Canada Goose 2722 Snow Goose 2 Trumpeter Swan 4 Tundra Swan 1001 Mute Swan 2 Wood Duck 2 American Black Duck 82 Mallard 5194 Northern Shoveler 9 Northern Pintail 3 Common Goldeneye 1 Common Merganser 33 Hooded Merganser 9 Cooper's Hawk 1 Rough-legged Hawk 3 Northern Harrier 8 Bald Eagle 7 American Coot 16 Sandhill Crane 406 Bonaparte's Gull 10 Short-eared Owl 11 Long-eared Owl 2 Red-winged Blackbird 2 Rusty Blackbird 1 injured American Tree Sparrow 108 | Joe Soehnel - Highlights from this week's IWMMP survey along with non-waterbird observations. This was a day, weather-wise, that would be the norm for Jan/Feb with snow fall most of the day, temps not exceeding 26F, and strong westerly winds. All sections of the IWMMP were either totally or nearly totally frozen, leaving precious little area for waterbirds to congregate. Even the Shiawassee River was nearly frozen, leaving two massive groups of waterbirds in dense formations on the river. The American Coots were swimming/feeding in a narrow slit of open water on Grefe Pond. The seemingly dazed Great Egrets were standing on a two track near Houlihan Grasslands. The Short-eared Owls are still being well represented in the massive "farm unit" area of the refuge. Maybe the extremely cold temps for this time of the year caused several of them to begin their hunt in daylight at 4:00 P.M. Conversely, it seemed like the Northern Harriers were hunting close to dark which, by then, they are settled down for the evening. A Short-eared Owl and a Northern Harrier actually dive bombed each other when their paths crossed a bit too closely. |
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Compiler:
|