Douglas Reservoir (Larimer) on 11/17

[DAVID A LEATHERMAN]

I got a call this morning from Rachel Hopper who had located an adult female White-winged Scoter on Douglas Reservoir in northern Larimer County (nw of the intersection of 60 and 15RDs).  Once there I located the scoter, and a female Long-tailed Duck, which had apparently been seen late last week by David Wade and reported to eBird.  I went over to North Poudre #3, found nothing of note except a gale-force nw wind and a large throng of Mallards in the northeast corner.  Returning to Douglas, I ended up running into David Wade.  While we were scoping in the cold wind now present there, a female Black Scoter appeared along the west side of the res north of the westside parking lot.  David and I bundled up to try for closer looks, and for a time, both the White-winged and the Black were swimming together in the north end of the res.  The Long-tailed Duck continued at the north end off the east shore.

Dave Leatherman
Fort Collins

[David Wade]

I posted a couple of long distance photos of the Scoters here https://www.flickr.com/photos/122221383@N05/15629655118/  

From several of the previous posts, it sounds like some northern waterbirds rode the winds into Colorado last night. Should be an exciting next few days.

David Wade

Ft Collins