We went to Magness Lake this afternoon; I was hoping to add Mute and Tundra Swans to my year list. Unfortunately, neither was around. I talked to a woman named Pat (I think), one of the owners, and she was very helpful. She had not heard about the sighting of a Mute Swan earlier this week but had heard Tundra Swans several times recently. There were about 75 swans there and I studied them all but all were Trumpeters. No hint of yellow or orange in the bills. I was glad to have them but I was hoping for a trifecta.
There were also one Ross’s Geese, one dark adult Snow Goose, one Snow Goose x Ross’s Goose hybrid, one Greater White-fronted Goose, about 100 Ring-necked Ducks, plus a smattering of more common birds.
I finished the year with 263 Arkansas species seen in 2009, 303 seen in Arkansas in my life list, 438 in my global life list.
Species seen or heard:
- Greater White-fronted Goose
- Snow Goose
- Snow x Ross’s Goose (hybrid)
- Ross’s Goose
- Canada Goose
- Trumpeter Swan
- Mallard
- Ring-necked Duck
- Bufflehead
- Great Blue Heron
- Black Vulture
- Turkey Vulture
- Carolina Chickadee
