Greater White-fronted Goose at Echo

["Kristin Purdy" <kristinpurdy at comcast dot net>]

I saw an adult GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE...GOOSE...Goose...goose at 
ECHO...ECHO...Echo...echo Reservoir in Summit County this afternoon 
around 12:30.  The goose was sticking with a bunch of Canada Geese at 
the inlet end of the water.  The Canadas and the GWFG swam south from 
deeper water and eventually climbed out onto mudflats.  The GWFG's 
irregular black marks on the belly and the bright orange legs were 
nicely obvious when the bird was standing on ice or on the mud.  

Also present at that end of the reservoir were eight Tundra Swans--four 
adults; four juveniles; many, many Mallards and lots of gulls. Other 
birds at Echo this afternoon included a couple Common Loons, Gadwall, 
American Wigeon, Western Grebes and a pair of female HOODED MERGANSERS 
swimming south from the dam.  

I visited Rockport Lake State Park in Summit County this morning.  Not 
much was happening at Rockport other than a mixed flock of Common and 
BARROW'S GOLDENEYES adjacent to the Pinery Day Use Area and hundreds of 
California Gulls gathering at the inlet end.  Boy did the gulls FREAK 
OUT when a juvenile Bald Eagle flew overhead.  I suppose the gulls 
thought the eagle was a threat, but since eagle didn't pay the gulls any 
attention whatsoever, I'd have to say those gulls were way 
too...gullible. Yuk, yuk, yuk.  A couple Common Loons, Red-breasted and 
Common Mergansers, Lesser Scaup and Ring-necked Ducks were present at 
Rockport also, as well as a Mallard here and a Mallard there.  

Last stop was Lost Creek State Park in Morgan County.  The reservoir 
itself was devoid of birds, but it was nice to see a good water level 
for the first time in 2 years.  The 12-mile drive to the park offered a 
few nice birds.  I saw a NORTHERN SHRIKE at a place that's now lost to 
memory, several opportunistic Townsend's Solitaires and Cedar Waxwings 
in a thicket of Hawthorne eating berries, Bald Eagles roosting in the 
big trees along Lost Creek and a pair of young 'uns working on carrion 
on a slope, and a great look at a Prairie Falcon on a power pole.  The 
Prairie Falcon shone out like a small white beacon in the western sun 
and was still on the same crossbar when I passed by a half hour later.  
Beautiful bird, and what honking big yellow feet they have.

The Wild Turkeys at the "usual" roosts were nowhere to be seen...smart 
birds. 

Echo Reservoir can be reached from either exit 164 or exit 169 on I-80.  
I watched the goose and the other birds at the inlet end from the Rail 
Trail, .6 miles north of the Main Street-200N. intersection in 
Coalville.  Rockport Lake State Park is located on SR-32 about a mile 
south of I-80 exit 155 (eastbound) or take 157 (westbound) and then do a 
little jig through Wanship to pick up SR-32. Lost Creek State Park is 12 
miles from I-84 exit 111, Croydon.   

Kris

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