I went to the Ottosen Potholes this morning, the potholes themselves still are frozen over, though there are signs that by this afternoon 20-50% of the water may be open. Though the Potholes are still difficult to access due to persistant 3 foot deep snow cap across the drive-up (not to mention a lot of soft areas in the drive up due to soil saturation any successful attempt to reach the potholes entails about a 1-1.5 mile walk to enter the Pothole reserve.
At the potholes was a beautiful female Northern Harrier (another was noted hunting a riparian strip near a dredge ditch a few miles west of the Potholes). Several small groups of Canada Geese that seem to be staking out Muskrat huts for nests. Flybys include 8 Common Goldeneyes, 3 Common Mergansers and 3 Greater White-fronted Geese and 3 Ring-billed Gulls. A flock of 500 odd Snow Geese flew over head (probably with the general running ratio of Ross's geese...though they were moving too fast to get a good look at them). After the potholes I tottered around the county, (the Bradgate watershed of the Des Moines river is a mess with flooding across the roads NW of Bradgate especially at Melson's Park and Prairie Creek [or river] area). Numerous flocks of Canada Geese were rushing northward, a few Common Mergansers were noted as well as a few Snow Geese which were tagging along the Canadas. A few Bald Eagles were also present. Across the county several thousand Canada Geese were seen flying over (not at once but the total count of north moving Canada Geese were easily in the thousands as there were several flocks of geese and each V was easily in the hundred to several hundreds of individuals). This weekend could be good for finding downed flocks of migrants if the waterfowl continue this movement (and road conditions remain driveable)...as it was earlier this week when Humboldt county had significant fog and had downed a beautiful mixed flock of geese (which have since moved on). --- Please contribute your sightings to our list; it is only as good as members make it! --- Birding channel recommendation for FRS/GMRS radio use: Primary selection; channel 5/0 , alternate selection; channel 6/0 --- This mailing list is sponsored by the Iowa Ornithologists' Union. Membership available on-line at http://www.iowabirds.org/iou/membership.asp. ----- You are currently subscribed to ia-bird as: [email protected]
