Bird Count

One advantage of rising early Saturday morning for the annual Christmas bird count = seeing a red setting almost-full moon:

Not on Tatooine

Another advantage: clear, sunny day. Disadvantage: very cold w/ fresh snow on the ground.

View east towards entrance to Presque Isle Bay

Bird activity overall was modest, but still plenty of birds to see.

Male Northern Cardinal

Including over a hundred Tundra Swans off Leo’s Landing:

Lots of Swans
Cardinal II
European Starling
Another view of many Tundra Swans
Cardinal III
Gulls on ice w/ Perry Monument in background
Cardinal IV

Not the best viewpoint, but still fun to see incoming Hooded Mergansers (w/ Scaups in foreground) on outer Lake Erie:

Scaups on outer Lake Erie
Hooded Merganser in flight
Scaup and Mallard(s)
Lots of Red-bellied Woodpecker activity
Fisher Drive bridge Eastern Screech-Owl
Downy Woodpecker @ pecking
Under view of immature Bald Eagle
Duck Pond Trail – snowed over and still muddy
Tundra Swans in flight behind screen of trees
More wood pecking
Bald Eagle II
Hawthorn (?) berries w/ fresh snow