Snow Goose Festival birds

Though the weathercasts said that snow with strong winds would begin late Friday night continuing into Saturday morning, here was not snow on the ground and it was just spitting early Saturday am. So 12 brave birders joined the leaders of the 7-8 am Beginning Birder trip leaders at the "Lamar Woods", a major birding hotspot behind Lamar Community College. Pete Dunne also joined the field trip and he spotted or identified a singing Carolina Wren, a Red-bellied Woodpecker, a Sharp-shinned Hawk and a small flock of Cedar Waxwings flying over.

Then Pete Dunne led an afternoon Raptor Tour that was quite productive though limited to around or near Lamar as all highways around town were closed due to blowing snow/sand. Fortunately the winds died down to a more bearable level that made it more comfortable. At Fairmont Cemetery a Harlan's Red-tailed Hawk, a Great Horned Owl and several other Red-tailed Hawks were observed. As the bus drove to other areas Pete spotted a soaring Cooper's Hawk in addition to the many American Kestrals and several more Red-tailed Hawks that were seen. Other birds seen on this trip were several flocks of Sandhill Cranes and a number of white geese (mostly Snow Geese but at least 1 Ross' Goose). Additionally hundreds and hundreds of American Crows fed and flew around the agricultural fields.

SeEtta