I only birded the way home after work, alongside the south shore of the lake. Most noted is a drake GADWALL hugging West Island's east shore. As usual, the assortment of Shovelers, Ruddies and so on. There isn't much variety out there now ; i took a quick look at the feeders and a smattering of winter passerines are visiting. Looks like it will be a quiet Prospect Xmas count.
By the way, i found this gorgeous TNC's desktop wallpaper shot of a female cardinal , appropriate for a winter bird in the holiday spirit !
Just right click your mouse ,then "set as background" (left click)
( i hope it opens)
http://support.nature.org/images/Wallpaper/featuredimage_200911_1280x800.jpg
As for the quiet ,slow birding out there, i saw this post (text in italic) on the Cape May blog written by Don Freiday . So , it's everywhere that's quiet.
I've been in wintry north Jersey for most of the past week .....conducting my annual winter finch survey. Things are not looking good, or rather, sounding good - I heard exactly 2 Purple Finches in 40+hours hard listening. No crossbills, no siskins, no redpolls, no grosbeaks, no nuthin', which pretty well matches Ron Pittaway's finch forecast.
Ron Pittaway is a prominent Ontario Ornithologist who is a finch specialist. see his link below on the finch prediction for 2009-2010 which this years is an off year after last year's spectacular White-winged crossbill year.It goes ups and downs
http://www.ofo.ca/reportsandarticles/winterfinches.php
--Kingsboider
