Friday 19 March 2010

Quintessential Quennel

Headed over to Quennell Lake this evening for a spot of post-work spotting. And what a lovely evening it was. Jenny even joined me, though chose to sit in the car doing a sudoku...

The frogs were croaking, the Brewer's and red-winged blackbirds were making their funny noises, and the mosquitos were emerging.

Approximately 400 Canada geese were feeding around the lake, and a single cackling goose was among them. As the geese left the lake area in small, noisy, gaggles the group containing the cackling goose passed overhead. Pretty easy to spot which one it is from the photo, huh? Any Brit readers, who have never seen this species, may well be surprised just how small it is!
Honestly, I haven't been at the Photoshop... nor is it actually a Canada goose just 50 feet further away...

Anyhoo, the usual small numbers of American wigeon, green-winged teal and mallard were around. Pintail numbers have gone down a bit, as have bufflehead.
I counted a total of 72 shoveler. About a dozen common merganser, 4 ring-necked duck and 22 lesser scaup were also present. 5 American coot were feeding along the weedy edges.
A belted kingfisher was sat on a snag.
A pair of killdeer were along the water's edge - the first I've seen here. Local returning breeders, or on passage?

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