Ducks, grebes, geese and other waterfowl still putting on a show

  • By Bruce Glick
  • March 19, 2014
  • 368
                        
Ducks, grebes, geese and other waterfowl still putting on a show Columnist Bruce Glick summarizes happenings in the local birding world. This week Bruce has an update on the spring migration. Read more about it in the "Gone Birding" column. The lingering ice on the big lakes as well as most smaller lakes and ponds has created an unusual concentrating of migrating waterfowl this year. Wherever there is open water, higher than normal numbers of birds have been keeping birders happy. Reports of Red-necked Grebes, Long-tailed Ducks and Eurasian Wigeon keep coming in. Every time I look at the Ohio and Indiana birding pages on Facebook, there are more close-up photos of these sought-after species. This morning I looked out an upstairs window in our house here in Goshen, Indiana to check the small area of the local pond/lake which we can see through the trees (until the leaves come out). With binoculars I could see 170 scaup (both Greater and Lesser), Canvasback, Ring-necked Ducks, American Wigeon, Gadwall, Bufflehead, Red-breasted and Common Mergansers, Common Goldeneye, Bufflehead, Mallards, Horned Grebe, Mute Swans, and several Ring-billed Gulls. While I was watching the ducks, a Cooper's Hawk flew across the yard and landed in the corner of our lot. It was carrying a freshly caught blackbird, probably a cowbird or a grackle. The beautiful adult Cooper's stayed around for breakfast while activity at the feeder returned to normal. These days the American Goldfinches are in the majority at the feeders, while American Tree Sparrows clean up the cracked corn on the ground. The snow is gradually melting, hastened by the gentle rain this morning. The temperature for tomorrow is predicted to edge above normal for this time of year, one of the rare times that has happened in the last 3-4 months. At Funk Bottoms Wildlife Area last week, both Snow and Ross's Geese were found, as well as a Red-necked Grebe. Berlin Reservoir has also been a hotspot, with both Iceland and Lesser Black-backed Gulls, White-winged Scoter and a nice male Eurasian Wigeon. Prairie Lane, south of Wooster continued to have Greater White-fronted Geese. I was lucky enough to see six of these unusual geese on March 18 at Pigeon River Wildlife Area. This large wildlife area near Lagrange, Indiana has hosted a lot of interesting birds recently, including 150 Sandhill Cranes, several Trumpeter Swans, plus all the expected species of ducks, geese and grebes. Three Red-necked Grebes have now been seen there for at least 12 straight days. Other reports include a migrating Golden Eagle on March 14 south of Sugarcreek, a number of Eastern Phoebes, plus a Common Raven being seen north of Loudonville. Is this the same bird that has been present south of Loudonville for a number of years or a newcomer? A Eurasian-collared Dove was also seen near Shreve. I think we can expect to see and hear more of these doves in the coming months and years. Thanks to Robert Hershberger for the information he posts on the Bobolink Rare Bird Alert (330-763-5119). Here in the Elkhart/Lagrange County area we can count on Perry Miller to provide similar updates on the local RBA. Call 574-642-1300, ext. 4098 to hear the latest birding updates for this area of Indiana. Good birding! Bruce Glick 330-317-7798 birderbruce@yahoo.com


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