This lake is immediately south of the Red Barn and
is an excellent birding location in both the spring and fall. All the regular
waterfowl migrants can be found here and the list of rarities is quite
impressive:
Common Loon,
American White Pelican (2003),
Eared Grebe (1996, 2000),
Greater White-fronted Goose,
Ross's Goose,
Mute Swan,
Tundra Swan,
Eurasian Wigeon (1996),
Cinnamon Teal (1992),
Greater Scaup,
Surf Scoter (2000, 2005),
White-winged Scoter (1997, 2007), and
Black Scoter (2000).
This lake is also a good spot to find unusual gulls and terns both in the early
spring (particularly when there is still ice) and in late fall. In this
category the rarities include
Glaucous Gull (1996, 2002),
Thayer's Gull,
Lesser Black-backed Gull (2001),
Franklin's Gull,
Black Tern,
Forster's Tern, and
Common Tern (1993).
The south end of the lake is quite shallow and extensive mudflats often
appear in late summer and fall which makes this an ideal place to look for
American Pipits and migrant
wading birds such as
Black-bellied Plover,
American Golden-Plover,
Piping Plover (1988),
American Avocet (1991, 2000, 2002),
Hudsonian Godwit (1998, 2003),
Willet (2005),
Red Knot (1998, 2000),
Sanderling (1991, 2002),
Western Sandpiper (1988),
White-rumped Sandpiper (2002),
Baird's Sandpiper,
Buff-breasted Sandpiper (1988, 1991),
Wilson's Phalarope,
Red-necked Phalarope (2001), and
Snowy Egret (2003).
If the mudflats persist then sedges and other wetland plants will appear,
creating good habitat for
Nelson's Sharp-tailed Sparrows.
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