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February 2011

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From:
Robert Royse <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Robert Royse <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Tue, 22 Feb 2011 16:05:29 -0800
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I spent a couple of hours at Deer Creek scoping out the key areas of the wetlands and reservoir. Again, it's amazing how much turnover there was in just a few days since my last visit. The resevoir is completely open now, and the water level was high after all the thaw and heavy rainfall yesterday. Most of the puddle ducks in the SW corner of the reservoir have moved on or into the wetlands since the habitat isn't as suitable for them right now. Geese were scarce everywhere. On the other hand there has been an influx of diving ducks and most are on the east side of the reservoir.

Starting with the reservoir - birds in it included :

5 Canada Geese
1 Mute Swan
Wood Ducks (several)
Gadwalls (several)
Am. Wigeons (several)
Am Black Ducks 
~150 Mallards
Green-winged Teals (several)
~25 Canvasbacks
~1200 Redheads
~700 Ring-necked Ducks
~300 Lesser Scaups
~15 Buffleheads
2 Common Goldeneyes
~125 Hooded Mergansers
6 Common Mergansers
~12 Red-breasted Mergansers
Pied-billed Grebes (several)
1 Horned Grebe
Killdeers (several)
~1500 Ring-billed Gulls
Herring Gulls (several)
3 Am Coots

Also present over the reservoir was one early and eager TREE SWALLOW.  1 Adult Bald Eagle flew by when I was there. Some of the scaups very well may have been Greaters, but they were too far away to really scrutinize carefully.

The northern wetlands tract held :
~25 Wood Ducks
several Mallards
several Green-winged Teals
~350 Ring-necked Ducks

The middle and southern wetlands tracts held the bulk of the puddle ducks in the area. The path there is now flooded over. I was able to pick my way around the deepest areas wearing ankle high boots, but I would recommend knee high boots if you have them. When I arrived the southern tract held most of the birds, but when I got onto the dike they mostly took off and landed in the northern part of the middle tract. Birds there included :

~25 Canada Geese
4 Tundra Swans
Wood Ducks
Am Wigeons
Am Black Ducks
~2000 Mallards
N Shovelers
~200 N Pintails
Canvasbacks
Redheads
Ring-necked Ducks
Buffleheads
Hooded Merganser
2 Common Mergansers

I also came across numerous small flocks of blackbirds in the Deer Creek area, most of which I didn't get great looks at. I did see ~10 Rusty Blackbirds at close range along D-12 (the road to Miller Park).

Here's a link to my birding guide to Deer Creek :
http://www.roysephotos.com/DeerCreek.html


Closer to home in Columbus at dusk, the reliable blackbird flock at the Indian Mound by the McKinley Ave. quarry is back in full force. There were nearly 100,000 blackbirds there this evening. Red-winged Blackbirds seemed the most numerous at this point with plenty of C Grackles, B-h Cowbirds, and starlings in the mix. If you can get a close enough look at enough of them, Rusties usually turn up too, but I didn't see any today. To really see how huge the flock here is, get on top of the mound and scan the trees on the other side and north of the quarry. Some Great Blue Herons have been at their nests here for over a week now.

Bob Royse



Robert Royse
[log in to unmask]
www.roysephotos.com


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