Carson Lake Field trip report 5/1/2021

Blue winged teal by Lynette Spence/GBBC.

Trip Leaders were Mike and Cindy Goddard.


Highlights of the day included Blue-winged Teal, Long-billed Curlew, Wilson’s  Phalarope, and Dunlin.
  

We met at 7:30 am and proceeded to Carson Lake wetlands. The day was warm and  sunny and the forecast winds held off until we were finished. We drove the Lott  Freeway along the south end of the Big water unit, stopping to observe the thousands  of Long-billed Dowitcher, American Avocet and Black-necked Stilt that were present.  This is where we saw the Blue-winged Teal and Dunlin. At the end of the Lott Freeway  we turned onto the east ring-road and followed it to the east tower and the Rice and York units where we observed more shorebirds and waterfowl. Here we watched  12 Long-billed Curlew feeding on a recent cricket hatch. We also saw Wilson’s  Phalarope, Western Sandpipers, Greater Yellowlegs, and Willet. We then followed the  ring-road back to the entrance, observing Meadowlarks, Great-horned Owl and  Loggerhead shrikes along the way. 


Species List:

• Pied-billed Grebe
  
• Eared Grebe
  
• American White Pelican
  
• Great Egret
  
• Snowy Egret
  
• Great Blue Heron
  
• Black-crowned Night-Heron
  
• White-faced Ibis
  
• Canada  Goose
  
• Gadwall
  
• Mallard
  
• Blue-winged teal
  
• Green-winged Teal
  
• Cinnamon Teal 
  
• Northern Shoveler
  
• Red-tailed Hawk
  
• California Quail
  
• American Coot
  
• Killdeer
  
• Greater  Yellowlegs
  
• Willet
  
• Spotted Sandpiper
  
• Long-billed Curlew
  
• Western Sandpiper
  
• Dunlin 
  
• Long-billed Dowitcher
  
• Wilson’s Phalarope
  
• Mourning Dove
  
• Great Horned Owl 
  
• Western Kingbird
  
• Loggerhead Shrike
  
• Black-billed Magpie
  
• Common Raven
  
• Horned  Lark
  
• Cliff Swallow
  
• Northern Mockingbird
  
• Yellow-rumped Warbler
  
• Song Sparrow 
  
• Yellow-headed Blackbird