[EBB Sightings] Ross's geese at Lake Elizabeth, Fremont

Under overcast skies at Lake Elizabeth this morning, I found 38 species during a two-and-a-half hour walk.  Most notable were two Ross's geese.  I first saw them in the northeast bay of the lake among the Canada geese.  They then flew to the lawn north of New Marsh. I snapped a couple of photos with my cell phone.

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y49/sing4me/RossGeeseonLawn1.jpg
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y49/sing4me/RossGeeseonLawn2.jpg

A male American kestrel flew down into the field from his usual tree on the north side of the lake to catch a mouse or vole; he flew back to the top of his tree to eat.  A resident loggerhead shrike caught and gingerly ate what appeared to be a bee on the ground next to New Marsh.  Common yellowthroats, marsh wrens, and song sparrows were all popping out into the open around New Marsh.

A female belted kingfisher erupted, calling, from the trees along the creek near the railroad bridge, flew to a snag on the northeast edge of Bird Island and proceeded to hunt over the lake. A single western gull floated near the dock at the boathouse.  A few glaucous-winged gulls were on the dock along with California and ring-billed gulls.  


Stephanie Floyd
Fremont