Ed Thelen and I took the waterfowl challenge today as we birded areas without ice in Emmet and Dickinson counties. We had 25 species of swans, geese and ducks including all five of the goose group. A small group of Snow Geese were standing out on the ice of Spirit Lake as if confused by a lack of any open water and a lone Ross' Goose was with them. We tried really hard to create a northwest Iowa American Black Duck from groups of Gadwall and Mallards but were unsuccessful in that effort.
We had a respectful day total of 75 species for March in northwest Iowa. Two Common Loons found the only good patch of open water at Ingham Lake in Emmet county, a small flock of Brewer's Blackbirds were in a cow pasture at Cheever Lake, and an Eastern Meadowlark, which is unusual in this part of the state, was competing with Western Meadowlarks in a song fest at Anderson Prairie. April will be here Friday. I am trying to have 100 species on my year list by then but still several short. No foolin'. Lee A. Schoenewe Spencer --- 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]
