Foggy morning for the March birding hike

Stephen sets the scope while we search the trees.

Winter just doesn't seem to want to leave this year. Saturday, March 1st was a foggy morning in San Marcos. Birding enthusiasts met at Spring Lake near the Meadows Center for an abbreviated hike led by Stephen Ramirez and Jonny Scalise.   

There were 19 of us with binoculars anxious to see what was new.  We were rewarded with lots of cedar waxwings busy enjoying the berries available on the trees. Red-shouldered hawks busy constructing their nest also provided much viewing interest.

Due to the heavy fog we were not able to spy long distances or discern color very well. The usual suspects on the lake were hidden from view so the ducks and other water birds were not seen as readily and listed on the report sent to eBird. Still, an hour spent outdoors enjoying nature is an hour to remember.

Complete listing of the birds seen [thanks to Gene Majors]:
1 Muscovy Duck (Domestic type)
3 Wood Duck
8 Gadwall
1 Pied-billed Grebe
1 Double-crested Cormorant
1 Great Blue Heron
1 Black Vulture
2 Red-shouldered Hawk
4 White-winged Dove
2 Mourning Dove
2 Golden-fronted Woodpecker
2 Downy Woodpecker
1 Eastern Phoebe
2 Carolina Chickadee
2 Black-crested Titmouse
1 Carolina Wren
1 Bewick's Wren
1 Ruby-crowned Kinglet
X Cedar Waxwing
X Yellow-rumped Warbler
1 Common Yellowthroat
1 Swamp Sparrow
2 Northern Cardinal
1 American Goldfinch