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Date:  March 2, 2010

Location  In Search of Birds

Where:  Bill Williams National Wildlife Refuge

 

 Wintering waterfowl have completely cleared out on our section of the Colorado River at Buckskin Mountain State Park. I was curious about what the situation would be further up river above the Parker Dam on Lake Havasu at the Bill Williams Refuge, so we decided to check it out this afternoon. When we walked out on the viewing peninsula at the Visitors Center we could see at a glance that although there was no where near the number of ducks as earlier in the year there were still a few hanging around.

Jeanette searching for ducks

Here and there a Coot could be seen, not the thousands that could be seen of earlier when we were here. Next we spotted some Lesser Scaups, both male and female. Then some small groups of Common Goldeneye, and Ring-necked Ducks. A Costa's Humming bird buzzed Jeanette and we got fleeting glances of some kind of flycatcher. Clark's Grebes were in good numbers and very vocal, and we even got to see a pair doing their synchronized mating dance across the surface of the lake. Everybody seemed paired up, with only a few exceptions like a Common Merganser, a Pied-billed Grebe, a Double-crested Cormorant, and a Mallard.

Ring-necked Ducks

At the end of the peninsula, by using the spotting scope we could see several Great Blue Herons on their nests in the rookery. Jeanette totaled up our list for the afternoon at 16 birds. I was happy in that I ended up with some better photos of Goldeneye and Ring-necked Ducks.

Jeanette checks the Great Blue Heron rookery