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What I had hoped would be an afternoon touring Hackberry Flat turned into a 3 hr count of waterfowl on the reservoir there, so thick were the numbers.
11 Dec / 1:25 to 5:00 pm 5-8 mph WSW / with channels along North Boundary either dry or frozen. 85% ice cover of reservoir virtually all geese were standing on the ice surrounding the open water, as were the bulk of Mallards and Green-winged Teal; other waterfowl largely waterbound. The shorebirds were once again in the muck along the north boundary of the reservoir providing for close study and photography.
Greater White-fronted Goose - 1330
(comparatively easy count, made so by the 300
yard long line of birds strung out in front of the main
goose flock).
Snow Goose - 550 (embedded within the Canadas, this
was much more difficult and this is merely a minimum
estimate). Includes 9 blue morph adults. In all my
reports of white geese lately, I should note that 99% are adult
birds.
Canada Goose - 21,000
Gadwall - 112
Mallard - 7800
Northern Pintail - 340
Northern Shoveler - 145
American Wigeon - 170
Green-winged Teal - 1150
Lesser Scaup - 75
Ring-necked Duck - 28
Bufflehead - 11
Common Goldeneye - 1
Hooded Merganser - 13
Ruddy Duck - 67
Pied-billed Grebe - 1
American White Pelican - 5
Great Blue Heron - 7
American Coot - 21
Killdeer - 7
Greater Yellowlegs - 6
Least Sandpiper - 1
Long-billed Dowitcher - 5
Wilson's Snipe - 4
Ring-billed Gull - 1
also noted in the vicinity of the reservoir
and the north boundary roads...
Prairie Falcon - perched atop a pole a half mile
NE of the reservoir along the north boundary road.
Northern Harrier - 27
Loggerhead Shrike - 3
American Pipit - 6 (incl. feeding on mudflat with shorebirds)
several Lapland Longspurs heard overhead but a distant
flock of 220+ went unidentified.
cheers
Vic Fazio
Shaker Hts, OH
Page established 13 January 2006