[mou] Lake Byllesby and the marshes

[Leo]

Hi all.
We went out to Byllesby in the afternoon this morning, but only heard 
about the Red-Throated Loon when we got back, so we didn't think to look 
hard for it. The lake was rainy and windy and pretty quiet all-together. 
We didn't see a single shorebird, (Except killdeer) pelicans were 
huddled up in the middle, and some terns that left later. We think we 
saw bright red bills, which we think would mean Common Terns, but we 
couldn't be sure because of the bad conditions.
 Afterwards, we stopped by 180th St. Marsh to check for things and WAY 
out at the little strip of land in the lake on the left side of the road 
was a pair of Long-Billed Dowitchers. Hooded Mergs. were swimming around 
as well.
 We also stopped at 140th St. to look for shorebirds, found a lone 
Lesser Yellowlegs, two of our first of the year Brown Thrashers making a 
racket at the parking spot, and at the other side of the lake, two 
Common Snipe hidden in the marsh.
 
All in all, we had fun, but we sure wish we had looked a little more 
carefully in the water for a Red-Throated Loon...

Good birding all! Hopefully this week will have some better weather.

- Leo WM