Horned LarkAfter a week's delay due to extreme cold and winter, RCAS’s annual Winter Regulars and Rarities field trip was off and running. We still had frigid weather, but sunshine and no wind made being outdoors almost bearable.
Our first stop, after traveling through Brandon and Sudbury where we spotted a handful of horned larks and a couple rough-legged hawks, we made a stop in Orwell, where 24 bald eagles were feasting on the remains of turkey processing. Another visitor from the north the northern red-tailed hawk (Buteo jamaicensis abieticola) was spotted in the same area as well as numerous common ravens.
Lake Champlain being mostly frozen over, our primary destination for the day was Nortontown Road in Addison where a Harris’s sparrow had been seen for several days. After waiting in the cold, we were treated to a brief, but clear look – a life bird for some. A small flock of snow buntings entertained us while we waited for the sparrow to appear.
Several trip participants departed for the day, but later on two savannah sparrows were spotted at the Dead Creek WMA and an American Pipit not far from Nortontown Road.
An eBird Trip Report can be found here where you can see all our stops and what species we saw.