Canvasback!

 

I've been trying to visit Spring Lake as much as I can over the last week or so. Winds from the north have started to become steadier and more frequent; and temperatures are seasonal/dropping, so that means - diving ducks! Well, hopefully. As my "found" species total racks up, my success rate gets lower with new species for the year with each ride. There just aren't that many more species that I can get as the last two months of the year approach. However, as you well know, a common migrant diving duck - Canvasback - has been my nemesis for much of the year. Not anymore!

A Pied-billed Grebe surfacing briefly between dives

After an unsuccessful search on Wednesday, I decided to try again on Thursday, keeping with my strategy of hitting close by spots frequently. I different cast of characters at my bird feeder that morning raised my hopes for something different - my first American Tree Sparrow of the fall showed up. I couldn't wait to get on the bike. 

I arrived and immediately noticed different species there too. There were more Ruddy Ducks now, and fewer Pied-billed Grebes. Yellow-rumped Warbler numbers had dropped considerably overnight, and Dark-eyed Junco numbers were up. I started counting the Ruddies and noticed a larger duck. It had a tapered, long bill, sloped forehead, and was substantially larger. Promising. The light was horrible though and it was distant - of course. I had to be patient. Eventually though the flock floated closer and I saw a grayish back and got a better look at the head. Female Canvasback! At last. I tried to get pictures but they were just too far out and in the shade. My hopes of her coming closer were dashed when a boat spooked her. She flushed even though none of the Ruddy Ducks did. She was jumpy, probably from getting shot at during hunting season. She circled a few times over the lake and I eventually lost her in the sun. Otherwise, a quiet morning. I poked through the conifers there briefly for owls before leaving, without any success. 

Some nice conifers for owls here just off the viewing platform

The Canvasback was green species #233 - and the last of the species that I had marked as "high" likelihood of finding early in this birding-by-bike effort. So, what's left? I have nine more species that I had marked as "moderate" likelihood of finding (again, earlier in the year) - White-winged Scoter, Long-tailed Duck, Red-necked Grebe, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Iceland Gull, Glaucous Gull, American Goshawk, Long-eared Owl, and Redpoll. Six of those and I've got the Minnesota record broken, which seems crazy to think about given how negative I was on the prospect just over a month ago. 

It's predicted to a be a "finchy" year, and Redpolls are already showing up in the area - a good sign. There's almost always a Long-eared Owl around somewhere. The others...will require effort. I'll stick to my strategy of hitting Spring Lake hard for the grebe and ducks, and eventually maybe I'll get gulls there also. It's quite likely that they will show up at other lakes in the area, the question is - how far am I willing to ride for them - and when will snow and ice make it hard to get anywhere? As for the goshawk, I'm hoping to just catch one flying overhead at some point. Hard to target any kind of effort around that species. 

Of course, there's always the chance of some more fluky stuff showing up too. Black Scoter? Varied Thrush? Townsend's Solitare? A wandering Common Raven along the river? A Snowy Owl invasion?Who knows...

We'll see what happens! Regardless, I'm quite happy with where I am now. It's been a blast. Thanks for reading!