Re: [birdnet] Spring is here ask the birds

[lofthouse <lofthouse at mtwest dot net>]

Interesting observations Steve.  There is about 8 inches of snow here still
and cold temperatures.  The only bird signs I see that may indicate Spring
is near is a nesting Great Horned Owl, and about a hundred male Red-winged
Blackbirds in a big tree nearby singing their hearts out and raiding my
bird feeder.  Most of the water in Cache Valley is still frozen up. There
are some ducks at First Dam and 20x20 pond.  Species seen:  Mallard,
Gadwall, Ring-necked Duck, Shoveler, Barrow's Goldeneye, American Widgeon,
Canada Goose, and Bufflehead. 

Good birding,

Jim Lofthouse  Cache County


At 10:35 AM 3/4/2002 -0700, you wrote:
>Hi All 
>
>It's very exciting to see the changes taking place with our feathered
friends. I spent several hours at Farmington Bay Saturday and saw a lot of
evidence of spring on it's way. We saw hundreds of ruddy ducks about half
of the drakes already in their beautiful red summer plumage and bills
turning blue. Pairs of Canada Geese on the ground searching for the perfect
spot to nest, also hundreds of ducks swimming in pairs. We saw several
pairs of buffel heads looking interested in more than diving and feeding,
I've never seen them spend so much time on the surface and in pairs. Also
Cinnamon Teal I haven't seen them for a few months but their back. Saw
several canvasbacks in pairs. Still hundreds of swans many eagles,
pintails, green winged teal, and the usual assortment of ducks. I looked
for avocets but I didn't see any. We did see a small flock of Greater
Yellow Legs. 
>
>Glen Barlow was with us and spotted a Peregrine Falcon chasing down a
duck. They went below the cattails and we lost them, assuming the peregrine
was successful because neither came back up.
>
>It was still very cold it looked more like spring than felt like it but I
believe the birds.
>
>Happy Birding Steve
>