I slogged around several areas of Hoover Reservoir this morning, mostly looking for waterfowl on a day that only a duck could love.  I worked my way up the reservoir starting at the dam, and then visiting Walnut St. ramp, Maxtown ramp, Sunbury causeway, and Oxbow Island.  The lower reservoir was open and had some small flocks of waterfowl out in the middle.  When I reached the Sunbury causeway, I noted the same things south of the bridge.  But when I peered up over the berm to the north, I stared right into winter.  The upper reservoir was mostly frozen over except for a few big holes off Oxbow Island.  And these holes were swarming with ducks; mostly Mallards, but closer inspection from the tip of Oxbow Island ferreted out other species.  Notables:

Mallards - winter flocks have returned in a big way.   The southern reservoir had flocks of 50-100, but a hole off Oxbow Island had a horde of 1200.  Nice to have you back, fellas.

Other dabblers - mixed in with the Mallards were Black Ducks (over 100), Pintail (1), Shovelers (4), Wigeon (2), and Gadwall (2).

Diving Ducks - darn few.  A flock of 10 Ruddies was near the dam, while a single Bufflehead was in with the Mallard horde.

Mergansers - only Hoodeds, but good-sized flocks in several locations: 90 off Area P, 100 off the Sunbury Bridge, and 70 off Oxbow Island.

Grebes - a single Pied-billed was with the Mallard horde, while 3 Horned were off the Walnut St. ramp.

Gulls - roughly 250 Ring-bills were scattered over all sites, while Bonapartes were more concentrated, with a long straggling flock of 400+ stretched between Maxtown ramp and the Sunbury causeway.

Landbirds - lying low this wet, cold day; but there was a flock of 70 Cedar Waxwings on Oxbow Island, as well as a few Brown Creepers and Yellow-rumped warblers mixed in with the expected cluster of chickadees and sparrows.

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