Follow the lines

This photo was taken a couple of days ago, 6 April 2014, when I went with a group of 10 friends to Frank Lake for several hours. This was a "by car" day with barely any walking. Sometimes when we pull over and get out, I can be found looking in the opposite direction to everyone else, taking a photograph of something totally unrelated to birds, lol. You need binoculars or a scope to see most of the birds we come across, which I don't have, but I can never resist the scenery. Many of the fields are clear of snow now. It's +12C as I type and it's supposed to get up to +20C this afternoon!

Will add Tony Timmons' report for the day - thanks, Tony, both for writing up the list and for taking us down to one of my favourite areas outside the city:

"Eleven people were on the trip today, birding Frank Lake and area. We tallied 35 species. Most of the lake is still covered in ice.

As many as 10,000 Northern Pintails were seen in the fields,sloughs and flying overhead. Two hundred swans were feeding in the fields.

Of note were two Eurasian Wigeons spotted in the shallow sloughs.

Canada Goose
Tundra Swan
Trumpeter Swan
Gadwall
American Wigeon
Eurasian Wigeon
Mallard
Cinnamon Teal
Northern Shoveler
Northern Pintail
Green-winged Teal
Canvasback
Redhead
Ring-necked Duck
Lesser Scaup
Bufflehead
Common Goldeneye
Common Merganser
Ruddy Duck
Bald Eagle
Northern Harrier
Rough-legged Hawk
Coot
Killdeer
Ring-billed Gull
California Gull
Great Horned Owl
Horned Lark
Robin
Rock Pigeon,Magpie,Crow,Raven,Starling,House Sparrow"

As you can see from the list, birds are returning after being elsewhere all winter. Only very distant views of them all, except for one Great Horned Owl on her nest - impossible to get a proper shot because she is hidden by a tangle of branches.