Friday birds

[Rowe, Richard A, 'Dick']

I headed out yesterday to look for Horned Larks and ducks.  Most small ponds (Old Farm Rd pond, McCormick's Farm) are frozen over.  Barger's quarry "pond" had open water with a few Common and Hooded Mergansers.  The quarry pond at the Ponds as well as the two front ponds were frozen over.  Willow Lake was about 90% frozen, so the birds were congregated around the open water.  As expected there were about 150-200 Canada Geese and there were a number of ducks.  Of note, I saw: 1 Greater White-fronted Goose, many Ring-necked Ducks, Gadwall, a few Mallards, 5-6 Redheads, about 10 Canvasbacks, 1 Greater (I think) Scaup, and 2 Common Mergansers.

I found several large groups of Horned Larks (flocks of 50-60) along Decatur Rd and Rt 252.  On Decatur after turning onto the road from RT 11 and just past the barns on the left, I found one group in the hay scattered for the cows.  Along 252, south of Brownsburg and near the farm entrance for West Airslie, there was a large group of HOLA.  Unfortunately, I didn't see any other species with them.  On McElwee at the manure pile for the dairy farm, there were 5-6 Savannah Sparrows and 5 American Pipits.  Otherwise, not much else - Ravens, vultures RT and RS Hawks, 1-2 Kestrels and a few WC Sparrows.

A few photos: https://www.flickr.com/photos/vmibiology

Dick