Thanks to a tip from Ed Hack, at 5:00 pm this afternoon I checked out 
the Connecticut River backwater just across from the entrance to the 
gravel pits along Rt. 5, about 1/2 mile south of Pompy Flats.  This can 
be a good spot and is easily viewed by parking on the wide gravel 
shoulder just south of the entrance to gravel pit, then either walking 
north along the RR tracks, or cutting across them and into the field, 
from which you can get a good vantage looking north.

The N. Shovelers were a real treat -- 2 males and a female.  Pompy Flats 
themselves were barren, but I drove up Hogback Road and checked out the 
extensive fields around the horse barns, where I had great views of a 
male Northern Harrier quartering.  Probbaly a transient, but it would be 
worth keeping an eye on these grasslands.  I've always thought they look 
good for meadowlarks, though I've never had one there.

Chris

Location:     Ompomanoosuc River  - just south
Observation date:     4/2/10
Number of species:     12

Canada Goose     3
Wood Duck     2
American Black Duck     2
Mallard     1
Northern Shoveler     3
Common Merganser     8
Common Raven     1
American Robin     2
European Starling     8
Song Sparrow     2
Red-winged Blackbird     3
Common Grackle     2

This report was generated automatically by eBird v2(http://ebird.org/vt)




-- 
****************
Chris Rimmer
Vermont Center for Ecostudies
P.O. Box 420
Norwich, VT 05055
802-649-1431 ext. 1
www.vtecostudies.org

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