I took a quick drive around Smithville Lake a bit ago. The ice has definitely receded a lot since my last trip there on Wednesday. Shorelines are mostly ice-free, though the marinas are still the best bet as Kristi noted yesterday. The bird variety hasn't changed much however. My far the most common duck was Common Goldeneye. Also observed were: Canada Goose Mallard Gadwall (Highway W boat ramp) Green-winged Teal Redhead scaup Hooded Merganser Also saw my FOY Killdeer in the Camp Branch marina area. The best bird of the day had to be the eight American White Pelicans circling the bridge near Camp Branch. They looked as though they might settle down, but did nothing more than slowly circle the area in the five minutes I watched them. Steve Bingham Gladstone, MO ------------------------------------------------------------ The Audubon Society of Missouri's Wild Bird Discussion Forum ASM Fall Meeting: September 24-26 at Camp Clover Point http://mobirds.org/