Pintail parade

written by Drew Weber

Octorara Lake has been a great spot to see Northern Pintails this year. The last time I checked the area off of Mt Eden Rd, there were probably close to one thousand pintails feeding there. I was looking for a previously reported Eurasian Wigeon but struck out on that.  Eurasian Wigeons have made quite a showing in PA this year, with sightings in at least Lancaster, Berks, Delaware counties.

Here is a list of the other birds I saw at Octorara Lake-

• Canada Goose - Branta canadensis     300
• Wood Duck - Aix sponsa     1
• American Wigeon - Anas americana     4
• American Black Duck - Anas rubripes     12
• Mallard - Anas platyrhynchos     30
• Northern Pintail - Anas acuta     900
• Ring-necked Duck - Aythya collaris     56
• Hooded Merganser - Lophodytes cucullatus     4
• Common Merganser - Mergus merganser     120
• Great Blue Heron - Ardea herodias     1
• Black Vulture - Coragyps atratus     4
• Turkey Vulture - Cathartes aura     8
• Bald Eagle - Haliaeetus leucocephalus     2
• Red-tailed Hawk - Buteo jamaicensis     1
• American Kestrel - Falco sparverius     1
• Ring-billed Gull - Larus delawarensis     60
• Herring Gull - Larus argentatus     3
• Mourning Dove - Zenaida macroura     2
• Belted Kingfisher - Megaceryle alcyon     1
• Red-bellied Woodpecker - Melanerpes carolinus     1
• Downy Woodpecker - Picoides pubescens     1
• Northern Flicker - Colaptes auratus     2
• Blue Jay - Cyanocitta cristata     4
• American Crow - Corvus brachyrhynchos     20
• Carolina Chickadee - Poecile carolinensis     3
• Tufted Titmouse - Baeolophus bicolor     2
• White-breasted Nuthatch - Sitta carolinensis     1
• Carolina Wren - Thryothorus ludovicianus     3
• Winter Wren - Troglodytes troglodytes     2
• Golden-crowned Kinglet - Regulus satrapa     2
• Eastern Bluebird - Sialia sialis     2
• American Robin - Turdus migratorius     19
• Northern Mockingbird - Mimus polyglottos     1
• European Starling - Sturnus vulgaris     20
• Field Sparrow - Spizella pusilla     1
• Song Sparrow - Melospiza melodia     8
• White-throated Sparrow - Zonotrichia albicollis     12
• Dark-eyed Junco - Junco hyemalis     80
• Northern Cardinal - Cardinalis cardinalis     4
• Red-winged Blackbird - Agelaius phoeniceus     120
• Common Grackle - Quiscalus quiscula     800
• House Finch - Carpodacus mexicanus     3
• Pine Siskin - Carduelis pinus     16
• American Goldfinch - Carduelis tristis     X