Overall it was very quiet afternoon for birds. A pair of noisy Pileated Woodpeckers and a few Red-breasted Nuthatches were my bird highlights. I saw none of the smaller woodpecker species or finches, and I only saw a few chickadees. I expected to find a few birds eating the abundant crabapples in the area, but there were few signs that any birds or animals had ever touched any of the crabapples. Normally a few American Robins overwinter in this area, sustaining themselves on the crabapples and buckthorn, but I didn't see any today.
 
I am always surprised when I walk these trails during the winter how many bird nests I find within arms reach of the trails I walked over and over again during the summer. It's funny how I never find any of these nests during the summer even though they are, as I said, within arms reach of the trails I walk over and over again. Last summer I even thrust my head into some of the bushes, looked up down and all around, but couldn't find a hint of what today was obvious.