Hi Folks,

I was planning to visit Oxbow Lake (AA Co.) yesterday, but those plans
were pre-empted by Ron Gutberlet's great Tufted Duck find and some
excellent E. Shore birding the remainder of the afternoon, so today I
made my planned visit to the lake.  Best bird was an early PECTORAL
SANDPIPER, being the sole shorebird seen other than one Killdeer.
Following one scan of the lake with a scope I found no ducks, but then
a glint of sunlight bouncing off the white of a male SHOVELER caught
my eye, and the shoveler led me to the first four of 12 GREEN-WINGED
TEAL.  After taking the path along the southern edge of the lake I was
able to add four WOOD DUCKs, three RING-NECKED DUCKs, six HOODED
MERGANSERs, a pair of BLACK DUCKs and a few Mallards and Canada Geese.
 Three TREE SWALLOWs were my first of the year.

Our Ferndale yard was unusually active with overflying raptors when I
got home, and Elaine and I jointly tallied over 20 vultures of both
types, a Red-shoulder, Red-tail, and three BALD EAGLEs, two adults and
one imm.  A fun couple of days.

Stan Arnold
Ferndale (AA Co.)