[birdky] Peabody WMA fieldtrip 7 Feb. 2009

Three observers ignored the windy conditions and wandered the Hopewell and
Sinclair units of the Peabody strip mines last Saturday.

No short-eared owls found, but interesting waterfowl and raptor
observations.  53 species in all.

Some of the more interesting finds include:
*         Good collection of waterfowl, including female common merganser.
Along H1 and Wysox Roads (Island and South Lakes)
*         ?Harlan?s? subspecies of red-tailed hawk ? distant but beautiful,
intermediate or dark intermediate morph.  Seen soaring above tree line west
of Rockport-Paradise Rd.
*         3 rough-legged hawks, all dark form.  Two seen from H1, across
South Lake toward Wysox Rd. (Hopewell).  One along S3 (Sinclair)
*         Merlin seen briefly on stump in swampy area, Wysox Road

Here are the details:

species                     # observed
greater white-fronted goose    100
snow goose                           30
Canada goose                      600
gadwall                                    8
American wigeon                      1
American black duck              40
mallard                                200
northern pintail                         5
green-winged teal                     2
canvasback                             5
redhead                                 11
ring-necked duck                    50
greater scaup                           2
lesser scaup                          95
common goldeneye                  4
common merganser                  1
wild turkey                             24
pied-billed grebe                     15
double-crested cormorant          1
great blue heron                       1
black vulture                            2
turkey vulture                         12
northern harrier                       14
red-shouldered hawk                 1
red-tailed hawk                         5 (including 1 ?Harlan?s?)
rough-legged hawk                   3
American kestrel                      1
merlin                                      1
American coot                        10
ring-billed gull                         36
rock pigeon                              6
mourning dove                          6
belted kingfisher                       1
red-bellied woodpecker             1
downy woodpecker                   1
northern flicker                         1
blue jay                                   2
American crow                         7
horned lark                              7
Carolina chickadee                   3
tufted titmouse                         3
eastern bluebird                       2
American robin                         1
European starling                   40
yellow-rumped warbler              3
American tree sparrow              1
song sparrow                           2
northern cardinal                      1
red-winged blackbird               75
eastern meadowlark                 3
common grackle                      1
American goldfinch                 21
house sparrow                        10

After the fieldtrip, a walk at dusk past the closed gate near Rob?s Lake
produced several displaying Am. woodcocks and a coyote chorus.

Ben & Mary Yandell
Louisville

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