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Avocet
6 replies 238 views
04-14-2011, 09:29 AM Cathy Sheeter
I few meeting ago someone mentioned the name of a pond where you can often find American Avocet in the spring. They are one of my favorite birds! Can anyone please refresh my memory and tell me the name of the pond and where it is located.

Thanks in advance!

Cathy
04-14-2011, 09:44 AM Russ Burden
Kountze Lake in Lakewood. Google it for directions - very easy to find.

Lots of other good water fowl there too.
04-14-2011, 12:34 PM Cathy Sheeter
thanks Russ!
04-15-2011, 10:07 AM Lynn Bishop
Cathy, Kountze Lake HAS been very good for Avocets, snowy egrets, and Great Blue Herons...in the past. The last 2 years the City of Lakewood has kept the water level quite high for irrigation water storage, obliterating the shallow areas at the northeast corner of the lake where these birds frequented. They will probably still be around but I've found them distinctly less frequent than they used to be. However, lots of other birds and ducks are there. Good luck.

Lynn Bishop
04-15-2011, 02:46 PM Bob & Nancy Stocker
I walked around Kountze Lake today, admittedly in the middle of the day. I just happened to be in the area and was curious about what was happening. The island on which the avocets have nested in the past is gone! This is probably good for avocets as a species. For many years a pair would produce young who would disappear within a week. The most likely culprit was the carp, but it could have been foxes or coyotes. So best they nest elsewhere, despite our wishing they were there.

Present were ducks (including 2 pr cinnamon teal passing through, buffleheads, gadwals, 1 pr. wood ducks, mallards), canada geese, a snowy egret, and a kingfisher. The kingfishers have successfully nested in the past. I saw no small waders, grt. blue herons, etc.

Nancy Stocker
04-20-2011, 07:37 PM Cathy Sheeter
I headed out there with a friend today and while no shore birds there were lots of ducks including a Brewers Duck (a hybrid mallard x gadwall). Not sure if this bird is a regular to the pond- but a first for me and a truly lovely looking bird!
04-20-2011, 07:40 PM Cathy Sheeter
other ducks included shovelers, ring neck duck, buffleheads, 1 pr. green winged teal, gadwalls, lesser scaup, 1 pr. cinnamon teal, geese, cormorants, various song birds and a flicker

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