The American Widgeon and Snow Goose reported by Ron Payne on Friday were
still at the Champlain Bridge and ferry site as of yesterday (Saturday)
afternoon, along with nearly 200 Mallards, 15 Common Mergansers, a few
each of Black Ducks, Canada Geese, and Herring Gulls. There was also an
immature Ring-necked Duck among some of the Mallards --- located by
Scott Sainsbury and viewed also by Patti Haynes, Ali Wagner, and me. A
Pileated Woodpecker kept us company during our viewing.
[The ferries help keep the area ice free by running the engines at both
ends of the ferry as they approach the docks ... pushing the ferry with
the aft propeller and churning the water with the front propeller
(which, of course, is going backwards to the movement of the vessel).
Kinda like some fifth-graders I took canoeing once as a class outing --
who sat in their canoe facing each other paddling like mad, wondering
why they were making no progress.]
Ian
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