lulubelle
10-31-2009, 03:11 PM
Seems like forever since I have either been off or well enough to go out birding. Went to Cement Creek Lake this a.m to hopefully find the longspurs & the Spraugue's Pipit. Found the pipit, think found a flock of longspurs - have to listen to call I recorded & compare. Tail pattern matched. Anyway, I took myself and my broken rib out to bird the beds. Birding from the car is not so comfortable with a broken rib!! But it was such a lovely day and I was happy to be out & about!!
First off, there are a couple of really muddy spots that are to be avoided. The large eastern bed 1-6 seemd most productive. Hands down the most Ruddy Ducks I have ever seen there! I counted 108!!!! Also saw 2 male Redheads with 5 females. The female Hooded Merg is still there and I spotted a lone female Bufflehead. This seems really early, but it was unmistakable. N. Shovelers, N. Pintails, & Green-winged Teals were the bulk of the rest. There were a few Gadwall in there. The Coots have markedly increased in numbers since I was there last!!There was a huge flock of gulls over the beds - wouldn't call it a kettle as much as a huge swarm! I just happened to look up over the trees in the back of the beds to ID a vulture and thats when I noticed all of the gulls, couldn't hardly see them with the naked eye.Am thinking they were Bonapart's, but since I haven't seen a Bonapart's or Franklin's gull in a year, I need to comfirm my ID!!
Not an especially birdy time at the beds, only 25 species. The beds have more water in them than I think I have ever seen in my short time birding there.
First off, there are a couple of really muddy spots that are to be avoided. The large eastern bed 1-6 seemd most productive. Hands down the most Ruddy Ducks I have ever seen there! I counted 108!!!! Also saw 2 male Redheads with 5 females. The female Hooded Merg is still there and I spotted a lone female Bufflehead. This seems really early, but it was unmistakable. N. Shovelers, N. Pintails, & Green-winged Teals were the bulk of the rest. There were a few Gadwall in there. The Coots have markedly increased in numbers since I was there last!!There was a huge flock of gulls over the beds - wouldn't call it a kettle as much as a huge swarm! I just happened to look up over the trees in the back of the beds to ID a vulture and thats when I noticed all of the gulls, couldn't hardly see them with the naked eye.Am thinking they were Bonapart's, but since I haven't seen a Bonapart's or Franklin's gull in a year, I need to comfirm my ID!!
Not an especially birdy time at the beds, only 25 species. The beds have more water in them than I think I have ever seen in my short time birding there.