Greetings -
With strong NNW winds today at 15-25 mph I set up shop at Rocky River Park between 9:45 and 11:20 a.m. The season's first big movement of waterfowl was in high gear, with constant streams of mixed species flocks. Mixed species flocks totaled between 5 and 45 birds and moved past consistently, heading from the east to the west. Most flocks had pintail, wigeon, Mallards, and teal mixed in. Highlights included good numbers of Northern Pintail, American Wigeon, a single SURF SCOTER, Merlin.
Totals: Northern Pintail (538), American Wigeon (210), Gadwall (55), Lesser Scaup (4), Northern Shoveler (65), Green-winged Teal (120), Blue-winged Teal (10), teal species (100), Surf Scoter (1), Mallard (320), American Black Duck (38), dabbling duck species (300), Canada Goose (24).
Other species: Merlin (1), Bald Eagle (3), Turkey Vulture (6), Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (1 - came in off the lake), loads of Ring-billed and Herring Gulls, passerine species (2).
Best of birding - jb
Jen [log in to unmask]
Cleveland, Ohio
330-701-6452

Bird Illustrator / www.jenbrumfield.com

Birding Tour Guide (Ohio), Local Patch Birding / www.jenbrumfield.com
Birding Tour Guide (worldwide), Tropical Birding / www.tropicalbirding.com
Naturalist/Artist, Cleveland Metroparks / www.clemetparks.com
LEICA Birding Optics Prostaff / http://en.leica-camera.com/sport_optics/NorthNW Lake Erie blog / www.northnw.wordpress.com



                                          
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