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Sandhills and Tundras



Three Sandhill Cranes reported at Santee National Wildlife Refuge (Bluff
Unit) about a week ago were still there this morning.  Also:

Canada Goose    300+
Snow Goose    1
Green-winged Teal    200+
Ring-necked Duck    150+
American Widgeon    50+
Gadwall    20
Mallard    16
Northern Pintail    15
Northern Shoveler    7
Hooded Merganser    6
Lesser Scaup    2
Redhead    1
Ring-billed Gull    50+
Forster's Tern    3
Double-crested Cormorant    1

At Potato Creek (also Santee NWR):
Common Moorhen    30+
Pied-billed Grebe    10
Ring-billed Gull    40+
Forster's Tern    3
Double-crested Cormorant    8

Near Stateburg in western Sumter County SC there were 11 Tundra Swans today
at the location where two were reported here 11/10/02.  The only other
waterfowl present today were four Hooded Mergansers along with 350+
Ring-billed Gulls.  There was a single Common Merganser at this location
12/3/02 in the company of six male and one female Hooded Mergansers.  There
are also two Bald Eagles which are often present--a first (I believe) year
and an adult.  The juvenile is a very proficient fisherman--today I watched
him grab on the fly three fish on three passes, taking each to his personal
pine tree to eat.  The local Osprey got only one fish in two plunges--but it
was a big one.


Lloyd Moon
Sumter, S. C.
lmoon@sc.rr.com