We birded five areas of the refuge today. The highlight at the Visitor’s Center was two immature bald eagles flying together overhead. We might have missed them had they not shrieked as they flew over. We identified 21 species in Raymond Pool including American avocet, northern shoveler, great egret, bald eagle, northern harrier, great blue heron, northern pintail, green-winged teal, Forster’s tern, and belted kingfisher. The roseate spoonbills that had been in Shearness Pool most of the summer were gone, last reported from ebird on October 16. Among the 22 species we identified in Shearness Pool were gadwall, Canada goose, snowy egret, American black duck, pied-billed grebe, mute swan (2), ruddy duck, American avocet (100+), American coot, double-crested cormorant, and great egret. Some of the birds we saw on Bear Swamp Trail included greater yellowlegs (several feeding together), green-winged teal, snowy egret, laughing gull, Carolina chickadee, and Forster’s tern, In Bear Swamp Pool, a few of the birds we saw included northern pintail, Canada goose, mallard, greater yellowlegs, tree swallow, and great blue heron.
MY PHOTOS: northern harrier, gadwall, great blue heron, geat egret, bald eagle
