swallow, tree swallow, 1 downy and 1 hairy woodpecker, and a pair of mallards. The trickier ones were the sparrows. There are multiple versions here. I think the ones I saw on Saturday were a swamp sparrow, and a vesper or savannah sparrow.
The other tough one was a green heron, but that was before the official count, and the sun was behind him so I couldn't really tell.
I do know the eagle, but he or she is always tough to photograph!
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