Whelan Lake Birding Report

Posted on October 23, 2017 by

Saturday was a great day for birding. Our final tally was 72 species. Six more species than our 2014 record. It was clear all morning, starting off cool and ending up hot. We were blessed with about 20 white pelicans that made several loops around the lake and landed many times in various locations on the lake. The farthest sewage lagoon was just full of black-crowned night herons and many green herons. The put on a show for us standing straight and tall while letting the sun display many colours that are otherwise muted. Twenty-eight birders made this rewarding trek. Here is our count, with comparisons to earlier years.

Leader:  Doug Walkley

October 21, 2017 October 8, 2016 October 10, 2015 September 27, 2014
SWANS, GEESE & DUCKS
6 Greater White-fronted Goose
6 Canada Goose
Wood Duck Wood Duck
Gadwall
20 Mallard Mallard Mallard Mallard
1 Cinnamon Teal Cinnamon Teal Cinnamon Teal
4 Blue-winged Teal
1 Green-winged Teal Green-winged Teal
20 Northern Shoveler Northern Shoveler Northern Shoveler Northern Shoveler
Bufflehead
1 Red-breasted Merganser
95 Rudy Duck Rudy Duck Rudy Duck Rudy Duck
GREBES
25 Pied-billed Grebe Pied-billed Grebe Pied-billed Grebe Pied-billed Grebe
1 Horned Grebe Horned Grebe
12 Eared Grebe Eared Grebe Eared Grebe Eared Grebe
2 Western Grebe Western Grebe
CORMORANTS AND PELICANS
6 Double-crested cormorant
25 American White Pellican
BITTERNS & EGRETS
2 Great Blue Heron Great Blue Heron
12 Great Egret Great Egret Great Egret Great Egret
20 Snowy Egret Snowy Egret Snowy Egret Snowy Egret
6 Green Heron Green Heron Green Heron Green Heron
14 Black-crowned Night-Heron Black-crowned Night-Heron Black-crowned Night-Heron
12 White-faced Ibis
AMERICAN VULTURES
3 Turkey Vulture Turkey Vulture Turkey Vulture
HAWKS & FALCONS
1 Northern Harrier Northern Harrier Northern Harrier
1 Sharp-shinned Hawk
4 Cooper’s Hawk Cooper’s Hawk Cooper’s Hawk Cooper’s Hawk
4 Red-shouldered Hawk Red-shouldered Hawk Red-shouldered Hawk Red-shouldered Hawk
4 Red-tailed Hawk Red-tailed Hawk Red-tailed Hawk Red-tailed Hawk
2 American Kestrel American Kestrel American Kestrel American Kestrel
RAILS, COOTS & STILTS
2 Sora (H) Sora (H) Sora (H) Sora
Common Gallinule
12 American Coot American Coot American Coot American Coot
PLOVERS & SANDPIPERS
4 Black-necked Stilt Black-necked Stilt Black-necked Stilt
1 Killdeer Killdeer Killdeer
1 Spotted Sandpiper Spotted Sandpiper Spotted Sandpiper
GULLS
Western Gull
TERNS
PIGEONS & DOVES
3 Rock Pigeons
Eurasian Collared-Dove Eurasian Collared-Dove
20 Mourning Dove Mourning Dove Mourning Dove Mourning Dove
TYPICAL OWLS
1 Great Horned Owl Great Horned Owl
CUCKOOS & ROADRUNNERS
2 Greater Roadrunner
HUMMINGBIRDS
25 Anna’s Hummingbird Anna’s Hummingbird Anna’s Hummingbird Anna’s Hummingbird
3 Allen’s Hummingbird Allen’s Hummingbird Allen’s Hummingbird Allen’s Hummingbird
1 Black-chinned Hummingbird
KINGFISHERS
2 Belted Kingfisher Belted Kingfisher Belted Kingfisher
WOODPECKERS
1 Nuttall’s Woodpecker Nuttall’s Woodpecker Nuttall’s Woodpecker Nuttall’s Woodpecker
Downy Downy Woodpecker
1 Northern Flicker Northern Flicker Northern Flicker
FLYCATCHERS & SHRIKES
10 Black Phoebe Black Phoebe Black Phoebe Black Phoebe
28 Say’s Phoebe Say’s Phoebe Say’s Phoebe Say’s Phoebe
12 Cassin’s  Kingbird Cassin’s  Kingbird Cassin’s  Kingbird Cassin’s  Kingbird
1 Loggerhead Shrike Loggerhead Shrike Loggerhead Shrike
JAYS & CROWS
Western Scrub-jay Western Scrub-jay Western Scrub-jay
15 American Crow American Crow American Crow American Crow
2 Common Raven Common Raven
SWALLOWS & SWIFTS
6 Tree Swallow Tree Swallow Tree Swallow
1 Northern Rough-winged Swallow
1 Bank Swallow
6 Barn Swallow Barn Swallow Barn Swallow Barn Swallow
12 White-throated Swift
BUSHTITS
Bushtit Bushtit Bushtit
WRENS
1 House Wren House Wren House Wren House Wren
3 Marsh Wren Marsh Wren Marsh Wren Marsh Wren
KINGLETS & GNATCATCHERS
4 Blue-greay Gnatcatcher
\ Ruby-crowned Kinglet Ruby-crowned Kinglet Ruby-crowned Kinglet
MOCKINGBIRDS & THRASHERS
4 Northern Mockingbird Northern Mockingbird Northern Mockingbird Northern Mockingbird
1 California Thrasher California Thrasher California Thrasher California Thrasher
STARLINGS & WAXWINGS
European Starling European Starling
WARBLERS
1 Orange-crowned Warbler Orange-crowned Warbler Orange-crowned Warbler
14 Yellow-rumped Warbler Yellow-rumped Warbler Yellow-rumped Warbler Yellow-rumped Warbler
Black-throated Gray Warbler Black-throated Gray Warbler
5 Common Yellowthroat Common Yellowthroat Common Yellowthroat Common Yellowthroat
Wilson’s Warbler Wilson’s Warbler Wilson’s Warbler
TOWHEES & SPARROWS
1 Spotted Towhee Spotted Towhee Spotted Towhee Spotted Towhee
California Towhee California Towhee California Towhee
2 Song Sparrow Song Sparrow Song Sparrow Song Sparrow
12 White-crowned Sparrow White-crowned Sparrow White-crowned Sparrow White-crowned Sparrow
1 Lincoln Sparrow
ORIOLES & BLACKBIRDS
25 Red-winged Blackbird Red-winged Blackbird Red-winged Blackbird Red-winged Blackbird
6 Western Meadowlark
2 Great-tailed Grackle Great-tailed Grackle
2 Brown-headed Cowbird
FINCHES & ALLIES
20 House Finch House Finch House Finch House Finch
Lesser Goldfinch Lesser Goldfinch Lesser Goldfinch
American Goldfinch American Goldfinch
72  Species in Total 64 Species in Total 56 Species in Total 66 Species in Total
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