Several of us gathered at Bell Slough-- South this morning, dressed to brave the cold, windy weather. The outing was partly done to welcome Cody Massery back into the fold (he's a new papa) and to explore the recently reopened Moist Soil Units for waterfowl and sparrows. There was not a single duck present, and the sparrows wisely kept a low profile. But we did see two Wilson's Snipe and a FOTY male Common Yellowthroat. Afterwards we went to the big parking area on Lake Conway, just past the Highway 89 bridge, to look for some recently found Trumpeter Swans (3 juveniles) and a NEOTROPIC CORMORANT. The swans were easier to spot but the Cormorant took a while and it eventually showed up in flight, apparently being pursued by a Double-crested Cormorant, giving us a grand size ad shape comparison. Unfortunately it landed in an area behind the levee/dam so the only shots we got were in flight but everyone got good looks.Michael and I made a stop at Beaverfork Lake on our way home to see if anything new was floating around. We found a single American Herring Gull and the continuing female Red-breasted Merganser but no Red-necked Grebe. However, the lake was very choppy, so no telling what we might have missed. The Purple Martins have begun showing up in small numbers but were smartly keeping a low profile today. Patty McLean and Michael Linz The Roadrunners
