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Wildlife Through
the Seasons
Spring
Resident
Canada geese set up nesting territories on the Snake River islands in
early March, and goslings hatch by mid-April. At the same time, large
numbers of white-fronted geese gather on the Snake River below Homedale
and Weiser before continuing their northward migration.
Bald
eagles, ospreys, and great-horned owls nest on both sectors of the refuge,
with most feeding nestlings by the end of April. In April and May, great
blue herons, black-crowned night herons, and double-crested cormorants
nest in large rookeries on some of the Snake River islands, and up to
10,000 pairs of California gulls nest on Smith Island.
Summer
In
early summer, western grebes dance on Lake Lowell while resident bald
eagles look for food for their young. Visitors can see large numbers of
white pelicans on the lake and large broods of Canada geese on pastures
and fields adjacent to the Snake River. By late July and early August,
mallards and wood ducks begin to congregate on the lake, looking for food
in flooded vegetation. As summer progresses and the lake is slowly drawn
down for irrigation, large numbers of shorebirds come to feed on the exposed
mud flats. Look for dowitchers, sandpipers, godwits, yellowlegs, and plovers.
(See link
for current water level)
Fall
As
fall approaches, the number of birds using the refuge increases. The large,
exposed mud flats continue drawing vast numbers of shorebirds. Resident
flocks of ducks and up to 6,000 Canada geese are usually on Lake Lowell
by the second week of October.
As colder weather drives migrating
ducks and geese south, migratory birds join the resident birds at the
lake. Some birds pass through, while others spend the winter. By mid-November,
the goose population peaks at up to 15,000 birds.
Winter
Duck
populations peak in mid-December, with up to 150,000 on Lake Lowell. Mallards
predominate, but small numbers of northern pintail, American wigeon, green-winged
teal, wood duck, common merganser, and northern shoveler are also present.
The Snake River also provides a winter home for a variety of ducks and
geese.
Geese
and ducks roost on the lake at night, their activity usually keeping patches
of water open all winter. At dawn, they depart in large flocks to feed
in the surrounding area. Visitors can see these feeding flights of ducks
and geese at dawn or dusk, or view the large flocks of geese that feed
on refuge farm fields during the day. Bald eagles, which move into the
area to feed on weak and injured birds, can often be seen around the lake.
Contact
the webmaster with comments
or questions.
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