Nature Done Wright

Efforts to find the Pacific loon along Greenwood Lake have come up empty.
   At the north end of the lake, where the loon had reportedly seen within 30 feet of shore, there are nothing but mallards.
   At first glance, a common merganser looks to be the elusive loon, until a glint of sunlight shows it to be  a duck.
   In the distance are nearly a dozen mute swans, new to the list but nothing to blog home about. That, however, is one of the beauties of bird counting.
   A Canada goose counts the same as a cackling goose, and a downy woodpecker counts the same as a pileated.
   Here’s a picture of my blogging from the count, taken by ace Record staff photographer Tariq Zahawi.

   I have to head back to Bergen County to write my story. The others in my group will head back the lake, keeping tabs on any pockets of ducks they see and keeping their fingers crossed on the pacific loon. As for the red-throated grebe, he was a no-show.
   
   I will try to post results tonight.

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