Date: 4/17/24 12:53 pm From: Vic Fondy via groups.io <treasurecreek...> Subject: [sd-birds] Thanks and WW Report
Thanks to Judy Hengen and the other ladies that weekly survey Canyon Lake and the West River Campus. Their reports often give us a forecast of migrating birds to look for at our feeders 1.5 miles south of Whitewood. An example is today we had our FOS Eastern Phoebe briefly at our feeders which we might have overlooked today if it had not been reported earlier on the West River Campus report. Other new sightings since our last report include FOS Mourning Doves on 4/12, which are still around, and a Sharp-shinned Hawk this morning. The Lewis's Woodpecker also showed up twice last week but is no longer protecting the feeder it adopted. I suspect it is still in the neighborhood and headquartering at a location it used a few years ago. Unfortunately the Evening Grosbeaks have not returned recently. The warm weather has lowered the larger numbers of birds feeding, but still lots of birds.
In the past 10 days we have been fortunate to received 5 inches of rain which should help to offset the earlier drought conditions. Whitewood Creek is running very high and we have pairs of both Common Mergansers and Mallards on creek. Attached is a picture of the male Common Merganser.
