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Hooded Mergs and Rumors of Long-tailed Ducks

When I arrived at Lodge Pond at Fernald Preserve early this afternoon, another birder was standing there photographing ducks, geese and swans. There was a wide variety of ducks, a few geese and several Mute Swans. I quickly found a pair of Hooded Mergansers, a waterfowl species that has eluded me all month. Had I been five minutes too late, I would have missed them because after a few ducks went airborne, I couldn't relocate the mergansers. After a brief celebration for finally getting these birds, the other birder informed me that he had 3 Long-tailed Ducks about an hour prior at the Lost Bridge gravel pits. So instead of walking the path around Lodge Pond as originally planned to look for some much needed icterids, I decided to go on this chase. I feared that he had misidentified the pintails there.

When I arrived at Lost Bridge, the numbers of geese and ducks were way down from previously. We have had rising temperatures and with that thawing ice and more places with open water. Although I found a few species of ducks, including some pintails, I could not find any long-tailed ducks. There were several ducks in flight in the area, so if he had indeed seen long-tailed ducks, they may have gone elsewhere.

I went back to Fernald later toward evening to try for Short-eared Owls. I did not find them but counted an impressive 16 Northern Harriers working the back hillside. A flock of icterids flying over Lodge Pond included much needed Red-winged Blackbirds and Brown-headed Cowbirds.

Hooded Merganser, Red-winged Blackbird and Brown-headed Cowbird are new for the year, bringing my Hamilton County Year List to 90.

Side note: In Seymour, Indiana Saturday (1/20/18) I added Sandhill Crane to my ABA Year List which stands at 91. I have yet to add Sandhill Crane this year in Hamilton county.

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