[birdky] RPT: Blustery day at the transient lakes
- From: "Palmer-Ball, Brainard (EPPC OOS KNPC)" <Brainard.Palmer-Ball@xxxxxx>
- To: "BIRDKY" <birdky@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Sun, 13 Apr 2008 08:29:23 -0400
Ben & Mary Yandell and myself did a blustery tour of the transient lakes
4/12/2008. I was really curious to see how high everything was following the
past couple of weeks of rain. The lakes are considerably higher than earlier in
the winter, but still way below any sort of "normal" maximum seen in past
years. There should be some good shorebirding in the coming weeks though :o)
Overall the day's birding was tough with the wind and relatively unremarkable.
McElroy Lake ... 10 spp of waterfowl with 250 to maybe 300 Blue-winged Teal the
most numerous and the neat male Surf Scoter being the most gaudy. A sprinking
of Horned Grebes in transition plumage kept us on our toes (while looking for
an Eared) while a few were in immaculate breeding plumage. Shorebirds were
scarce with the lake still slowly on the rise, but we did have 7 species
highlighted by a couple of Spottys and a Killdeer on the nest. As we were
leaving, a Merlin streaked by northward, not even pausing to look over the
potential prey.
Chaney Lake ... some water in the front field along US 31W but only highlight
were 60+ Blue-winged Teal and a Solitary Sandpiper.
Waltons Pond ... just a smattering of common waterfowl and shorebirds.
Morgan's Pond ... also not as high as in some past years, but there is a lot of
water around this area. Many of the same ducks with 125-150 Blue-winged Teal, a
few Horned Grebes, and another Merlin (this one perched). Shorebirds were more
numerous here, but mostly on small ponds in the area; highlights were more than
100 yellowlegs and an early Black-bellied Plover.
Swallow Spring ... with probably 1000 or more swallows skimming the water's
surface, it was living up to its name. Few waterfowl and shorebirds, but our
biggest flock of Pectoral Sandpipers on the day with about 50-60.
bpb, Frankfort
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