Went out to Windsor Lake today to try and find a White-fronted Goose and to see what else might be around. The ornithology class from Front Range CC is scheduled to visit this water body soon, so I was sort of scouting, also.
Did NOT see a White-fronted Goose among the several hundred white-cheeked geese. Looked at a few thousand mergansers, all Common. Looked at hundreds of goldeneyes, all Common. About a dozen Northern Pintails, a few American Wigeon, lots of Mallards, 3 Ruddy Ducks. In the way of unusuals, I did see the continuing Long-tailed Duck and a continuing adult Lesser Black-backed Gull.
Better than the list, though, was the bird response to the big attraction of this lake, gizzard shad. What a resource schools of this little fish are along the Front Range and out onto the eastern plains of CO! No doubt they are important regionally (nationally?) but my experience is limited in that regard. I know CDPW and many CSU fisheries folks consider this introduction a "trash" species over much of CO (aquatic Russian-olives, if you will), but they sure do provide a ton (probably many tons) of nutrition to waterbirds in all months. They would seem to be especially important where open water exists (and after frozen lakes/reservoirs thaw) in late autumn thru early spring. Species for sure getting them today were 3 species of gulls (Herring and mostly Ring-billed (see photo) in addition to the LBb Gull mentioned) and thousands of Common Mergansers. I would guess the lone Pied-billed Grebe favored them, too. Not sure about the Common Goldeneyes and Long-tailed Duck, which prefer crayfish, bivalves like clams, and snails. Hard to imagine they would pass them up, however.
Dave Leatherman
Fort Collins
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