Monday, March 24, 2014

Winter Summary 2014

Winter 2014 continues. Now in the third week of March the impoundments at Great Meadows are still frozen and local ponds only have small sections of open water.  Much of the snowpack has melted, clearing corn fields for arriving geese. Birds are a bit late and the variety has been a bit limited due to limited migration windows (a few warm weekends with SW winds brought in some G-W Teal and Pintails to Nine Acre Corner; Killdeer are here, but in small numbers; no phoebes yet except for that February pioneer).  A very small number of Great Blue Heron have been observed arranging nests. Many Juncos are still here, although Tree Sparrows have gotten scarce.

In short, a slow start to 2014.  As of March 23, with Chuck Johnson's discovery of a Greater White-Fronted at Great Meadows, Ludlow G. has tallied 89 birds compared to 103 by the same date in 2013.  Granted, last winter we had irruptive finches and mild temperatures, but it's a stark difference.

Here's hoping for a good spring migration!

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