The winter residents remain

The numbers of birds have decreased back to normal levels.  On the Saturday after Thanksgiving there were hundreds of birds:  after an absence in the past couple weeks, with my thinking they had left for the winter, the Canadian Geese numbered close to 100, noisy formations leaving and returning from the shell-house end of the lake; a small goose in their midst, which upon closer view turned out to be a White-fronted Goose, and not the Cackling Goose from before.  Possibly, these were birds migrating through and resting for the day, I only saw a handful today.  Also, around 50 Common Mergansers that Saturday.  At first I thought they were two different species, but when I looked them up later, the second type were actually males; I guess only the females hang out at the lake, and again, in much smaller numbers (less than 10 today.)  The American Wigeon flocks are about a third of what they were.  It's also possible the lake had been stocked, but that wouldn't account for the decrease in number now.

A couple of weeks ago, I came across a woman using her phone to film a juvenile gull playing with what looked like a toy potato made from a stuffed nylon.  It had dangly limbs hanging off of it, and the gull had the main "body" in its beak and was shaking it back and forth, swinging the "limbs."  It was probably trying to eat it, but I woulda' thought it would know better not to, there are plenty of things they don't eat.  I watched for a few minutes, it never let go of it.  Very odd (and charming.)

We're getting a break from the rain so far today, about 1/2 the sky is cloudy (and I've spent most of my day inside, cleaning.)  We've more than caught up from the summer's drought (as far as rain totals go): seven inches over normal, and close to ten for the month.  Someone mentioned it might snow on Christmas.  As long as I don't have to drive a strange car in it.

Pictures of American Coots.  I like their feet.  (And I can't figure out how to get out of HD mode.)

Saturday Morning, December 19/L Herlevi 2015

American Coot, December 19/L Herlevi 2015

Feet, December 19/L Herlevi 2015