Birding in the Cold

Brown Creeper

The record for the coldest high for Thanksgiving was 30 degrees. The average high temperature for Nov 22 in Providence is 51 degrees. Neither of these statistics mattered today. Today is the coldest Thanksgiving on record.  It will easily demolish the old record by 8-10 degrees.

I couldn't sit around and eat all day. I needed to get out and explore. I went to Moose Hill Audubon Refuge and hiked/birded for almost four hours. I dressed for the weather and the only part of me that got cold was my chin (oddly, not my nose).

I went to Moose Hill beacuse of an ebird report I saw yesterday. A guy spent 6 hours hiking. He found 243 Red Breasted Nuthatch, Red Crossbills in multiple flocks, 3 Fox Sparrows,and 16 Brown Creepers. I certainly did not expect to have a day like that since it was thirty degrees colder and more importantly, the wind was strong. None the less, I was hoping for some of those birds.

I ended up seeing a few Red Breasted Nuthatches, a Fox Sparrow, and three Brown Creepers. All in all there were not a lot of birds as expected. Still, I ran across a couple of mixed flocks. The Creeper and the Fox Sparrow were both  yearbirds for me. Birding sure beat staying in the house.

Friday I will be opting outside again. The wind is supposed to die down. Maybe I can get a few more winter specialties.