I met Graeme at Lake Artemesia this morning, and we made several circuits of the lake. A rare goose has been reported here a couple of times, and we found it right away, mixed with a flock of Canadian Geese. It’s not uncommon for odd species to mix with these geese, and I have looked many times, but this is one of the few times I found anything.
There were several interesting birds on the lake, but there was a lot of ice, also, which limited the places to search.
We walked along Indian Creek on the way out, and found a few passerines as we left.
This Brown Creeper was a nice surprise.
We saw about 200 Canada Geese.
Two Hooded Mergansers were hiding in the large flock of Geese.
There were 20 or more Ring-necked Ducks.
A single Bufflehead male was foraging near shore.
Many Mallards were feeding in the lake.
Several Chickadees were playing along the trail.
Cornell: “Breeding across the tundra from Nunavut to Siberia, across Russia, and in Greenland, the Greater White-fronted Goose has one of the largest ranges of any species of goose in the world. In North America, however, it is common only west of the Mississippi River, where it is found in large flocks in wetlands and croplands.”
Graeme was dressed for the weather.