Subject: [Tweeters] Horned Larks at Crockett Lake
Date: Sep 26 17:30:20 2009
From: Dennis Paulson - dennispaulson at comcast.net


Hello, tweets.

A rather quick trip down Whidbey Island today (9/26) produced not much
of interest; in fact, water birds were rather scarce. There were no
birds at all at Bos Lake (Swantown), which used to be a magnet for
shorebirds and ducks. I think the quality of the lake has changed
greatly in the last decade or so. Rather few seabirds off the west
side when we stopped and scanned at 4 different sites. No loons, no
alcids, one Western the only grebe, and 40-50 Surf Scoters and a half-
dozen Harlequins the only ducks. A few Pelagic and Double-crested
Cormorants here and there, and a fair number of Glaucous-winged,
California, and Heermann's Gulls, but no feeding activity. I guess the
action was elsewhere today.

Crockett Lake held large flocks of pintails and a few Green-winged
Teal, didn't see any other ducks. Most of the 100 or so shorebirds we
saw there were at great distance, included peeps and yellowlegs. One
close flock of about 20 birds had several juvenile Black-bellied
Plovers, juveniles of both species of dowitchers (just scrutinized a
few birds before the whole flock flew), and Dunlins. Nearby were two
female Horned Larks, large and pale, that had to be subspecies
arcticola from the Arctic or subspecies alpina from the WA Cascades. I
have seen few Horned Larks on Whidbey.
-----
Dennis Paulson
1724 NE 98 St.
Seattle, WA 98115
206-528-1382
dennispaulson at comcast.net



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