Got dropped off at Buttertubs this morning with thoughts of iced-out reed dwellers... Naturally all the wildfowl had cleared out although a few mallard and a handful of wood duck were on the river.
Having defied logic by not emerging when the place was undergoing its near-Biblical flooding recently I was absolutely confident that slow scrutiny would reveal either American bittern or Virginia rail - preferably both. Back home, denizens of the deepest reedbeds are virtually guaranteed to show themselves in such icy conditions but I was left, once again, disappointed.
An Anna's hummingbird was again in the same area as when I last visited, keeping very close to a well-filled hummer feeder. A few of the expected passerines were also around some feeders and a bushtit flock came through with the attendant chickadees and a single golden-crowned kinglet.
After a couple of hours of scanning the reed edges I walked over to Bowen Park where I had an equally fruitless wander. The duck pond (just about the only place where there were any birds) had attracted a belted kingfisher and the swarm of mallard were joined by a pair of hooded mergansers and a lone female American wigeon. Yippee.
I then went to the guitar shop, forgot about birds for a bit and drooled over a very affordable Gretsch semi-acoustic... all I need now is a job so I can justify buying one!
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