Sandy Tkach and I conducted the February census today in very cold
conditions.  Starting temp was 17 and ending was 27 with 10-20 mph NW winds
over an island that was snow covered and surrounded on 3 sides by ice.  Only
the eastern side of the island had any open water and visibility there was
hampered by bright sunlight and distance.  The scaup appeared to be at a
60-40 ratio of Greater to Lesser.  Most of the unidentified ducks were
probably mostly goldeneye, mergansers and scaup.  The highlight of the day
came shortly before noon as we spotted a soaring immature Golden Eagle off
Woodford Road.  The bird came from the north and moved off the southside of
the island towards the Marblehead peninsula.  This is Sandy's and my first
Golden Eagle for the island.

8       Canada Goose
2       Gadwall
1       American Black Duck
5       Mallard
1       Mallard X American Black Duck
12      Canvasback
18      Redhead
1603    Greater Scaup
1215    Lesser Scaup
1500    Scaup species
23      Bufflehead
627     Common Goldeneye
452     Common Merganser
16      Red-breasted Merganser
2400    unidentified diving ducks
7       Bald Eagle (4 ad, 3 imm)
2       Sharp-shinned Hawk
2       Cooper's Hawk
1       Red-tailed Hawk
1       Golden Eagle (imm)
43      Herring Gull
4       Great Black-backed Gull
75      Gull species
1       Eastern Screech-Owl
1       Red-bellied Woodpecker
12      Downy Woodpecker
1       Northern Flicker
2       Blue Jay
41      American Crow
22      Horned Lark
43      Black-capped Chickadee
5       Brown Creeper
*       Carolina Wren
1       Golden-crowned Kinglet
2       Hermit Thrush
6       American Robin
27      European Starling
3       Yellow-rumped Warbler
33      Northern Cardinal
3       American Tree Sparrow
1       Song Sparrow
38      White-throated Sparrow
31      Dark-eyed Junco
38      House Finch
2       American Goldfinch
36      House Sparrow

41      Total species
8367    Total individuals

10 year average = 38.7 species and 4785 individuals for February census

* = observed on island but not on census route.


Tom Bartlett
Tiffin, Ohio
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