Arnold Arboretum 1/8

Twelve birders joined me at the arboretum this morning for a beautiful if not very bird productive walk to Bussey Hill and back.  It snowed moderately but persistently throughout the walk which kept the bird numbers way down. We did have very nice looks at one of the Red-belied Woodpeckers as well as the adult Red-tailed Hawk.
Half of the species seen were at the new feeder near the administration building.  Prior to the walk I looked unsuccessfully for the Wilson's Warbler sen on the CBC and now presumed gone and the Winter Wren seen there as recently as a week ago but not since.
As the birding was slow we spent some time viewing some of the botanical specimens that show well in winter. A century old Ozark Witch-Hazel, Hamamelis vernalis, was in early bloom near the ponds, it's tiny flowers coated with fresh snow. Robins were feasting on frozen berries on a Chinese Cork Tree, Phellodendron chinense, along Meadow Road.  On Bussey Hill Road we admired two rare species of Lindera, their marcescent leaves persisting as if it were September.  All in all a nice morning. The list:
Location:     Arnold Arboretum
Observation date:     1/8/11
Notes:     30, moderate snow, light wind 
Number of species:     14

Red-tailed Hawk     1
Mourning Dove     1
Red-bellied Woodpecker     2
Downy Woodpecker     2
Blue Jay     1
Black-capped Chickadee     2
Red-breasted Nuthatch     1 on feeder
American Robin     15
Northern Mockingbird     2
European Starling     9
Song Sparrow     2
Dark-eyed Junco     10
Northern Cardinal     X
American Goldfinch     3

Bob Mayer