I checked out Deer Creek again today. There has been a big change again since I was there last and from what Eric Reiner reported a couple of days ago.

In the reservoir there were huge numbers of diving ducks. I can't begin to give numbers, but I would guess that there were at least 3 times as many as last week with well over 2000 Ring-necked Ducks at the top of the list and Redheads not far behind. Scaups probably topped 1000 too and Canvasbacks numbered in the hundreds. In that madness was a single WHITE-WINGED SCOTER which was easily seen from the SE corner of the reservoir near the dam wall. The full list of expected ducks were all there today, many in very large numbers, but gulls were scare compared to last week with perhaps only about 100 Ring-billed Gulls and a few first year Herring Gulls. One each of Pied-billed and Horned Grebes were also present in the reservoir.

The wetlands were also loaded with ducks. As is usually the case, the main interest was in the middle and southern tracts. The path there is flooded over and you need to put on your hip boots, but that's a minor inconvenience considering what's there. Puddle ducks numbers were down a bit, but the variety was good. The star of the show in the middle tract was a EURASIAN WIGEON drake. Also noteworthy today in the southern tract were 23 Snow Geese (22 white, 1 blue) and 6 Tundra Swans.

Spring was in the air throughout the Deer Creek area. Red-winged Blackbirds and Song Sparrows were singing everywhere. I even heard an Am Tree Sparrow give a half-hearted rendition of its beautiful song.

Bob Royse


Robert Royse
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www.roysephotos.com


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