By Jake Bramante
Initial interest was so high that we decided to expand the Church Slough field trip into separate morning and afternoon sessions, but the weather had other plans. A forecast of rain, snow, and wind convinced many to bail out in advance. The morning of the trip, March 22, brought up to seven inches of fresh snow, decreasing numbers even further.
A total of 12 brave participants, divided between the two sessions, were rewarded for their hardiness. The weather held off for most of the morning, providing us with a wide variety of waterfowl, including ample numbers of American Wigeon and Northern Pintails. We counted 50 Trumpeter Swans, while hundreds of Tundra Swans flew in as the weather began to turn. One of the Trumpeter Swans had a satellite band, from which we determined it had been banded in Oregon on its way up to Canada! Four Snow Geese were also spotted during the morning.
The inclement weather came on strong, lasting through lunch, but began to lift for the afternoon group, who were rewarded with many of the same birds. In addition, a Eurasian Wigeon was spotted, and a large flock of more than 400 Snow Geese flew over with their squawky mayhem. Despite chilly weather and a bit of precipitation, all hardy souls stayed warm with a little migration fever!
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