I saw a report of a couple of snipe below the viewing shelter at Starrigavan estuary this morning. I did not have high hopes that they would still be there by the time I headed out this afternoon, but decided to give it a try anyway.
As it turned out, both snipe were still there poking about in the mud of a shallow side water just up estuary from the platform. The view was not ideal for photos, but I managed to get a decent look through a gap in the branches.
The tide was out, and more birds were out on the bayside (where I didn’t look too closely), but the few birds remained in or around the estuary pool were a nice mix. They included a pair of Green-winged Teal, a Gadwall, four Canada Geese, and seven Trumpeter Swans.
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Before I got up this morning, I could hear cars spinning out in the neighborhood.
I did not head outside until this afternoon to actually experience the iced ground. The snow which had been melting over the past few days must have gotten cold enough overnight to refreeze. Where it had been packed down, it was now ice.
I’m not sure if the refreeze was due to clearing, or if the temperature just dropped enough with skies remaining cloudy. In any case, it was cloudy throughout the day, and temperatures did not rise above the mid-30s as best I could tell.
Winds were calm.
My iNaturalist Observations for Today
Great photos!
Thanks Lesley!
Fewer swans at Starrigaven but lots more at Swan Lake.
It did seem like many of the swans that were at Starrigavan early in the winter moved into town and spent their time at Totem Park and Swan Lake. I saw 29 Trumpter Swans at the park yesterday, which was pretty much the total that I’ve seen at the lake or the park recently (though often split between the two places). I suspect only the Starrigavan swans have departed, but imagine others will start to soon.