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On my way home from physical therapy yesterday spotted three families of geese so eggs are hatching. First day back to work is tomorrow so I will be out in the country more and will hopefully have better reports!

Glad to hear you're back to work!

Darren wrote:Glad to hear you're back to work!

I am not glad

Indeed! At least glad to be ABLE to work, as I'm sure there are plenty that aren't and wished they were.

Well first day back to work was good. Spotted lots of birds! Mostly gadwall, shovelers and bluewing teal. All the mallards were bachelor birds which tells me majority of the hens are on the nest.

For the most part potholes look good. 99% of them had at least one duck on them. Saw some goslings. Still lots of birds that have not begun to nest which is great as crops are growing so they will have nesting cover. Speaking of crops everything I saw was looking great, growing strong.

Had a thunderstorm roll through town last night. Haven’t checked the rain gauge yet but I’m guessing we got about a quarter inch or less. More rain forecasted for this afternoon.

Glad to hear the nesting birds are getting more rain PC

Mourning Dove numbers seem to be very good and I am also seeing a lot of hen pheasants which for some reason I don’t typically spot them in the spring but I’m seeing them this year so that’s a great sign! Most of them have had a rooster close by. A little early for them to be sitting on the nest so maybe they’re out finding spots.

Yesterday and today I’ve had ducks jump out of the high grass while driving down the gravel roads. I’ve been taking mental notes of locations. typically that means they are on the nest.

Smelt a skunk this morning but could not find it and saw a fox yesterday that got away. Usually I see quite a few raccoon tracks around my wells but have not spotted any yet which is a good sign. Anyways as opportunities present themselves I will be sending out those egg eaters!

more new goslings spotted today. Less than 90 days till dove season and about 75 days till early honker season.

Last spring we had quite a bit of water from that late snowstorm. This year some places have more water than that and others have a lot less but things are looking superb. Definitely seeing more ducks around paired up compared to last year so things are looking up!!

What great insight, thanks so much!

Report from down here at entire opposite end of flyway is typical June, it's steamy with pop up afternoon thunderstorms, so it's right on time and looks/feels like summer. That said, it was a pretty danged elongated spring with maybe some cooler/drier air than normal but that's gone.

Keystone, CO got snow yesterday per The Weather Channel.

Great signs PC, and Thank You for keeping us in touch with the nesting signs in your area!
Like Darren, we are experiencing the normal onslaught of southern summer, as the heat and humidity both compete to get as near 100 as possible
On the positive side, minimal rain upstate this Spring has put us into our normal, early Summer salt water pattern, as it heads North, bringing the shrimp, along with flounder, trout, redfish, and blackfish. The blue crabs on our causeway have been thick so far year, and using a few handlines with chicken qtrs, in select places, results in 2-4 dz big crabs in a 2-3 hour sitting. Also, the Shrimp season in Mobile Bay opened last week, and I found low count 16-20 white shrimp for $4.00 lbs. right off the boat in Bayou la Batre

I definitely could go for some of that fresh shrimp!

We’ve been having mainly those popcorn showers as well. Temperatures have been in the mid to upper 80s so we are starting to dry out. Also all the vegetation is sucking up the water. This is not a bad thing as long as we get rain so the ducklings have places to escape to once they hatch.

Saw three families of geese together today. Last year in the area there was only one family with four goslings and then before that it’s been a few years since I’ve seen any goose families. It’s looking like it’ll be a fantastic early season!

And it’s that time of year when ducks are flying low and getting hit by the cars. We stopped and checked two bluewing teal today for bands. Also saw a Mallard but when we came back it was smooshed. Seems like every day I’m seeing a couple more dead on the road but this is typical.

PorkChop wrote:And it’s that time of year when ducks are flying low and getting hit by the cars. We stopped and checked two bluewing teal today for bands. Also saw a Mallard but when we came back it was smooshed. Seems like every day I’m seeing a couple more dead on the road but this is typical.

Had no idea of this being a common occurrence.

Darren wrote:

PorkChop wrote:And it’s that time of year when ducks are flying low and getting hit by the cars. We stopped and checked two bluewing teal today for bands. Also saw a Mallard but when we came back it was smooshed. Seems like every day I’m seeing a couple more dead on the road but this is typical.

Had no idea of this being a common occurrence.

Made me think of our annual summer gallinule road carnage.

I-10 along Mobile Bay gets littered with dead poule d'eau when they show up during duck season. I believe they migrate at night, and the theory is they are attracted to the interstate lights. Eighteen wheelers account for most of them, with their high trailer. One year, I counted 57 dead dead birds in the few miles it took me to get across the upper end of the bay. I would imagine it is the same way thru MS and LA.

Thanks Chop

I wish I could’ve got more of it but them stupid oil tanks got in the way. I hope the music brings back fond memories for some of you older guys

Teal?

Deltaman wrote:Teal?

Sure looks like it.

They sounded like gadwall

PC, I know the weather can be pretty tough in the the winter up there, but how wonderful it must be to live in such a game rich area! Getting to watch the Spring/Summer waterfowl, upland game, and critter show on a daily basis is pretty damn awesome. Thanks for sharing with us!!!!.

Yeah the winters are tough but there’s always something to do which eases the pain. I love sharing what’s going on up here just wish it was higher quality. Most times I’m fumbling around trying to find my phone to get a video or picture. Definitely won’t ever be a famous YouTuber haha

Darren wrote:

PorkChop wrote:And it’s that time of year when ducks are flying low and getting hit by the cars. We stopped and checked two bluewing teal today for bands. Also saw a Mallard but when we came back it was smooshed. Seems like every day I’m seeing a couple more dead on the road but this is typical.

Had no idea of this being a common occurrence.

Yesterday my wife had to go to Minot and on the way she checked two fresh dead hen Mallards and a bluewing. This year with more water in the road ditches they will be in there and when vehicles go by they pop up and get hit.

I won't post again in your log but good to hear that your hip is coming along well. Hope you'll be ready to go when the season starts.

don novicki wrote:I won't post again in your log but good to hear that your hip is coming along well. Hope you'll be ready to go when the season starts.

Thank you I appreciate it! And I don’t mind if people post in my log as long as it’s not intentionally trying to be disruptive. There’s only one person most people have a problem with due to his constant hijacking for is own amusement.

nothing like spotting the first ducklings of the spring. Hen Mallard with 6 to 8 little ones. By time I got stopped and threw it in reverse they were almost into the cattails. What a wonderful sight!

Haven't seen any of the mallards' mottled cousins' broods, but we've had tiny woodies for quite a while down here, and our resident Canada goslings are no longer readily distinguished from their parents at much distance. As you've said, it's always neat to see the new year's first. And I've never tired of watching the mommas put on their show to draw my dogs away.

Feel free to send some of those woodies up this way! We see some here but it’s typically only a few a year. Still have not shot one up here.

Would be happy to share them if I could. They're a duck we're not running short of. 'Least not yet...

We are starting to dry up so this will be good timing also it should slow down the guys that are haying and crushing eggs.

Received 7/8 last night from a thunderstorm. From what I can see the ground drink it right up so definitely need more. The nine day forecast shows several chances.