Winter Waterfowl Count!

Each year, around the state, a bunch of folks get up at 0-dark-early, bundle up, and go visit frozen lakes and ponds. They are participating in the Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) annual Midwinter Waterfowl Count. The count provides a yearly pulse check on the state’s waterfowl. Ducks, geese, swans, coots, cranes, herons, whatever! This year an interesting surprise popped up—the sighting of a rare Brant goose (blown in from the west coast).

Can you spot the Brant? Photo © willem9

Found it! Photo © dplawrance

Everyone goes out the same morning at dawn spread out throughout their local area. The early time catches birds before they jet off to feed in the agricultural fields. The same time of day means no double-counting from adjacent water bodies. The same time of year provides a running index through time. The blanket coverage of the same spots each year highlights which areas are important. And the consistent effort adds credence to each year’s count.

This year in Boulder County, Parks & Open Space staff, CPW staff, Open Space and Mountain Parks staff, and volunteers covered many lakes and reservoirs throughout the county: Stearn’s Lake (at Carolyn Holmberg Preserve at Rock Creek Farm), Lagerman Reservoir (at Lagerman Agricultural Preserve), Walden and Sawhill Ponds, Clover Basin Reservoir, Dodd Lake, Wittemyer Ponds, Fairgrounds Lake and Cattail Pond in Longmont, Boulder Valley Farm, Boulder Creek, Boulder Reservoir and Sixmile Reservoir, Highland Reservoir, McIntosh Lake, McCall Lake, Terry Lake, Ish Reservoir, Valmont Reservoir, Waneka Lake…

Open water is the key! It provides the protection from four-legged predators that these birds need. This year, one of those sites was Stearn’s Lake. The morning count was 4400 Canada geese, some ducks, some assorted white geese (Snow geese/Ross geese), and the Brant. That Brant showed up in iNaturalist! You never know how iNaturalist will help you and others discover something new!

  • Dave Hoerath, Wildlife Biologist for Boulder County Parks & Open Space
Posted on February 12, 2019 09:57 PM by dsutherland dsutherland

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