[wisb] Ross's Goose update

From: Daryl Tessen <bhaunts@xxxxxxxxx>
To: wisbirdn@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Date: Sun, 17 Feb 2013 16:14:47 -0600
After church today, I decided to try for the amazing flock of Ross's Geese seen 
in Algoma yesterday.  When I arrived I could find no geese as the harbor and 
river were frozen.  Only a very little of the harbor entrance had open water.  
There was open water on the lake however.  As I was checking the north side of 
the harbor by the motel I discovered a Ross's Goose flying in and landing near 
the shore, out of view.  Returning to the harbor road, which is blocked due to 
mountains of dirt, I walked out to the end.  Here I could look to the north 
where the Canada Geese were loafing on the shore and lake, with one Ross's.  
Eventually I discovered that there were 2 Ross's, as eventually both moved on 
to the shore, where they really blend in with the snow covered rocks.  If you 
walk out to view the area be careful as there is a layer of ice under the snow. 
 (I could see where people had slipped.)  The only other interesting bird was a 
female Hooded Merganser with the standard ducks, plus a flock of 25 Redheads on 
the lake.  Only 1 Herring Gull was present!
Kewaunee harbor had 3 adult Great Black-backed and 1 adult Glaucous Gulls.  
There was a good number of gulls loafing on the ice but I could not pick up any 
thing else.  However on the lake out from the harbor, to the north and 
especially the south, there were large rafts of Greater Scaup.  There were 
"many" black areas due to so many ducks present.  I estimated about 17,000 
scaup!!!  Some rafts were in quite close, while others were out a considerable 
distance.  Most impressive!!

The mouth of the Fox River at Green Bay has almost no open water, due to below 
zero temps these past mornings.  The ducks, cormorants and pelican were crowded 
into the little water.  4 Hooded Mergansers, 2 Redheads, 1 Canvasback, 2 
Greater and 5 Lesser Scaup plus 25 cormorants and the lone White Pelican were 
present.  Almost no gulls were there.

Neenah-Menasha had 15 Redheads, 1 Ring-necked Duck, thousands of gulls.  I was 
able to pick out an adult Glaucous and Great Black-backed,, plus an adult 
Lesser Black-backed and an immature Iceland Gull.

A nice day--sunny-- to be out, but it was cold!
Daryl Tessen
Appleton,, WI


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[wisb] Ross's Goose update

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