[EBB Sightings] Lake Merritt sightings 1/29

The male Tufted Duck, female Redhead, and male Ring-necked Duck were in the 
feeding area near Lake Merritt's nature center on Tues. 1/29.   Alice Hoch's 
birding class had great looks at them there and had studied the Tufted Duck 
earlier when it was "near" the shore about 1/3 of the way between between the 
islands and the southeast end of the lake.   The pair of Common Merganzers we saw 
were near the islands. Other birds of note included a Townsend's Warbler in 
the garden and 2 hen turkeys which stopped traffic on Bellevue as they stood in 
the middle of the road near the nature center. 

The following behaviors were noted. A few of the Western Grebes were doing 
courtship displays.   Two of the Ring-billed Gulls were stamping the damp lawn 
with both feet.   This is a behavior we have seen them exhibit near the 
southeast end of the lake many times. I assume it is a hunting technique, but 
yesterday someone joked that they were just trying to keep warm.   We also enjoyed 
comparing the different mussel-eating techniques of the Greater Scaup vs. the 
gulls.
Alice Hoch
Fremont



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