Early winter waterbird count week-end

This week-end was the Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory's (RMBO) annual early winter waterbird count. A number of birders around Colorado went to water bodies to count all the waterbirds they found. This information is tabulated by RMBO and, starting this year, also sent to eBirds.

Since I birded Brush Hollow on the first day of the count, I hit all the other bodies of water in Fremont County today including Sell's Lake (by Canon City Riverwalk 9th Street entrance), Canon City water department pond (on Tunnel Driver),Centennial Park pond, Sumo Golf Course pond (in Florence), Holcim Cement ponds (east of Florence), some private areas and a few non-productive ponds. Species seen included Common Goldeneye, Common Merganser, Ring-necked Ducks, American Wigeon, Redheads, Northern Shoveler, Pied-billed Grebes, Greater White-fronted Geese, teal species, Canvasback, Greater Scaup, Lesser Scaup, Hooded Mergansers, Wood Ducks, Eared Grebes, Cackling Geese, plus lots of Mallards and Canada Geese.

Canvasback are always of interest as they are declining. I saw a small flock consisting of 1 male and 3 females. I saw 1 female Greater Scaup with 2 female Lesser Scaups at the larger pond at Sumo Golf Course and 3 Eared Grebes swimming together in another location. Greater White-fronted Geese have increased as I found 10 today including 2 immature (in Basic 1 plumage) birds.

And the weather was beautiful with highs around 60, sunny and with light winds as has been the case for most of the past several days.
SeEtta