This moring I birded Big Lake and half of
the refuge at Squaw Creek. The perimeter of Big Lake was frozen but that
did not stop one hardy Barn Swallow from flying over the water in search of
insects. The following birds were at Big Lake:
128 Franklin's Gulls
4 Ring-billed Gulls
1 Bonapart's Gull
4 Double-crested Cormorants
1 Bald Eagle
4 Canvasback Ducks- first for the
season
4 Redheads
2 Red-breasted Mergansers
150 Ruddy Ducks
60 Lesser Scaup
American Wigeon
Ruddy Ducks
Gadwall
Buffleheads
N Shovelers
Blue-winged Teal
Green-winged Teal
Hooded Merganser
Mallards
Ring-necked Ducks
7 Long-billed Dowitchers
1 Dunlin
1 Black-bellied Plover
14 Greater Yellowlegs
1 Barn Swallow (With a morning temp. of 23
degrees F, the Swallow was a surprise to see.)
The 6 Great Egrets which were present on Oct 29th
were gone today.
A quick trip through part of Squaw Creek NWR
Today:
They are still pumping water! Yeah!
Thousands of ducks are present. All Snow Geese were in flight over the
refuge and over adjacent corn fields except for one SN. Goose which was
sitting in Mallard Marsh. Duck hunters were everywhere outside the refuge
today. It sounded like a firing range on the north and west sides of the
refuge.
1400 Snow Geese
White-fronted Geese
Canada Geese
Pied-billed Grebes
4 American White Pelicans
6 Wilson's Snipe
18 Pectoral Sandpipers
1 Greater Yellowlegs
4 Bald Eagles
2 N Harriers
2 Red-tailed Hawks
Ruddy Ducks
American Wigeon
Mallards
Wood Ducks
Ring-necked Ducks
N. Shovelers
N Pintails
Gadwalls
Green-winged Teal
Blue-winged Teal
Lesser Scaup
American Coot
4 Great-tailed Grackles
Tommie Rogers
Mound City, Holt county