Birdwalk Highlights for 3/14: Winslow Park, Freeport.

With light snow ending and winds yet to pick up, we enjoyed a delightfully comfortable winter stroll at our local hotspot. Unlike our previous visits, there was no bay ice to be found, and with it, waterbirds were both more abundant but also more dispersed.

We were excited to find a pair of BARROW'S GOLDENEYE were still here, the male displaying a bit before resuming feeding activity. It's always nice to visit with these special birds before they start moseying north.

Solid tallies of most waterbirds included 170 BUFFLEHEADS, 112 AMERICAN BLACK DUCKS, 110 LONG-TAILED DUCKS, 94 MALLARDS, 70 COMMON EIDERS, 70 HERRING GULLS, 55 SURF SCOTERS, 48 COMMON GOLDENEYES, a goodly 30 COMMON LOONS, 28 RED-BREASTED MERGANSERS, 10 RING-BILLED GULLS, 4 CANADA GEESE, and we finished with two fly-over COMMON MERGANSERS.

One 2nd-cycle BALD EAGLE flew close by, while an adult was perched in the distance; was it standing guard near its rebuilt but unseen new nest on Lane's Island? Meanwhile, other landbirds were also showing signs of spring, such as two pairs of EASTERN BLUEBIRDS battling over a nest hole, 3 newly-arrived SONG SPARROWS, lots of singing from residents such as NORTHERN CARDINALS and HOUSE FINCHES, a pair of RED-BREASTED NUTHATCHES, and others.