Since we
were going to Monte Vista for the monthly Friends of the Refuges meeting we
decided to leave early, stop at Home Lake, pick up a couple of sub sandwiches
for a picnic at Monte Vista National Wildlife Refuge and then head to the
meeting.
We knew that double-crested cormorants had been seen at Home Lake and we were hoping to see them ourselves. The lake was full of western grebes, blue-winged teals, coots and mallards. A white domestic duck paddling on the lake looked odd with its colorful wild brethren. We also saw Wilson’s phalaropes, American avocets and a sandpiper that was too far out to get a good I.D. We were puzzled by a gull but after a long look and a check of our Sibley’s guide we identified it as a California gull.
We knew that double-crested cormorants had been seen at Home Lake and we were hoping to see them ourselves. The lake was full of western grebes, blue-winged teals, coots and mallards. A white domestic duck paddling on the lake looked odd with its colorful wild brethren. We also saw Wilson’s phalaropes, American avocets and a sandpiper that was too far out to get a good I.D. We were puzzled by a gull but after a long look and a check of our Sibley’s guide we identified it as a California gull.
It was time
to move on and we had yet to see a double-crested cormorant but just before
leaving Diane spied two cormorants high in the trees. As we watched one dropped
down, glided over the water and landed without a splash.
At the Monte
Vista NWR we ate at the picnic table near the walking trail. Our dinner music
was The Blackbird (red-winged and yellow-headed) Serenade. Beside the auto loop
we saw an American bittern with its beak stretched high. Avocets, mallards,
teals and coots floated on the water.
At the south
slough we saw a black-crowned night heron perched on the water’s edge. With
barely enough time to get to the meeting we spotted a great horned owl on a
telephone pole as we drove north to Monte Vista.
No comments:
Post a Comment