Swans & Roadrunner at Lake Hasty/John Martin SWA

After checking out the Queens State Wildlife Area and Reservoirs on 1-5-05, I stopped at John Martin Reservoir. There was a lot of open water with waterfowl but also a good amount of ice which draws Bald Eagles. Most waterfowl were distant but those closer in and identifiable included Common Goldeneye, Common Merganser, Mallards and 6-7 Bald Eagles.

Birding around Lake Hasty, a small lake below the John Martin dam, was quite productive. There were 2 adult Trumpeter Swans and 1 immature Tundra Swan. I saw these plus an additional immature Trumpeter Swan as noted below on 12-13-05 and they had been present for several weeks before that. Lake Hasty provides a protected environment as hunting is not allowed there, boats would be unlikely in winter and there are few fisherman or others to disturb them.

And I saw the Greater Roadrunner in these pictures near a picnic area adjacent to Lake Hasty. Interesting to see irridescence in its tail feathers as picked up in the second pic. A wildlife update in the park headquarters noted that there had been 2 Roadrunners seen in this area recently.

My last stop on my way home this date was the Valco pond in Rocky Ford which had over 100 dark geese, a number of Northern Shovelers, Am Wigeon and Mallards.
SeEtta