I worked the Hoover nature Preserve, which is the northern shore of the reservoir, visiting Oxbow Island, Plumb Rd, the Boardwalk, the Yacht Club flats, and the Sunbury causeway.  Despite the cold day, birds were very active, especially during the brief sunny spells in the mid-morning.  Highlights included:

Tundra Swan - 1 individual was off the flats in mid-morning, dropping in from the east as I watched

Canada Geese - over 450 were around the edges of the mudflats; all large, no small races

Waterfowl - surprisingly light for ducks, with 2 red-br. Mergansers and 10 Hoodeds off Oxbow Island the most noteworthy.

cormorants - still a few at several areas in the north reservoir, with the most being 10 on the gravel bars north of the Sunbury causeway

Shorebirds - still good numbers on the mudflats, with 3 Black-bellied Plovers, 160 Kildeer, 3 Greater yellowlegs, 5 Least Sandpipers, and 30 Dunlin.

Gulls - over 500 Bonaparte's on the morning, with a 300-bird swarm around the Sunbury causeway most impressive.  Despite careful looking,I found no other small gulls.  Plenty of Ring-bills at all stops.

Larks,Pipits - several Horned larks flying around the mudflats, but only heard 1 pipit.

Crows - an impressive flock of 120 birds was walking the grassflats north of the Eastside yacht club

E.Bluebirds - single flyovers at most stops, but a flock of 6 was working the edge of the shoreline trees at Plumb Rd.

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