Eurasian Wigeon, 6 Ross's Geese, and Lots of Tundra Swans ~ March 8, 2026

I was headed up to the Martins Creek Environmental Preserve to see if the Pink-footed Goose would be there. That's when Adam and Owen Smith reported that there were an incredible total of 54 Tundra Swans there, so I headed there as planned. Most of those had left by the time I got there, but groups of tens and twenties continued to pass by. Adam Miller was there before me and he tallied a county record 173 of them from that site.

Some of the Tundra Swans that flew over.

The pale Snow x Canada Goose hybrid continued there, but the Pink-footed was nowhere to be found.

A Snow x Canada Goose hybrid.

As a group of Snow Geese glided down into the basin, Adam spotted a Ross's Goose in with them. I was lucky to get a photo of it before it got below the top of the fence.

A Ross's Goose (center) with some Snow Geese.

Most of the same waterfowl were there as the day before. Several thousand Snow Geese and Canada Geese were seen heading north like the swans. Groups of Common Grackles and Red-winged Blackbirds were also seen flying by. Adam and I finally left there, and I drove to the Nazareth Quarry. Adam Smith had reported another large group of Tundra Swans there, too. There were still 31 swans present when I got there. In addition to the 15,000 Snow Geese, there were 500 Canada Geese, 13 Wood Ducks, 6 Northern Shovelers, 7 Gadwall, 16 American Wigeon, 6 American Black Ducks, 11 Northern Pintails, 6 Redheads, 31 Ring-necked Ducks, 6 Greater Scaup, 9 Buffleheads, a Common Goldeneye, 9 Common and 2 Hooded Mergansers, around 40 Ruddy Ducks, 8 American Coots, and 6 Horned Grebes.

From there, I headed for Green Pond since the flooded field area had produced 2 Greater White-fronted Geese the day before. There, I found 3 Wood Ducks, 6 American Wigeon, 22 Mallards, 5 American Black Ducks, 4 Northern Pintails, and 2 Green-winged Teal among around 500 Canada Geese.

Wood Duck

Northern Pintails

A check of the Hollo Road pond produced a Snow Goose among about 100 Canada Geese, 5 Wood Ducks, 24 Mallards, an American Black Duck, 3 Redheads, 6 Ring-necked Ducks, 4 Lesser Scaup, and 2 Buffleheads.

Redheads

Ring-necked Ducks