First Post of 2023 and Lifers- Golden-crowned Kinglets 1/6/2023

I stayed close to home today due to weather and really did not feel like battling the traffic through Boston. Lake Massapoag in Sharon was my first go to to see if any interesting birds were around, and I encountered many species of gulls as well as Hooded and Common Mergansers, Buffleheads, Common Goldeneye, Mallards, and Canada Geese. I did not see the Icelandic and Glaucous Gulls that had been reported in eBird in the past week nor did I see any Bald Eagles which was the reason for my visit. As I headed back home, which is only 10 minutes away, I swung by "my field" to look for Harriers and Hawks. I was not disappointed and caught the resident Red-tailed as he just caught a vole and was on a tree branch on the far side of the field enjoying his fare. I heard a few birds in the thickets while I was in the parking lot viewing the hawk, and I used Merlin song ID which told me I was listening to Juncoes and, what!!!, my nemesis to try and see, Golden-crowned Kinglets! I wasn't sure but as the App shut down, the bird song continued and these birds started popping up out of nowhere to check out what was going on. It was an amazing experience,

and I got to see the full golden, orangish-yellow crown of the male. The males have the combined crown while the females just have a yellow crown and kinglets are the smallest of the songbirds. Better than Eagles any day!