Hi Tweets and friends:
I went down to the Green River valley near Kent at midday today (Sun, Nov
10). The river has receded 1 1/2 foot or so. The fields remain flooded.
The fields at 204th St had the usual ducks including many American Wigeon,
moderate numbers of N Pintails, and about 200 Ring-necked Ducks. Looking
north at
these fields from S 212 from where there are piles of discarded pumpkins and
squash, there were about 200 Cackling Geese over in the
field w/ the shaggy cattle (we call it John's field). Thank goodness these
Cacklers were minima, the little dark ones that are easier to ID as Cackling
Geese. I too have trouble ID'ing the light-colored intermediate forms.
Down at the Green River near Willis, I drove along Frager Rd. The fields
are still flooded behind the ranch houses, but the water in the fields has
dropped a little. The Old Fishing Hole is not quite so flooded. The water
level is only about 1/3 of the way up the sanican now, so I figure the water
there has dropped at least 1 1/2 feet or so.
I drove down West Valley hwy to Smith Bros fields. I was just north of S
277th St looking out at the flooded fields. A female American Kestrel was
on a phone line at the flooded field to the east. The big flooded field to
the west of W Valley had a number of Bufflehead, and 5 COMMON GOLDENEYE, my
first ones of the season.
Driving south on W Valley to the next road south of 277th, I turned east on
S 285th and parked by the mail box. A male columbarius MERLIN flew in and
perched on the telephone pole there. It seemed to be after chickadees and
sparrows in the hedge row. Out in the flooded field to the north of 285th I
looked toward the NE. At the edge of the water there were 6 LONG-BILLED
DOWITCHERS, 8 DUNLIN, and 1 GREATER YELLOWLEGS.
As I drove north on W Valley at about 2:15PM, a male N HARRIER was flying
over the flooded field north of 277th, and east of W Valley hwy.
Carol Schulz
Des Moines
linusq at att.net