Mormon Lake CBC

The Mormon Lake Christmas Birdcount was a forgetable day's birding. My group has 1 Western Meadowlark, 3 Dark-eyed Juncos and a distant Bald Eagle at the dam. We had nothing at the observatories and the 4 mile trek to Vail Lake through calf-deep snow brought 1 White-breasted Nuthatch and a calling Steller's Jay. I saw nothing at the U-bend and there were no ducks on frozen Upper Lake Mary. I did see a small group of Pygmy Nuthatches and a Red-tailed Hawk while walking down to the Narrows. But these birds, a few more juncos at the side of the road, some overhead Common Ravens and a Great Blue Heron when heading back to town were the only birds I saw all day. 9 Species in all and only 6 through binoculars! Others in my group added Townsend Solitaire, Northern Flicker, Mountain Chickadee and Scrub Jay for a group total of 12. In all the count's four teams managed 31 species.