January 20 2008:

It was a cold and windy day, with temperatures near 20° in the afternoon. The sun was shining and last week's snowfall still covered the ground in many areas. We explored edge habitats, where fields meet forests, in the vicinity of the stone house, near the floodplain at the southwestern border of Merrimac Farm. Despite the adverse weather conditions, we saw a cottontail rabbit in one field and observed 23 species of birds, including:

SPECIES PR = Permanent Resident WR = Winter Resident Approximate Numbers VULTURES Turkey Vulture (PR) 3 EAGLES, HAWKS Sharp-shinned Hawk (WR) 1 Red-shouldered Hawk (PR) 1 Red-tailed Hawk (PR) 2 DOVES Mourning Dove (PR) 14 WOODPECKERS Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (WR) 2 Pileated Woodpecker (PR) 2 CROWS Blue Jay (PR) 67 CHICKADEES, TITMCE Carolina Chickadee (PR) 6 Tufted Titmouse (PR) 2 KINGLETS Golden-crowned Kinglet (WR) 2 Ruby-crowned Kinglet (WR) 1 THRUSHES Hermit Thrush (WR) 2 American Robin (SR) 112 MIMIDS, THRASHERS Northern Mockingbird (PR) 4 WAXWINGS Cedar Waxwing (PR) 115 SPARROWS Eastern Towhee (PR) 4 American Tree Sparrow (WR) 1 Song Sparrow (PR) 4 White-throated Sparrow (WR) 55 Dark-eyed Junco (WR) 60 CARDINALS, GROSBEAKS, BUNTINGS Northern Cardinal (PR) 14 BLACKBIRDS, ORIOLES Common Grackle (PR) 1300