After a light snowfall on Tuesday, New York had a fresh layer of powder to sift through on Wednesday. Jamaica Bay had a plow crew clearing the parking lot as I arrived at 9:00 AM, and apparently, I was the first person out of my car and onto the West Pond Trail. I could see the ghostly filled in footprints of the day before alongside the tracks of whatever squirrels or rabbits came out before me.It was beautiful to see the clear sky and the muted colors after a fresh snowfall here, and even more beautiful to see the passerines out, survivors of the cold looking for the rare seed or berry still remaining at this late stage of winter.
Yellow-Rumped Warblers were out in force, with 2 to 6 flying about me at my stops. They were interspersed with Song Sparrows, White-Throated Sparrows, and a Northern Cardinal.
While there was a lot of action on land, out on the mostly icy water there were plenty of waterfowl, all seeming to take a break. Scaup all had their heads tucked away as if in early morning siesta, and ducks, Brant, and Canada Geese loafed about, not going far afield of where they sat, perhaps just waiting out the chill winds that eventually drove me back to the warmth of my car. The Buffleheads seemed to be the only ones who didn't mind the cold, enthusiastically diving for whatever happened to lay just below the waves.
Common Goldeneye on West Pond ... ...Herring Gull wishing it had a can opener
Only 2 new species today...I'm gonna hit the wall pretty fast until migration hits in full force.
Not my photo, but you get the idea of a Yellow-rumped Warbler: it has a yellow rump.
| Row # | Species | Count | Location | S/P | Date |
| 56 | Yellow-rumped Warbler | 2 | Jamaica Bay NWR - Visitors' Center | US-NY | 17-Feb-10 |
| 57 | Ruddy Duck | 1 | Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge--West Pond | US-NY | 17-Feb-10 |
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