Activity 1:   Northern Cardinal with Blackburnian Warbler: Northern Cardinal has a fairly consistent range throughout the seasons, only fluctuating slightly at the fringes of it's range. The Blackburnian Warbler migrates widely, from having a fairly dense population in Central America to being somewhat more spread out on it's northern migration up to roughly the great lakes, where it's population is once again denser. It then migrates southwards, but takes a different path than it initially did, going over the Caribbean. Scarlet Tanager with Western Tanager: The Scarlet Tanager has a roughly similar migration path to the Blackburnian Warbler, with the differences that it starts further south in South America and has a somewhat more southern distribution once it reaches the north eastern United States. As mentioned, it's migration is similar to the Blackburnian Warbler in that it migrates northwards through Central America and Mexico and southwards over the Caribbean. Ruby-throated Hummingbird with Rufous Hummingbird: The Ruby-throated Hummingbird winters in Central America and migrates northwards largely over the Gulf of Mexico to the eastern United States and south eastern Canada, as well as a band into the Canadian Prairies, and it appears to have a southern migration that is more over land, but may still be over the Gulf of Mexico for some birds. The Rufous Hummingbird winters in Mexico, then migrates north along the pacific coast to British Columbia, before migrating south more inland on it's southwards trip back to Mexico. Sandhill Crane with Yellow-bellied Flycatcher: The Sandhill Crane has a general northwards spring migration and a southwards winter one, but it looks somewhat messy. There appear to be a few populations across the United States in the winter, and in the summer they appear to fan out all over Canada and some parts of the United States. The Yellow-bellied Flycatcher has a somewhat more clear-cut migration, traveling from it's wintering grounds in Central America to several regions in Canada over land for some individuals and over the Gulf of Mexico for others. These summer regions across Canada include the southeast as well as a band across northern British Columbia and Alberta, most of the Yukon and some of Alaska. A few general things that I noticed are the importance of the Gulf of Mexico, as many birds need to choose whether to fly over of around it, and how the locations of birds are much more flexible and less defined than standard range maps may indicate. It is also amazing to think that many of the birds that we may watch have come from another continent, and will be going back there.   Activity 2:   Three birds that we have year-round are the Canada Goose, Evening Grosbeak, and Dark-eyed Junco. I have seen both Canada Geese and Dark-eyed Juncos, although I thought that Canada Geese were migratory. Looking at the Abundance Animation for Canada Goose, they are migratory, but where I live we always appear to have some. I haven't seen an Evening Grosbeak, although they look like beautiful beautiful birds and I would love to see them someday. Three birds that we have for part of the year are the Blue Jay, Barrow's Goldeneye and Ruby-crowned Kinglet. I didn't think that we had Blue Jays here other than occasional stray individuals. While it doesn't look like there are ever many, there appears to be a few at some points in the year. Not really knowing anything about ducks, I didn't know that we have Barrow's Goldeneyes from Mid-September to Mid-June. I knew what Ruby-Crowned Kinglets were, but didn't know that they were migratory.   Activity 3:  

• Male American Goldfinch: The summer plumage is a very bright yellow for most of the body, with a black crown, and black and  white wings and tail. In the winter, the black crown turns brown, the head remains yellow, and the rest of the yellow turns brown. As can be expected, the breeding plumage is much fancier and arguably more beautiful than the non-breeding plumage.
• Common Loon: In breeding plumage, a beautiful bird with white spots on black wings, a black head, and a black-ish coloured bar around the neck. This bar looks somewhat greenish. In non-breeding plumage, the bird white spots on the wings mostly disappear, and the definition between the white and black areas on the bird look less defined. The front of the neck becomes a clear white, and the black on the head recedes somewhat. As with the Goldfinch, the non-breeding plumage is predictably less stunning than the breeding plumage.

  Activity 4:   I have a few birding spots that I often go to, but one that is always nice is a pond next to a golf course that is often teeming with ducks, and often has a swan or two. Looking at the eBird hotspot for the location, the reasons for the swans being there is that they are captive. I was there a few days ago, and there were quite a number of Mallards, the swans, and a number of Buffleheads. According to eBird, in April (6 months from the time of writing this, I can expect to see a long list of birds, including Ruby-crowned Kinglets, American Wigeons, Hooded Mergansers, Wood Ducks, and many more in the pond and surrounding area.

Activity 1: Northern Cardinals don't appear to migrate. They pretty much stay in the same region east of the Rocky Mountains all year long. The Blackburnian Warbler, however, migrates between northern South America in the winter, all the way up to northeastern US and into Canada for the summer. The Scarlet Tanager also migrates between South America and the eastern US. The Western Tanager migrates between Central America and western North America. It's interesting to see that some species stick strictly to either the eastern or western part of the continent. Sandhill Cranes, on the other hand are spread out all over North America, depending on the time of year. Activity 2: Some species that are found year-round in the part of Utah where I live, and that I have seen, are the Norther Harrier, American Kestrel, and Norther Flicker. Some species that only appear part of the year are the Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Barn Swallow, and Ruby-throated Hummingbird. Activity 3: Male American Goldfinches appear brightly colored in summer, whereas in winter they become more drab. The hood of the Common Loon in summer is completely black. In winter, the hood appears more mottled gray. Activity 4: At my favorite birding spot I expect to see a lot of Mallards, maybe some Canada Geese, and some Norther Flickers. These are year-round residents, so I expect to see them again in six months. It's getting towards the end of the season to see hummingbirds, but six months from now I expect to see some Ruby-throated Hummingbirds again. My new favorite bird is the Blue-gray Gnatcatcher. It will be leaving the area to migrate south, but I expect to see it again in six months.

Activity 1: Visit eBird Status and Trends to watch some animated range maps and see migration in action. Compare: Northern Cardinal with Blackburnian Warbler Cardinal remains about the same all year. Primarily whole Eastern US, some along the coasts of Mexico. Blackburnian Warbler winters along the northern coast of South America along the Gulf, migrates to Southern Canada to mate. Scarlet Tanager with Western Tanager Scarlet Tanager winters in NW South America, migrates across the Gulf to LA, MS, AL, FL to Eastern US and Eastern Canada Western Tanager summers in western/north USA and winters on west coast and further south than Tanager Ruby-throated Hummingbird with Rufous Hummingbird Ruby-throated summers all over Eastern US into Canada, winters in southern Mexico and Central America Rufous summers Western US, winters in Mexico Sandhill Crane with Yellow-bellied Flycatcher Sandhill Crane summers in northern USA, some central and western and up into Canada and Alaska in certain locations Yellow-bellied Flycatcher summers mostly in Eastern Canada. It looks like it must fly long distances without landing in southern US, winters in Central America What stands out to you about them? What patterns do you notice? Does anything surprise you? Share your observations in the discussion. Activity 2: Year-Round - Canada Goose - Yes, have seen before. Some do head further south in winter. I have seen them in CT in ponds in the winter that do not entirely freeze. Wild Turkey. These are commonly seen in yards and near the roads. Can be seen up in apple trees in the fall. Mourning Dove - These are seen and heard commonly in northern Vermont. I do not see them in the winter, but the maps show that they are in Vermont year round. Great Blue Heron - Yes, have seen. The Merlin map and graph show them in Vermont year round, but they feed in shallow water. There must be some shallow water in Vermont that does not freeze over. Part of the year -  Snow Goose - yes, have seen in the thousands only during migration at the Missiquoi NWR at the north end of Lake Champlain and Dead Creek WMA in Addison County. Their numbers have become so large that Vermont has a hunting season for them. But thousands of people flock to the viewing locations during migration. Eastern Phoebe - yes, I have seen these at my bird feeder in spring and summer. They migrate further south in winter. Hermit Thrush - my favorite bird in the woods behind my house in the spring and summer. They migrate further south in the winter. Activity 3: Compare pictures in Macaulay Library of birds in different plumages during different seasons: Male American Goldfinches in summer and winter Summer - Brilliant yellow, black and white. Winter - dull greenish yellow, black & white Common Loons in summer and winter Summer - distinct black and white coloration. Distinct necklace. Winter - dull black, brownish, some white. Necklace is gone. For each species, what differences and similarities do you notice in their color and pattern? Share your observations in the discussion.

Northern Cardinal:  I noticed that it stays relatively stable and does not migrate very far.  There is also an abundance of Cardinals!  In regard to the Blackburnian Warbler they have a distinct migration pattern of flying south for the winter and spend their summers in Canada. The Scarlet Tanager and the Western Tanager are different in that the Scarlet Tanager mainly migrates up and down the East coast while the Western Tanager migrates up and down the West coast. Wow, there is an abundance of Ruby Throated Hummingbirds!  They migrate up north in April and migrate south in September/October.  There is not as much of an abundance of Rufous Hummingbirds and they migrate south a little earlier than the Ruby Throated Hummingbird (Aug-September). The Sandhill Crane has a very long migration up to Alaska.  The Yellow-Bellied Flycatcher appears to follow a very strict path and are less widespread.   Three species that are year-round residents:  Northern Cardinal, White-Breasted Nuthatch, and Chipping Sparrow.  The Dark-Eyed Junco is only here in the winter and I will be seeing them at my feeders soon!!  The Wood Thrush is only here during the summer and this elusive bird is mostly heard and not seen.  The Cedar Waxwing is not a year-round resident and should be spotted soon as they migrate to this area around this time of year (Sept-Oct).  Last year, we had a small group of them hanging out in a tree. The American Goldfinch has much brighter plumage in the summer and takes on a more brown-ish color in the winter.  Wow!  The differences between the summer Common Loon and the winter Common Loon were drastic.  Their teal band around the neck disappears in the winter along with the outline of their plumage.  The darkness around their face also fades. My favorite birding spot is just around my neighborhood.  Right now I expect to find Chipping Sparrows, Tufted Titmice, Black-capped Chickadees, Northern Flickers, White-Breasted Nuthatches.  In six months it will be April so I would expect to see Eastern Phoebes.  Purple Martins will also be returning in six months as well as the Ruby Throated Hummingbirds.

Activity 4 - My favorite birding spot is Central Park here in NYC, more specifically The Ramble. Over the last few weeks the birds I see continue to change. Right now I am seeing less warblers than I saw just a week ago. This week we started to see Ruby and Golden Crwoned Kinglets. We are starting to see more varieties of sparrows as well. Over the next few weeks this will continue to change as many of these species are migratory and are just stopping by briefly on their way south. 6 Months from now will be spring migration in which we'll then again see a lot of the same species. However in a couple months from now we'll only see the birds that stick around through the winter such as Cardinals, Blue Jays, Sparrows, and waterfowl.

Activity Three: Goldfinches frequent my finch feeder, so I've had the pleasure of watching their brilliant yellow plumage dull in the course of the fall months. I haven't seen any loons this year (not been around water enough I guess), good to know. And it looks like the Common Loon is not that common in Western PA. The summer plumage in both birds is more brilliant. The male is the more brilliant in the gold finches, but the common loon adults male and female seem to be the same.

Activity Two: Most of the birds I can easily identify are year round residents: the Great Blue Herron, Wild Turkey, Turkey Vulture, Blue Jay, Crow. Bird that I have seen that are only frequent in the warmer months include: Ruby throated hummingbird, the Red breasted Grosbeak, the barn swallow. I found one bird, the Common Merganser which is more likely to be found here December - April.

Activity One The Northern Cardinal's range is nearly the same throughout the year, with just some movement around the edges. The Blackburnian Warbler undertakes a long migration spending the winter months as far south as Peru and the summer as far north as southern Canada. The Scarlet Tanager spends winters as far south as Peru, and summers as far north as Canada. Its' summer range is in eastern North America. The Western Tanager lives on the west coast, summering as far north as the Northwest Territories in Canada, and flying south to winter in Mexico, and as far south as Costa Rica. In summary, the Scarlet Tanager range is on the east, and more southern than the Western Tanager. The Ruby-throated Hummingbird is the eastern hummingbird, range from southern Canada in the summer to as far south as Costa Rica in the winter. The Rufous Hummingbird is a western bird, ranging from as far north as the edge of the Yukon in summer to as far south as Mexico in the winter. These two hummingbirds overlap in Mexico in the Winter. In all three of these pairs, the western birds' migration is within a narrower band, west of the Rockies, and extends further north, but less far south as the eastern birds. The Sandhill Crane abundance map is much patchier than the Yellow-Bellied Flycatcher. It is abundant year round in Florida, but in breeding season spreads as far north as Alaska. In non-breeding season it is concentrated in a few patches. The southern range only extends as far as south as barely into Mexico. The Yellow-bellied Sapsucker is the one of these eight birds that spends time in Cuba! Its' breeding range, like the Sandhill Crane, extends north and as far west as the Yukon during breeding season. There is a wealth of information in these maps, this is just scratching the surface with the roughest of observations.

I enjoyed all of the activities.  I have had an active feeding station in our back yard (in Virginia) since January of this year but have only recently begun trying to locate and identify birds in the wild. It is so much harder!  Activity 1:  Watching the migration maps was fascinating.  I paid special attention to the map for Ruby-throated Hummingbirds, noting the dark purple in August that quickly moved south after that.  We have now (9/26/2020) been two days with no sightings at our hummingbird feeders.  Activity 2:  Since this is my first year with feeders, I am thrilled to see how many of my favorites will be here all year -- Downy Woodpecker, Eastern Bluebird, White-breasted Nuthatch, Carolina Chickadee, Tufted Titmouse, Carolina Wren, Northern Cardinal and more!  Some of the birds here part-year only are ones where I am trying to confirm a sighting.  I think I saw a Chimney Swift fly over one day while swimming, and I may have seen a Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher and an Eastern Wood Pewee this month in a park along the river.  The gnatcatchers are leaving the area very soon, so I'd better get back to the park if I want to see one this year.  Activity 3:  We've enjoyed watching the goldfinches and house finches with their changing plumage.  Often I'll think I am seeing a new bird only to realize it is a finch after all.  Some of the juveniles were so fluffy that they looked larger than they parents, and a recent male American Goldfinch had a very delicate, pale yellowish-gray chest in a different hue than I'd seen before.  Handsome!  Activity 4:  At our feeders, we are hoping to see some birds during the fall migration that we haven't seen since the spring migration, like the Rose-breasted Grosbeak.  At the riverfront park, there is a good chance I could spot a Great Blue Heron and Belted Kingfisher this time of year since there are other sightings reports on eBird.  It looks like a variety of warblers pass through the area in mid-September to mid-October, and the Yellow-rumped Warbler seems to hang around for longer.  That would be a fun sighting!  Six months from now, I'll have a better chance of spotting the Mallards and the Grackles should be coming back.

Activity 1 The St. Louis Cardinals seems all the more appropriate. I also noticed that I should be seeing Western Tanagers, but I haven't seen one.   Activity 2 I can't do because I can't create a Merlin account. I've reached out to Merlin help a couple times over the past few weeks. Hoping to get that fixed. They aren't sending me a confirmation email.   Activity 3 I love the dulled colors of Winter!   Activity 4 Because we're on fire in California and not supposed to go outside, my favorite birding spot is my only birding spot. The dining room table with a view of the Blade Runner orange skies.

Act 1: northern cardinal live here year round vs blakcburnian warbler Is migratory. Scarlet tanager breeding season here then in South America vs Western tanager slices only in the west. Ruby throated hummingbird says only her June to July but here now and Rufous hummingbird is only in the west.  Sandhill cranes year round here and all over the US vs yellow bellied flycatcher is migratory. Act two.  Three yr round are cedar waxwing, common grackle, great horned owl.  I haven't seen a great horned owl in the wild.  Three part year are canvas backs for migration, redhead migration, and cliff swallow. I haven't seen a cliff swallow or a canvasback.  The great horned owl lives year round all over the US. act three. Male goldfinches are a bright yellow in the summer and brown  in the winter.commom loon in summer is broad black head and neck with greenish,purplish, or bluish sheen. In winter it is dark gray above with white breast, belly, and wing linings. act four. I find northern cardinals, ruby throated hummingbirds, American robins, american goldfinches, and bluebirds, and turkey vultures now.  Later I will find white throated sparrows, white crowned sparrows, dark eyed juncos, maybe a snowy owl.

Activity 1: The Western Tanager starts migration in Mexico. It stays along the West Coast and travels upwards into Canada. It returns along the same path. The Scarlett Tanager starts further south in South America and then travels up the East Coast and just up to a small part of Canada. The return path is the same. I love the Western Tanager as they migrate thru north Los Angeles where I live. I am eagerly anticipating seeing some during the fall migration. It's one of the more beautiful birds that i have seen in the Southern California.

Activity 1: While each of these birds inhabit the same forests throughout some of the year, their migration route during other times of the year differ in often extreme ways. Activity 2: A.) Three birds that are in my region all year are Trumpeter Swans, Herring Gulls and Blue Jays. Trumpeter Swans are common near a pond at a local conservation area, so I've seen them lots. Herring Gulls I've always dismissed as a Seagulls and it wasn't until I downloaded Merlin Bird ID there are different species like the Ring-billed Gull. Blue Jays I encounter year round. B.) Three birds that are in my region sporadically are Black-Bellied Plovers, Killdeer and Solitary Sandpipers. Black-bellied Plovers and Killdeer are listed as uncommon but the Solitary Sandpiper is listed as rare. I've chosen all shorebirds because quite honestly even though I live on the shores of a river, I seldom seem to spot shorebirds in the field. I haven't seen any of these birds. Was wondering if anyone has any suggestions for where I should be searching for shorebirds? On the shores I'm assuming? lol.

Activity 3: male Am.Goldfinch in summer vs winter: In summer...bright yellow very black crown and wings, white wing bar and rump, orange beak. Winter looks almost olive gray like summer female, grayer overall, dusky beak, less yellow on breast, black wings and tail still with white bars on tail . Black crown gone-- now lighter olive with some black spots on the forehead. Common Loon summer: all black head with bright red eye, black bill, very contrasty black and white patterns on neck, chest and back, vibrant greenish teal neck collar. Winter: white on face neck and chest. Only a part band of black for a collar not all the way around. Bill is grayish. Back pattern more subtle brown/black, subdued, eye is darker, not vibrant red.

Activity 2: Three year round birds in the greater MPLS/St. Paul área of MN até: Crows, Cedar Waxwings ( in the Twin Cities area anyway) and White-breasted Nuthatches. Turkey Vultures are in my area from April to Oct. Same for Tree Swallows. The Eastern Meadowlark only come up to the middle of the state and are here from about March to September. I have seen Cedar Waxwings, White-breasted Nuthatches, Turkey Vultures and Tree Swallows, and have a murder of Crows outside my apartment window.  I'm not sure if I have seen an Eastern Meadowlark.

Activity 1: the Northern Cardinal barely moves within the US. While  the Blackburnian Warbler migrates from S. Am. To Canada and back. Scarlet Tanager goes from western S and central Am to the Eastern Half of the US. While the Western Tanager goes from west Central Am to Western Us and western Canada. Ruby-throated Hummingbird goes from Central Am to the Eastern Half of the US up into Canada. While the Rufous Hummingbird is in a small area of western Mexico and goes up a western strip of the western US and Canada. But the reverse migration covers most of the Rocky My states and more of Mexico. Sandhill Cranes: some always stay in Florida year-round. And a little along the center in California. But most are in TX OK and Ohio River Valley and then move straight north in the Midwest and Great Lakes area  into N Alaska and northern Canada  and around Hudson Bay. The go back mostly through the center of the US. Yellow-bellied Flycatchers go from Central Am and the Eastern Half of the US and from there high into central Canada up almost to Alaska but miss most of west Central Canada. On the way back they go along the east side of Mexico to Central Am.

The Scarlet Tanager began its migration in South America in the month of January. It went through parts of Central America. It went to the east coast of North America and tiny parts of Canada. Then, it started the process again. The Western Tanager began its migration in Mexico in the month of January. It went through the West Coast of North America and parts of Manitoba and British Columbia in Canada. It descended back down to begin the process again.

Activity 4: along Cayuga lake I would expect to see fewer birds in February than August. There would be different types of waterfowl with some of the ones that migrate from northern areas. Otherwise mostly the smaller birds and raptors which don’t migrate.

Activity 3: male goldfinches more colorful and darker yellow in summer and more subdued in winter. Common loons have checkerboard back in breeding season and bronzer back with less pattern in winter.

Activity 1: northern cardinal found commonly central to east coast vs blackburnian warbler which migrates to s America. Scarlet tanager breedsin eastern US vs western tanager which, like its name ranges from western US to Central America. Ruby throated hummingbird ranges from eastern US to Central America vs rufous hummingbird which ranges in eastern US to Central America.Sandhill cranesrange more through central US to Alaska Vs yellow bellied flycatcher which Is in eastern US and looks on the map that it migrates over the Gulf of Mexico to Central America.

Activity 3: I compared photos of the American Goldfinch in summer and winter, and the difference in color is remarkable. I am truly enjoying this course because I am new to the birding world, and I wasn't even aware that plumage color can change with the season (breeding/non-breeding).  I'm always happy when I learn something new!

Activity 2: Using Merlin’s “Likely Birds” feature and/or range maps in field guides, explore birds that are found in your area. Choose three species that are year-round residents, and three that only live in your area for part of the year. Have you seen any of them before? Share what you find in the discussion. Birds are listed in the same category in Merlin can have different ranges through the year.  For example, in our Midwestern location: -       The House Wren is here Apr-Nov, whereas the Carolina Wren can be found year-round, although in lower numbers. -       The Cardinal is present throughout the year in high numbers, while the Indigo Bunting, also in high numbers, is here only Apr - Oct. -       The Red-winged Blackbird can be found year-round, although much less commonly Dec-Feb, while the Baltimore Oriole is here mostly only in May-Sept. Both are present in high numbers when they are here. I have often seen Cardinals and Red-winged Blackbirds;  but do not believe I have ever seen an Indigo Bunting or Baltimore Oriole here, even though they are present in high numbers when they are here. I cannot confidently say that I have seen the particular types of wrens, because they are too fast for me to identify! Activity 3: Comparing birds in different plumages during different seasons: -       Male American Goldfinch:  In summer is bright yellow with a black cap and black wing and tail feathers with white edges.  In winter the bright yellow has faded and has a brownish-yellow appearance. -       Common Loon: In summer has complex and spectacular color pattern:  black head; black with larger distinctive white spots on body; and black and white stripes on neck to chest, interrupted by dark teal bands on the neck.   In winter the plumage has faded, mostly to soft gray feathers with some white edges or highlights, and a white chest and neck.

Activity 1: I think the idea of this exercise was to notice migratory patterns. Resident (Northern Cardinal) vs migratory (Blackburnian Warbler) birds; east coast (Scarlet Tanager) vs west coast (Western Tanager) migration; same migratory pattern (Ruby-throated Hummingbird) vs clockwise migratory pattern (Rufous Hummingbird); migrations over the landmass (Sandhill Crane) vs migrations over the water mass (Yellow-bellied Flycatcher). Clockwise migratory pattern follows the ‘green wave’. Birds that fly over the water mass have to be well fed and strong to survive a long non-stop journey. I also enjoyed reading thorough migratory rout descriptions that other students have posted. Thank you for that! It helped me replay the migratory movements in my mind. Activity 2: Year-round residents: Oasis Hummingbird, Kelp Gull, Inca Tern. Can be seen only at a certain time of the year: Least Sandpiper, Tricolored Heron, Austral Negrito (haven’t seen this one yet). Activity 3: Male American Goldfinch: summer (Bright yellow color, black cap, red/orange beak); winter (Light-brown color, white belly, no black cap, gray beak). Common Loon: summer (Black-green head, distinctive white pattern on black wings, green neck ring); winter (Brown back side and white belly side, wing pattern is blurry, no green neck ring). In both bird species bright  summer colors and decorations (black cap or green neck ring) disappear in the winter, beak color changes from red to gray (Goldfinches) or from black to gray (Loons). Distinctive summer wing pattern gets blurry in Loons, but it doesn’t change in Goldfinches. Activity 4: I made a list of 45 bird species that I thought I would most likely observe at the river mouth by the beach. From this list I spotted only 24 species. My prediction, based on Merlin ID Chart Bars, is that I’ll be able to see most of the birds from the list in 6 months, except Chilean and Andean Flamingoes, Roseate Spoonbill and Puna Ibis that might be staying in the highlands at that time. But again, I saw only 24 out of 45 this time (I took a lot of pictures and videos to make sure I didn’t miss any bird species). My guess is that I might not see them all in 6 months.

When it comes to my favorite birding spot, I have to say the first place that comes to mind is my own backyard. Pertaining to my backyard I covered a bit of this in Activity Number Two. Another favorite birding spots for me is St. Marks Wildlife Refuge. Actually I love it there and yet it is my nemesis because there are so many shore birds and at certain times of the year, ducks. I am still really working on the sandpipers, gulls, and ducks. They can be pretty difficult! The refuge does have multiple habitats so it does have a wide variety of birds there and some fantastic finds turn up there pretty regularly. I have even seen an American Flamingo there. The last time I went, a few weeks ago, I saw a lot of the standard wading birds like Great Blue Herons, Snowy Egrets, Great Egrets, Tri-color Egrets, Little Blue Herons, Little Green Herons, as well as, some standard marsh inhabitants like Red-winged Blackbirds, Common Gallinule, Purple Gallinule, Double-breasted Cormorants, also all kinds of sandpipers and plovers. Since it is a combination of estuaries, river, and the Gulf of Mexico there is a pretty good variety of bird there at any time of the year. There are always Boat-tailed Grackles, Laughing Gulls, Mourning Doves, and Willets just to name a few. There is also a lot of great trails going through old growth forest with pine and oaks, as well and new pine growth. As far as year-round residents, there are lots of Red-bellied Woodpeckers, Downy Woodpeckers, Pileated Woodpeckers, Northern Cardinals, Carolina Wrens, Blue-gray Gnatcatchers, all of which I saw on my last visit. Right now you can expect to find Yellow-billed Cuckoos but they are not year-round residents. Six months from now we can expect to see a wide variety of ducks like Green-wing Teal, Norther Pintail, Ruddy Duck, Northern Shoveler, Gadwall, Mallard, Canvasback, Redhead, Greater Scaup, Lesser Scaup, Ring-necked Duck, Goldeneye, Bufflehead, Red-breasted Merganser, Hooded Merganser, etc...

Activity number three: I enjoyed looking at the pictures of the American Goldfinches and the Common Loons in their winter and summer plumages. I was already familiar with these birds different plumages but it is always nice to see. Both birds are so fantastic in their breeding (summer) plumage. I also enjoy them in their winter plumage but they are not as showy and spectacular.