Birders,



Yesterday afternoon, I checked out the partly-flooded fields near Lake
Terrell, just south of Mountain View Road and east of Lake Terrell Road,
which I call Mountain View Flats. The whole place was covered with geese,
not to mention more than 1000 ducks. I estimated 1500 CACKLING GEESE and 500
CANADA GEESE, accompanied by 2 immature SNOW GEESE and one adult GREATER
WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE. Although we do have small numbers of Cackling Geese
wintering in the area, this was clearly a big migratory push of Cacklers--
a species which has increased in numbers in recent years, and shifted its
main wintering grounds northward from California into Oregon.



While scanning the ducks on the flats, I had a nice look at the Eurasian
form of the GREEN-WINGED TEAL-- a well-marked male with a white horizontal
stripe on the flanks, and no vertical white bar, which distinguishes it from
the American form. There were also at least 4 drake EURASIAN WIGEON
scattered among about 800 AMERICAN WIGEON. I was hoping for a repeat of Paul
Woodcock`s BAIKAL TEAL seen (and photographed) at this locality a few years
ago, but no such luck!



While birding at nearby Lake Terrell, I also managed to find my first RUFOUS
HUMMINGBIRD of the year, a male that was feeding from salmonberry flowers.
Spring is most definitely here!



Wayne C. Weber

Delta, BC

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