Spring Migration!

While spring has yet to arrive to the Great Lakes area (as I type this it has been snowing for a few hours), the spring bird migration has arrived!

Last week saw large numbers of geese and ducks arrive on the mostly ice-free small ponds and sloughs throughout Dickinson county and nearby areas.  I saw thousands of Greater White-fronted and Snow Geese eating in fields and flying overhead.  I also saw a lifer Ross's Goose just over the border into Minnesota, about half a mile north of Spirit Lake (lake, not town).

While most of the geese have continued on north, the area is still full of ducks.  Most of the bigger lakes are still iced over, but almost every small prairie lake and pond is ice free and most of them are covered in a wide range of duck species.

In fact, so far for 2014, I'm only missing a few of the commonly seen ducks: (Red-breasted Merganser, Ruddy Duck, and Greater Scaup).

Shorebirds: Only Killdeer yet this year.

Sparrows: The usual first arrivals (American Tree and Juncos) plus Song and Fox

Blackbirds:  Lots of Red-winged with a scattering of Rusty Blackbirds.  Many Common Grackle also, but no Great-tailed yet.