The morning of January 4th I drove up to the Rush's residence near Savannah, Missouri, and watched their feeders for about an hour and a half and then headed up to Squaw Creek NWR near Mound City, Missouri.
We tallied twenty-one (21) species of birds while I was there.
The highlights were: BLACK-THROATED SPARROW, SPOTTED TOWHEE and PURPLE FINCH. The other eighteen species were: Red-tailed Hawk (perched in a nearby tree), American Crow (fly-over), Blue Jay, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Downy Woodpecker, Northern Flicker, European Starling, Black-capped Chickadee, Tufted Titmouse, Song Sparrow, White-throated Sparrow, Harris's Sparrow, White-crowned Sparrow, Dark-eyed Junco, Northern Cardinal, House Finch, American Goldfinch and House Sparrow.
When I left and was driving up to Squaw Creek I learned that species number 22 arrived at the feeder (White-breasted Nuthatch) *per. comm. Dean Rush!
The Squaw Creek area was entirely frozen! I saw no waterfowl whatsoever! I only observed a few birds (in addition to those already seen at the Rush's) while there: Rough-legged Hawk, Merlin, Bald Eagle, (some White-breasted Nuthatches at HQ feeders) and the most unexpected bird of the day, a GREAT BLUE HERON! This guy was perched on the snow covered ground, all hunched over and looking quite cold. He was in the area near the two, old eagle nests on the road over to Mallard Marsh. Who knows what he might be finding to eat in order to survive! But there he was enduring the frigid temperatures and ice/snow covered landscape.
Driving back to Saint Joseph through Forest City, then along "T" Highway to Amazonia, Missouri, and then home, I did see a few additional species: Wild Turkey, Red-winged Blackbirds, Eastern and Western Meadowlarks, Horned Larks, Eastern Bluebird and American Kestrel.
A couple new "day birds" were at our feeders when I arrived back home: Carolina Wren and Red-breasted Nuthatch.
