A Very Early Wilson's Snipe at Regency ~ February 28, 2023

I drove over to the Regency Boulevard retention ponds to see what might be there after the storm passed. There were around 75 Snow Geese there along with about 125 Canadas. The Snow Goose with the yellow neck band 'YE31' that I had seen there yesterday had returned. As mentioned yesterday, this bird was banded in northern Canada back in August of 2019.

Snow Goose with the yellow neck band 'YE31'

Two pair of Buffleheads were in the north pond.
In the south pond, I was happily surprised to see a Wilson's Snipe feeding in its northwest corner. This is a very early arrival date for this species.

Wilson's Snipe

At its eastern edge, the Northern Pintail continued from yesterday.

Northern Pintail

A total of 7 Killdeer were also present. I got these photos of one of them in the snow.

Killdeer

The Great Blue Heron continued at the nearby Silver Crest Road pond.
The flooded field by Green Pond held a Northern Pintail and 3 American Black Ducks along with some Mallards, plus 3 Killdeer.

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