Winter has definitely left the building.
Spring is assuredly on the way and the snow is gone. The Red-winged Blackbirds and Meadow Larks have arrived. However, Penny Lake is still covered in ice, although it is thinning. Where Foster Creek runs into Penny Lake there are probably 200 to 300 Northern Pintails sitting, waiting for the lake to open. Among all of the Pintails, I spotted two Tundra Swans, easily identified by the yellow spot at the base of the bill, beneath the eye. Likewise, Bennett Lake is still frozen over, except for the northern end where the ice has melted. It also has good sized population of ducks, but they were too far away for me to identify.
I hoped to see the Golden Eagle that nests in the basalt cliffs behind Bennett Lake, but it didn’t show today. I was looking along the cave like openings in the basalt and thought I saw a Falcon sitting in one of the caves! I snapped some pictures with my camera, but when I got home and looked at them I could see it was just another “hawk rock,” though I suppose in this case it would have to be called a “falcon rock.”
The number and variety of raptors certainly does change from month to month. On today’s survey there was only one Red-tailed Hawk, and one male Northern Harrier. I thought perhaps all of the Rough-legged Hawks would have left for their northern breeding grounds, but there were still five on the first part of the route.
This seemed to be a day for Falcons, five and all! Heading north along Road H up to Highway 17 there were two Prairie Falcons doing aerial acrobatics in the air. And then coming back to Mansfield, a pair of American Kestrels were hanging out by the cemetery. I had stopped there to eat my lunch and hoped something would fly in. Sure enough, here came two American Kestrels, one with his lunch in his mouth! A tasty mouse (See photo at top of blog). Or I’m sure he felt it was tasty!
Leaving Mansfield once again, the Merlin showed up flying toward the school. I would love to get a picture of him, but he is just too fast!
A summary of what was seen today:
Red-tailed Hawk. 1
American Kestrel. 2
Northern Harrier. 1
Rough-legged Hawk. 5
Prairie Falcon. 2
Merlin. 1