With warm thanks to all of you who have supported our birding adventure and, more importantly, supported the good work of At The Crossroads, this will be the final blog post on this issue. Our ending number will be 115 birds, and adventures and friendship and wonderful California scenery through the winter-to-spring transition time. We’ve had a good time. Here’s our last few birds.
We saw an Orange-crowned warbler, a plane little olive and buff bird with a very faint eye stripe. We took the orange crown on faith, as it was hard to see in real life. They are insect eaters, and this spring provides a bounty, we imagine.
We saw a gaggle of sparrows. We saw Savannah Sparrows, streaky birds that forage on the ground, with a buzzing, insect-like sound as they hop along. We also saw Song Sparrows, a very similar, streaky small sparrow, but a bit more strongly marked, especially on the upper breast, and with a spot in the middle of the breast. Like the Savannah Sparrows, the Song Sparrows prefer moist ground, and so must be especially happy North Coast residents. We saw a Lincoln’s Sparrow, darker, with a gray and brown striped head And Fox Sparrows, darker than the others and good-sized, with a very dark brown back and streaked breast.
We saw a Brown-headed Cowbird. These blackbird-like birds have brown heads and green-black bodies (the male). These critters hang about with cows, but are better known for their habit of placing its eggs in the nests of other birds. In some areas, they are trapped in order to lessen the negative impact on reproduction by other birds. The female cowbird apparently identifies the nest of such birds as warblers or finches and removes one or more eggs from the nest and then adds her own egg to the nest.
And, finally, we saw the ubiquitous House Finch. These birds are so common around human habitation, and travel in flocks. They are ground foragers for seeds and fruit and apparently eat mostly vegetable food. Perhaps that is why they are so ubiquitous?
And there you have it. We’ll keep birding: there is something very satisfying about attentiveness outdoors. Thanks for listening.
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Sunday, May 8, 2011
May 3
On our Godwit Days adventure we saw Band-tailed Pigeon. Like city pigeons, these birds bob their heads and are plump. The Band-tailed has a white stripe on the nape of its neck and a yellow bill with a dark tip. Head and breast are purplish, the rest gray and black. These birds eat grain, and, indeed, we saw them near Lake Earle in Del Norte County, in the heart of farm country. And we saw an Anna’s Hummingbird. The bright red head of the male is striking on these tiny, hovering creatures.
And we saw swallows. We saw Purple Martins, with the slim bodies, pointy wings and forked tail so swallow-like. They are, as advertised, glossy and purple/blue. They nest in old woodpecker holes, and are rumored to be declining in the west a bit because of competition with starlings. We saw the Tree Swallows we have already logged in. And we saw Violet-green Swallows, more greenish blue than the Martins and with white on cheek and neck and undersides. Finally, we saw Barn Swallows. Like the Violet-green, these swallows nest in colonies. They are brown with a reddish yellow throat and whitish/buff underparts. The tail on this swallow is forked much more deeply than the other swallows we saw. These swallows use mud to build their nests – present in abundance in the Arcata Marsh. All these creatures catch their insect diet on the wing; they apparently have bristles in their mouths that help them catch the insects as they swoop and dive and skim. Need I say we didn’t see those bristles?
We saw Black-capped Chickadees. These are small birds that hop about in bushes and trees, sometimes hanging upside down. They are gray and buff, with a black cap and bib. And they call with a sound somewhat like ‘chickadee-dee-dee. We saw a Hermit Thrush, a shy and modest little bird, gray-brown with a cinnamon tail and some speckling on the upper breast. They are hard to see, often foraging on the ground, but their songs are clear and lovely, rather Bach-like.
Our Bird of the Day on Saturday was the Marsh Wren, found in tall marshy grasses of the Arcata Marsh. They are small brown birds with a white eye stripe and a black and white striped triangle on their back. The males build woven nests above the water before mating. Our favorite was standing on top of his bush, beak wide open and tilted up, singing out his advertisement: ‘I may not be much to look at, but I’m a hell of a carpenter!!!’ A very dear little bird.
Total to 5/3: 108
And we saw swallows. We saw Purple Martins, with the slim bodies, pointy wings and forked tail so swallow-like. They are, as advertised, glossy and purple/blue. They nest in old woodpecker holes, and are rumored to be declining in the west a bit because of competition with starlings. We saw the Tree Swallows we have already logged in. And we saw Violet-green Swallows, more greenish blue than the Martins and with white on cheek and neck and undersides. Finally, we saw Barn Swallows. Like the Violet-green, these swallows nest in colonies. They are brown with a reddish yellow throat and whitish/buff underparts. The tail on this swallow is forked much more deeply than the other swallows we saw. These swallows use mud to build their nests – present in abundance in the Arcata Marsh. All these creatures catch their insect diet on the wing; they apparently have bristles in their mouths that help them catch the insects as they swoop and dive and skim. Need I say we didn’t see those bristles?
We saw Black-capped Chickadees. These are small birds that hop about in bushes and trees, sometimes hanging upside down. They are gray and buff, with a black cap and bib. And they call with a sound somewhat like ‘chickadee-dee-dee. We saw a Hermit Thrush, a shy and modest little bird, gray-brown with a cinnamon tail and some speckling on the upper breast. They are hard to see, often foraging on the ground, but their songs are clear and lovely, rather Bach-like.
Our Bird of the Day on Saturday was the Marsh Wren, found in tall marshy grasses of the Arcata Marsh. They are small brown birds with a white eye stripe and a black and white striped triangle on their back. The males build woven nests above the water before mating. Our favorite was standing on top of his bush, beak wide open and tilted up, singing out his advertisement: ‘I may not be much to look at, but I’m a hell of a carpenter!!!’ A very dear little bird.
Total to 5/3: 108
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
May 2
How about those shorebirds? Our time at the Godwit Days were filled with shorebirds, most of which we don’t see in our valley meanders.
First, of course, we saw the eponymous Marbled Godwit. This is a rather large shorebird, with a long, two-colored bill that is slightly upturned at the end. There were dozens of these noisy cinnamon-colored birds following the tide line at the Arcata Marsh. We also saw there Willets, also big waders, but with a medium straight bill and blue-gray legs. When they fly they have a bright band of white across their wings. We also saw Dunlins, a wader of half the size of the godwits and willets. This bird has a longish black bill, drooping a bit at the tip, and black legs. Some had the black patch on the belly that indicates breeding plumage.
We saw Whimbrels. This bird is a plain brown curlew, as large as the Marbled Godwit, with a white stripe above its eye. Its bill is long and down-curling, and these creatures breed in the far north. And we were delighted to see Long-billed Curlews. These birds are a deeper brown, and their long, down-curved bills are so long as to look like they might overbalance the bird. These birds are another threatened species story. They have suffered in numbers in official counts, primarily due to loss of habitat. Two things account for a resurgence in numbers counted in the California Central Valley. First, scientists started counting them in February rather than the more traditional June, at which point virtually all were raising babies in the far north. More importantly, rice farmers in the Valley have for the most part stopped burning the rice stubble in the fall, in order to reduce the smoke pollution that was so prevalent in Valley autumns. This had the additional benefit of leaving that rice stubble for the Long-billed Curlews, who are now counted in greater numbers.
We saw Greater Yellowlegs, another bird where we wouldn’t have been able to tell the difference from the Lesser Yellowlegs, absent the Lesser, without an informed guide. Ours said, however, that the Greater’s bill length is half again longer than its head, while the Lesser’s is just head size. This beak comparison to the rest of the body turns out to be a useful identifier in many birds. And, the bright yellow/orange legs were distinctive. And we saw Long-billed Dowitchers, another case where we rely on the expertise of guides to distinguish from Short-billed relatives. We take some comfort from the fact that the two races were seen as a single type until the 1950’s. They have cinnamon colors with gray and white, and are most notable for their ‘sewing machine’ jabs into the sand as they graze.
We saw Black-bellied Plovers, chunkier than some of the other shorebirds and with short, heavy bills. These birds also nest in the arctic tundra. Like Killdeer, they stop suddenly and then dart off on their business. And we saw Black Turnstones, slightly smaller birds with a mostly black head, breast and back and white tummy. Like so many of these shorebirds, these Turnstones breed in the north, in this case in coastal Alaska. And we saw the American Black Oystercatcher, eye-catching with its orange eye-ring, bright orange beak and pink legs. This is a larger bird than either the Turnstone or Plover.
And we saw big bunches of Common Murres. These black and white birds are called “penguins of the north” and we saw them in large clusters on Castle Rock just offshore from Crescent City. They were hanging out with the Bird of the Day for Sunday of our Godwit Days festival, the Tufted Puffin. Truly, we’d be hard-pressed to say that we saw the Puffins closely. They were very hard to see even with the spotting scopes, but they do wobble about with their orange beaks. And they arrived just in time for Godwit Days. We visited the point of land from where we could see Castle Rock twice, and it was exciting when the fog lifted enough in the afternoon for us to see them. In order to see them up close, we’ll have to go to Alaska!
Total to 5/2: 100!!
First, of course, we saw the eponymous Marbled Godwit. This is a rather large shorebird, with a long, two-colored bill that is slightly upturned at the end. There were dozens of these noisy cinnamon-colored birds following the tide line at the Arcata Marsh. We also saw there Willets, also big waders, but with a medium straight bill and blue-gray legs. When they fly they have a bright band of white across their wings. We also saw Dunlins, a wader of half the size of the godwits and willets. This bird has a longish black bill, drooping a bit at the tip, and black legs. Some had the black patch on the belly that indicates breeding plumage.
We saw Whimbrels. This bird is a plain brown curlew, as large as the Marbled Godwit, with a white stripe above its eye. Its bill is long and down-curling, and these creatures breed in the far north. And we were delighted to see Long-billed Curlews. These birds are a deeper brown, and their long, down-curved bills are so long as to look like they might overbalance the bird. These birds are another threatened species story. They have suffered in numbers in official counts, primarily due to loss of habitat. Two things account for a resurgence in numbers counted in the California Central Valley. First, scientists started counting them in February rather than the more traditional June, at which point virtually all were raising babies in the far north. More importantly, rice farmers in the Valley have for the most part stopped burning the rice stubble in the fall, in order to reduce the smoke pollution that was so prevalent in Valley autumns. This had the additional benefit of leaving that rice stubble for the Long-billed Curlews, who are now counted in greater numbers.
We saw Greater Yellowlegs, another bird where we wouldn’t have been able to tell the difference from the Lesser Yellowlegs, absent the Lesser, without an informed guide. Ours said, however, that the Greater’s bill length is half again longer than its head, while the Lesser’s is just head size. This beak comparison to the rest of the body turns out to be a useful identifier in many birds. And, the bright yellow/orange legs were distinctive. And we saw Long-billed Dowitchers, another case where we rely on the expertise of guides to distinguish from Short-billed relatives. We take some comfort from the fact that the two races were seen as a single type until the 1950’s. They have cinnamon colors with gray and white, and are most notable for their ‘sewing machine’ jabs into the sand as they graze.
We saw Black-bellied Plovers, chunkier than some of the other shorebirds and with short, heavy bills. These birds also nest in the arctic tundra. Like Killdeer, they stop suddenly and then dart off on their business. And we saw Black Turnstones, slightly smaller birds with a mostly black head, breast and back and white tummy. Like so many of these shorebirds, these Turnstones breed in the north, in this case in coastal Alaska. And we saw the American Black Oystercatcher, eye-catching with its orange eye-ring, bright orange beak and pink legs. This is a larger bird than either the Turnstone or Plover.
And we saw big bunches of Common Murres. These black and white birds are called “penguins of the north” and we saw them in large clusters on Castle Rock just offshore from Crescent City. They were hanging out with the Bird of the Day for Sunday of our Godwit Days festival, the Tufted Puffin. Truly, we’d be hard-pressed to say that we saw the Puffins closely. They were very hard to see even with the spotting scopes, but they do wobble about with their orange beaks. And they arrived just in time for Godwit Days. We visited the point of land from where we could see Castle Rock twice, and it was exciting when the fog lifted enough in the afternoon for us to see them. In order to see them up close, we’ll have to go to Alaska!
Total to 5/2: 100!!
Monday, May 2, 2011
April 28
Part of our goal in going to the Arcata Godwit Days was the opportunity to see shore birds, many of them not seen in the valley. And, of course, the north coast is beautiful for any reason, and redwoods and rhododendrons and the elk at Prairie Creek Redwood State Park would be delightful, even if we weren’t in pursuit of bird species in numbers. And we did see sea and shore birds.
We saw the Cackling or Aleutian Goose. These are a sub-species of the Canada Goose; they have a white neck ring in addition to the distinctive chin strap. We told the story of the remarkable recovery of these birds from the brink of extinction earlier (see our 2/20 post), thanks to the removal of foxes from their breeding grounds in the Aleutians. And here we note that they really do cackle, and chuckle, and mutter to each other.
And we saw more and more ducks, of course. We saw Green-winged Teal, one of those dabbling ducks,; they are small, with a handsome chestnut and green head and a vertical white stripe on the side. We saw Northern Shovelers, with their distinctive shovel-shaped beaks, longer than their heads and, in the case of the male, white breast to set off brown sides and green head. It’s hard not to think of them as needing a nose job.
We saw some Greater Scaups, larger than the Lesser Scaups we saw earlier, and with rounder heads. To be honest, making this distinction is most helpful with a bird guide or, at least, more experienced birders in the neighborhood. In this case, we were travelling with bird guides with extensive knowledge of who lived where.
Among Sea Ducks we saw Surf Scoters, stocky, black diving ducks with a white patch on forehead and the nape of the neck (males). Often nearby we saw White-winged Scoters, stocky black diving ducks with a white patch on their wings and no nape patch. And we saw Red Breasted Mergansers, with their shaggy hair and, on the males, white collar and streaky brown breast. These ducks have long, narrow bills that are apparently serrated (although we couldn’t see this).
We saw more gulls. Like the Scaups, we honestly probably couldn’t tell these apart if it weren’t for knowledgeable guides. Gulls often change dramatically from year to year of their lives. But we saw Western Gulls. These look a lot like California Gulls, which we have seen in the Delta. Fully adult birds have white head, dark gray back and a large bill. And pink legs (unlike the gray-green of the California Gull). But honestly, who can ever see gull legs? We also saw Glaucous-winged Gulls, with pales backs and wings. However, the books saw that the Western and Glaucous-winged Gulls hybridize as well. Makes you want to throw up your hands, doesn’t it?
And we saw Caspian Terns, a sleeker bird than the gull with pointier wings. The Caspian has a large, orange bill. And perhaps above all, terns were described by one of our fellow birders: “Terns are just more dignified than gulls. You never see terns begging in the parking lot.”
Total to 4-28: 88
We saw the Cackling or Aleutian Goose. These are a sub-species of the Canada Goose; they have a white neck ring in addition to the distinctive chin strap. We told the story of the remarkable recovery of these birds from the brink of extinction earlier (see our 2/20 post), thanks to the removal of foxes from their breeding grounds in the Aleutians. And here we note that they really do cackle, and chuckle, and mutter to each other.
And we saw more and more ducks, of course. We saw Green-winged Teal, one of those dabbling ducks,; they are small, with a handsome chestnut and green head and a vertical white stripe on the side. We saw Northern Shovelers, with their distinctive shovel-shaped beaks, longer than their heads and, in the case of the male, white breast to set off brown sides and green head. It’s hard not to think of them as needing a nose job.
We saw some Greater Scaups, larger than the Lesser Scaups we saw earlier, and with rounder heads. To be honest, making this distinction is most helpful with a bird guide or, at least, more experienced birders in the neighborhood. In this case, we were travelling with bird guides with extensive knowledge of who lived where.
Among Sea Ducks we saw Surf Scoters, stocky, black diving ducks with a white patch on forehead and the nape of the neck (males). Often nearby we saw White-winged Scoters, stocky black diving ducks with a white patch on their wings and no nape patch. And we saw Red Breasted Mergansers, with their shaggy hair and, on the males, white collar and streaky brown breast. These ducks have long, narrow bills that are apparently serrated (although we couldn’t see this).
We saw more gulls. Like the Scaups, we honestly probably couldn’t tell these apart if it weren’t for knowledgeable guides. Gulls often change dramatically from year to year of their lives. But we saw Western Gulls. These look a lot like California Gulls, which we have seen in the Delta. Fully adult birds have white head, dark gray back and a large bill. And pink legs (unlike the gray-green of the California Gull). But honestly, who can ever see gull legs? We also saw Glaucous-winged Gulls, with pales backs and wings. However, the books saw that the Western and Glaucous-winged Gulls hybridize as well. Makes you want to throw up your hands, doesn’t it?
And we saw Caspian Terns, a sleeker bird than the gull with pointier wings. The Caspian has a large, orange bill. And perhaps above all, terns were described by one of our fellow birders: “Terns are just more dignified than gulls. You never see terns begging in the parking lot.”
Total to 4-28: 88
Thursday, April 28, 2011
APRIL 25
WE DID IT!!! We identified nearly 50 new birds on our Godwit Days birding festival in Arcata and the north coast, taking us well over our 100-bird goal. It will take us several posts to give you the details of our finds, but we have completed our challenge: we thought we could, and we did.
We saw some terrific hawks. We identified a Red-shouldered Hawk, swooping over a tidal marshy area in Arcata. These are primarily east coast birds, but California boasts an isolated population, as we confirmed. We saw a White-tailed Kite, now often known as a Black-shouldered Kite, and that about sums up the description. And we saw a Peregrine Falcon, a species hard hit by use of the pesticide DDT and PCBs. PCBs are released when plastic burns, and among its insidious effects are the delay of the onset of breeding, low sexual drive, and feeble prenatal care. Aggressive conservation efforts for these falcons include captive breeding and, of course, the elimination of some pesticides in the environment.
We saw a Pelagic Cormorant, smaller and darker than the more frequently-seen Double-crested Cormorant. He had, however, that up-tilted beak so characteristic of cormorants, in the harbor at Crescent City.
And then we saw the loons and grebes. We saw Common Loons. These water creatures have legs set so far back on their bodies that the legs cannot support them on land. But this placement accounts for its strong dives and capacity to swim underwater after fish. This loon also can expel its air and sink gradually down into the water. At least one of the Common Loons we saw was in breeding plumage, with checkerboard markings on its wings and neck. We also saw a Red-throated Loon, with more white spotting on its back. We did not see the red patch on its neck that occurs during breeding, but during our journeys on this weekend breeding plumage was scattered, not uniform, in the birds we saw.
We saw an array of grebes. We saw the Western Grebe, with its long, graceful neck and yellowish bill. We saw an Eared Grebe, much smaller than the Western and with a black marking down on its cheek. We believe we saw a similar Horned Grebe, about the same size as the Eared Grebe but with a black cap that does not go down onto the cheek. Neither of these birds had the flaring chestnut face feathers they will develop in breeding plumage. And we saw a Pied-billed Grebe, a much plainer, brownish bird but with a black ring around its stout little bill. All these grebes area strong swimmers and divers.
Rhoda introduced us to the concept of the Bird of the Day. Although it is always hard to choose, there is almost always one bird that lights up your list, through its rarity, or its attractiveness, or its clarity that allows you to capture its look for the future. For David the Bird of the Day on Sunday was the Green Heron. These are hulking birds, usually seen alone, as was ours this day. These birds have a chestnut neck, and green and blue-gray back and sides. This chunky bird looks a little embarrassed at lacking the long elegant neck of some of its heron cousins.
Total to 4/25: 78
We saw some terrific hawks. We identified a Red-shouldered Hawk, swooping over a tidal marshy area in Arcata. These are primarily east coast birds, but California boasts an isolated population, as we confirmed. We saw a White-tailed Kite, now often known as a Black-shouldered Kite, and that about sums up the description. And we saw a Peregrine Falcon, a species hard hit by use of the pesticide DDT and PCBs. PCBs are released when plastic burns, and among its insidious effects are the delay of the onset of breeding, low sexual drive, and feeble prenatal care. Aggressive conservation efforts for these falcons include captive breeding and, of course, the elimination of some pesticides in the environment.
We saw a Pelagic Cormorant, smaller and darker than the more frequently-seen Double-crested Cormorant. He had, however, that up-tilted beak so characteristic of cormorants, in the harbor at Crescent City.
And then we saw the loons and grebes. We saw Common Loons. These water creatures have legs set so far back on their bodies that the legs cannot support them on land. But this placement accounts for its strong dives and capacity to swim underwater after fish. This loon also can expel its air and sink gradually down into the water. At least one of the Common Loons we saw was in breeding plumage, with checkerboard markings on its wings and neck. We also saw a Red-throated Loon, with more white spotting on its back. We did not see the red patch on its neck that occurs during breeding, but during our journeys on this weekend breeding plumage was scattered, not uniform, in the birds we saw.
We saw an array of grebes. We saw the Western Grebe, with its long, graceful neck and yellowish bill. We saw an Eared Grebe, much smaller than the Western and with a black marking down on its cheek. We believe we saw a similar Horned Grebe, about the same size as the Eared Grebe but with a black cap that does not go down onto the cheek. Neither of these birds had the flaring chestnut face feathers they will develop in breeding plumage. And we saw a Pied-billed Grebe, a much plainer, brownish bird but with a black ring around its stout little bill. All these grebes area strong swimmers and divers.
Rhoda introduced us to the concept of the Bird of the Day. Although it is always hard to choose, there is almost always one bird that lights up your list, through its rarity, or its attractiveness, or its clarity that allows you to capture its look for the future. For David the Bird of the Day on Sunday was the Green Heron. These are hulking birds, usually seen alone, as was ours this day. These birds have a chestnut neck, and green and blue-gray back and sides. This chunky bird looks a little embarrassed at lacking the long elegant neck of some of its heron cousins.
Total to 4/25: 78
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
April 15
Rhoda has been picking up some local birds in the East Bay. “I knew I could pick up a few new bird species in my walk around the Lafayette reservoir, even without binoculars. As expected, I saw one of the resident osprey, hunting in the distance, a give-away with its white crown and vertiginous dives. White pelicans have taken up residence there too, but I saw only one, settled on the water. Otherwise, the walk was rich with species we’ve already listed: double-crested cormorants hulking low in overhanging branches, a quiet bufflehead couple, a busy gaggle of killdeer, a red-tail hawk circling below turkey vultures, and a gang of wild turkeys. Of course there were the ones that got away too, most notably the multitude of swallows, swooping too fast for me to identify.”
And we have a domestic sighting from David, Jaci’s husband. Their pond in the mountains houses Roman Aqua Ducks, with names (Chief and Buck). “They are now chasing Mochie the dog by land, sea and air. And biting her on the butt. Must be spring friskiness.” Do we count those Roman Aquas as a new species? Probably not.
Total to 4/15: 67
And we have a domestic sighting from David, Jaci’s husband. Their pond in the mountains houses Roman Aqua Ducks, with names (Chief and Buck). “They are now chasing Mochie the dog by land, sea and air. And biting her on the butt. Must be spring friskiness.” Do we count those Roman Aquas as a new species? Probably not.
Total to 4/15: 67
Monday, April 11, 2011
April 3
Jaci has been finding birds in the back yard. The first is an aural identification. “David and I were sitting on the porch in the evening when we heard a Western Screech-Owl call east of our house. These birds have a lovely two hoots and a falling trill. I have taken to answering them and they will fly closer and call again. I’m not sure if they are coming for true love or to kick my ass, but I love the conversation. This is the time of year we hear them most.” The literature says that Screech Owls are heard most often during breeding season, so it must be true love. They nest in cavities, often using holes built by flickers. Since we are also seeing lots of flickers these spring days, it’s nice to know that they create a diverse neighborhood. The owls are on the small end of the owl range, they are rather gray and have prominent ear tufts when they are extended. However, these nocturnal critters are heard much more often than they are seen. In the backyard theater there are always cocky Stellar’s Jays. Jaci says, “We have about a dozen that hang out waiting for the remains of the dog and duck food, along with our flock of Juncos.” Stellar’s Jays are a mountain bird, especially pine forest areas. They are noisy and, indeed, cocky. They are often found in campgrounds and picnic areas, living on scraps and crumbs. They are generally year-round birds in our foothill area, but they can move even lower when the snow is deep. There is a covey of California quail that comes through Jaci’s Sacramento yard each morning. “Their faces are so precisely drawn, very Japanese in style, with top notch bobbing and streaked breast. They move through the grass as a group until one takes off running full tilt, the plump round relaxed body then stretched and looking too much like a road runner. Then another. And another, until they are all gathered again on the other side of the yard.” These birds are native to the West Coast, as their name implies. However, they now range east through the Great Basin as a result of introductions intended to create a game population. They are social birds, usually moving about in coveys, and they are tolerant of human presence. The coveys often have a lookout posted. And, they are the state bird of California. And then there are the Wild Turkeys. They show up along Highway 299 as we drive down from the mountains. And they show up along the roadways in Sacramento. Jaci says, “I saw thirty gathered together by a great flooded field in back of Kiefer dump. Five toms. Displaying rather soggily in the rain. The rest were hens. Should be A LOT of babies soon.” These gamebirds have also been introduced in many places throughout the west. Total to 4-23 65
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