November 10, 2009

It was another November day when a winter hat, boots, and gloves were an afterthought and the idea of hand warmers was a joke. Temps were in the lower 50's, winds were calm, and there were almost no clouds in the sky.

Waterfowl: The November doldrums continue with Red-breasted Merganser (28) being the only waterbird that reached double digits. The highlight was a group of 4 male Common Mergansers that were back into alternate plumage-- the first mergansers of the fall that I have seen in alternate plumage.

Gulls: The two Glaucous Gulls are still around but nothing unusual.

Other: There was a decent Redpoll movement this morning with 136 counted coming in off the lake. A late Barn Swallow was hunting the unusually abundant insects that were also enjoying the warm weather.

Tom Prestby
Waterbird Counter