The weather broke for a few hours in the mid-late afternoon. Shadow Lake is
at an all-time low water level, yet the water birds were abundant. It
appears that the diver ducks have not yet arrived at the lake, but a lot of
other birds have or are now using the lake.



Pied Billed Grebe

Horned Grebe

Double-crested Cormorant

Great Blue Heron

American Coot

Trumpeter Swans started to come in to roost (note: saw a groups of 31
earlier at Crescent Lake Road, including yellow collar M27)

If anyone sees a collared swan, please contact me immediately. Thanks

Canada Goose, medium size and 1 cackler

Greater White-fronted goose

Wood Duck

Mallards, some drakes were noticeably larger than other drakes, perhaps some
big northern ones in migration.

Gadwall

Northern Pintail

American Wigeon and at least 4 Eurasian wigeon

Northern Shoveler, including one who was diving and staying down for many 10
second intervals

Green Winged Teal

Cinnamon Teal

Hooded Merganser family with 13 older youngsters

Bald Eagle hunting

Dowitchers - likely short-billed since bill was looking slightly curved,
silent feeding. 13 of them in the muddy area of the shoreline.

Red-winged Blackbirds

Crows



And at about 4:20, just as a group of swans was flying low to come in, I
heard a sound like a muffled shotgun. Then another and it seemed to be in
the park. The swans flared away and other waterfowl seemed nervous and took
off. I walked out to the dirt road and saw people firing off something that
looked like a cannon. I took pictures, and left to report this to the
caretaker at the top of the hill. By the time the people got to the parking
area we documented their cars. They were informed by the park caretaker
that firing guns was illegal at the park. No, they said, not guns. They
were practicing the use of their potato cannon for a competition on Sunday
and they thought this was the safest place to test it.

They got upset with us and said we had ruined their outing. My reply was:
Your welcome.

Amazing what people think is OK at a wildlife area at a county public park.



Martha Jordan