[EBB Sightings] Lake Merritt in the rain

Hi, all.
  I made a quick visit to the Lake late this
afternoon, as it was getting dark and the rain moved
in. The light made some ids tricky, but there were
lots of our winter guests out there in the sanctuary.
Among them were: buffleheads, Barrow's goldeneyes (I'm
pretty sure), scaups (they were pretty far out and in
the light I couldn't be sure whether greater or
lesser), the Ross's goose (dark adult, right?),
greater white-fronted goose--along with the usual
residents-- Canada geese, mallards, Am. coots,
black-crowned night herons, snowy egrets and d-c
cormorants. 
  Just as it began to rain, I enjoyed wathing large
flights of cormorants sweep in to roost in the tall,
bare trees on the islands and egrets going to hide in
trees with lots of foliage.
  No sign of the peregrine, but it was late.
  Yesterday--again as it was getting dark--I was down
around Emeryville and saw large rafts of ruddies to
the south of the peninsula along with some greater
scaups and others I couldn't make out in the twilight.
On shore were whimbrel and maybe a long-billed curlew
(its bill wasn't as long as in Sibley, but the pattern
on its scapulars was a good match), marbled godwits
and various other peeps (perhaps including black
turnstones).
  North, near Emery Point, were the previously
reported redheads.
Take care,
Alan Howe
North Oakland


		
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