Saratoga Lake, Saratoga, New York, US
Jan 3, 2022 7:42 AM - 10:23 AM
Protocol: Traveling
21.21 mile(s)
Checklist Comments: 19 degrees and light wind, but after long stretch of relatively warm weather, it felt like the tundra. Lake 98% open. Likely to freeze over soon. Lots of Hooded and Common Mergansers. East side of the lake had large raft of Scaup.
29 species (+1 other taxa)

Canada Goose 3700 Huge flocks at North end of the Lake
Northern Shoveler 2 Drake and hen on shoreline near outlet of Kayaderosseras Creek
Gadwall 2 There have been Gadwall on the lake for weeks now
Mallard 125
American Black Duck 33 most were in marshy area near the lake
Northern Pintail 1 Drake in marshy area near the lake
Redhead 1 Mixed in with raft of Greater and Lesser Scaup and Ring-necked Ducks
Greater Scaup 25 Clear Id only
Lesser Scaup 70 Clear id only
Greater/Lesser Scaup 210 probably more, given proportion od Greater and Lesser that I could Id, it is probably similar breakdown.
This population of Scaup I am 99% sure came over from Loughberry Lake when it froze over around December 18-20, 2021
Bufflehead 64 Buffleheads have been gathering on the lake for weeks. They are usually the first to show up in the Spring and last to leave as lake freezes. Saratoga Lake is a big time stopover for many waterfowl species
Common Goldeneye 425
Hooded Merganser 65 Saratoga Lake is a haven for Hooded Mergansers as well as many other species. There are high counts here
Common Merganser 460
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon) 23
Mourning Dove 2
Ring-billed Gull 32
Great Black-backed Gull 1 Still seen from Brown's Beach in direction of Snake Hill wherein or another have been for 2 months
Great Blue Heron 2 One flying over lake, the other hunkered down in marshy area with Black Ducks and Mallards and Pintail
Bald Eagle 1
American Kestrel 1 Landed in tree at Waterfront Park
American Crow 90
Black-capped Chickadee 2
Tufted Titmouse 2
White-breasted Nuthatch 1
Carolina Wren 1
European Starling 5
Eastern Bluebird 1
House Sparrow 15 In bushes at Waterfront park
Dark-eyed Junco 11

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S100015781

This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (https://ebird.org/home)