Eurasian Wigeon seen on Ouray National Wildlife Refuge Bird Survey

[Diane_Penttila at fws dot gov]

Ouray National Wildlife Refuge
General Waterbird Survey
11/5/04

A Eurasian wigeon was seen in Leota
Bottom.  The brown/rust colored head and cream colored forehead really
made the bird stand out.  If interested in seeing the bird, directions
are below.  The following birds were seen within the survey route:

Canada geese        1383
Mallard        
326
Gadwall  124
Northern shoveler  42
Green-winged teal  825    
               

Pintail  346
Wigeon        
 41
Bufflehead  2
Scaup  8
American coot  1150
Pied-billed grebe  3
Great blue heron  1   
Sandhill crane  100
Bald eagle  2
Red-tailed hawk  1
Northern harrier      
 2
Eurasian wigeon  1

I found the Eurasian wigeon about 9:30
am on Friday (11/5) in L-8 of Leota Bottom.  With Leota open for waterfowl
hunting and it being a weekend tomorrow, hard to say how long the bird
will stick around.  To get to L-8:  Turn south on Hwy 88 from
Hwy 40.  Hwy 88 is 14 miles west of Vernal and 13 miles east of Roosevelt.
 Go about 13 miles on Hwy 88 past Pelican Lake; the Refuge entrance
road is clearly marked.  Stop at the kiosk (won't be anyone in the
office on Sat. or Sunday) to pick up a map of the Refuge.  Proceed
on the main entrance road towards the hatchery.  Leota Bottom is before
the hatchery.  Once you get to the Bottom go to the third gate and
park (The first gate has an outhouse in the parking lot and is the start
of Leota Bottom).  You will have to walk in from there.  A scope
is needed.  Beware of duck hunters.  L-8 is the only unit with
substantial water so most of the hunters are going there.  Walk down
the dike in between the two wetland units.  L-8 is on your right.
 The unit has very little emergent vegetation so the birds are easy
to see but they can be far away.  You may need to walk down to the
dike at the bottom of L-8 between L-8 and the canal.  I was about
half way across that dike when I found the bird.


Diane Penttila
Ouray NWR
Randlett, UT
(435)545-2522 x 223
diane_penttila@fws.gov