Yesterday afternoon Joe Verica sent out a text alert that there was a Great Egret at Toftrees Pond. This is a species I was expecting to get this fall; they are more common in this area after the breeding season when they tend to wander quite a bit from their breeding areas. The egret was perched way at the top of the tallest snag on the pond in stark contrast to the now lush green of the trees surrounding the pond.
This was just the start to a good afternoon of birding as I went on to Lederer Park and found a Olive-sided Flycatcher perched high on a snag that I have been checking out regularly- it seemed like a perfect flycatcher snag. I have gotten most of the more common species (exceptions: Acadian Flycatcher, Eastern Screech-Owl) and now need to focus on some of the more elusive species if I want to pass the Centre County year record of 224 species.