Waterfowl

Sometimes you go for something and find something else. Holmes lake was supposed to have a white-winged scoter, but it was a female Greater Scaup (next to some Redheads) instead, a nice find as well:

In the colder months ducks and geese turn up, until the lake freezes. They stay long at even a partially open lake. Then we have a few lakes nearby with LOTS of geese, snow geese.

Among CANADA geese and cackling geese (a high arctic bird, the smaller goose here) there is one greater white-fronted goose.

 A few snow geese always end up with these geese as well.

Among the gulls, some wandering gulls from the East end up. These are just Franklin's in spring. In the fall we find some left with the regular ring billed. Most are gone by November.

Among the cormorants, one Ross's goose.

Canvasbacks at Holmes Lake.