This morning, Sherry and I led a Black Hills Audubon trip to the
Goodrich pond and trail. The day started off rainy but eased throughout
the morning, so we could all enjoy the walk. The pond is about 1/4
full, but had lots of activity. Green-winged Teal, Northern Pintail,
Bufflehead, Northern Shoveler, American Wigeon, and Mallards dominated
the pond. As for shorebirds, 10 Dunlin, 2 Greater Yellowlegs, 6
Killdeer, and 4 Long-billed Curlews were seen. Lots of swallows were
flitting about everywhere, which included Tree, Violet-green, Barn, and
Cliff. Some Wood Ducks and Common Mergansers were seen on the river, and
the pair of Bald Eagles were perched next to the nest tree.
Golden-crowned Sparrows are still lingering, and White-crowned and
Savannah Sparrows have shown up. Common Yellowthroat, Orange-crowned
Warbler, Scrub Jay, Red-breasted Sapsucker, Brown Creeper, Varied
Thrush, and Morning Dove were all seen along the trail.

The curlews were seen foraging in the muddy edges along the pond and up
on the grassy banks to the right. Now is the time to check the pond on a
regular basis to see what else shows up.

Dave Hayden
dtvhm AT nwrain.com
Centralia, WA