Finally: Ducks!

Carl

Carl

Well-known member
Staff member
Ducks, showed up, finally. Saw a flock of about 200 ducks on my way home from work while driving along Mobile Bay. I'll take the binos tomorrow and see what they are. Most likely gadwalls. Only about 2-3 weeks late compared to "normal", whatever that is any more.
 
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I'll late over never. I've been seeing a trickle of birds, but I haven't really been anywhere to see birds lately, and we're so dry they might as well fly on cuz they won't find a spot to wet their rumps around here.
 
That is good news, Carl. In the next couple of days with all the irrigation ditches being closed at midnight on the 31st, it will be interesting what kind of flow rate the Rio Grande will have.

I have been seeing a lot of sandhill cranes migrating down here. Actually you here them first, or at least I do. Sometimes they are a bugger to see up high in the sky especially if it is clear.
Al
 
Flocks of coots showed up overnight. Been down here since 1997 and this is definitely the latest I can remember seeing the first flock.
 
Glad they came. Same thing is happening here. No snows down here yet. The biggest difference is that it has been raining non stop for 5 hours this morning. The prediction is for more of the same all day. Tomorrow more rain. Oh MY!
Al

We haven't had a rain like this since last year back in Oct.
 
Al,

Fancy that, you are getting more rain than us!

We're in record setting territory, no recorded rainfall in Mobile for 39 days and counting. Next chance for rain is mid-next week. And then maybe.
October and first half of November are normally dry, but not this dry.
 
Here in Washington, we have scaup and scoters earlier and October was the 13th wettest month in 1,510 months of records.
 
Our migration in Utah has been slow to get started too. There are far fewer ducks around right now than usual for this time of year. The tundra swans are finally starting to show up in small numbers, that usually herald the arrival of the bigger waves of ducks-I can't wait!
 
Here in Washington, we have scaup and scoters earlier and October was the 13th wettest month in 1,510 months of records.
Click to expand...

Apparently the northwest coast is getting all the rain we should have gotten here on the northeast coast.

Early season here was normal, except that with both surface and groundwater levels way below normal, several of our usual early spots were waterless and duckless.

We finally got enough rain to get our favorite spot wet and it was empty of ducks last Wed.

Tonight looks to be the first hard frost--already below 30 degrees. The last tomato came out of my garden last week, and I still have a few broccoli spears I hope get big enough to harvest before they get frost killed.

Headed out to a tidal spot in the morning that gave us two decent days in the early season. Hoping the cold and 24 hour of NW wind brings in some fresh ducks.
 
The Rio Grande was running at 10cfs during irrigation time. They shut that down on the 31st of Oct. On November 1st and 2nd it was running right around 125cfs. Well today it rained and rained. The Rio Grande is now at 1,530cfs. Feast of famine around here, Carl.
A

To update you, Carl, the Rio Grande, where I hunt, is now flowing 2,740cfs, as of 5:15AM. The western and central parts of the state got a fantastic rain. With rains such as this I can tell you that it will take a week to 10 days of sunshine and some wind to help dry out the surrounding areas where I travel with the Mule. With the clay based materials that we have here in the soil/sand, it prohibits travel. It might be a while before I can get to my pond.

The rancher had been down here clearing out as much of the cocklebur plants that he could with his Bobcat. He then built up the dyke some in one area. I can tell you that since our season is on I can hardly wait for the area to dry out so that I can get my Mule to the pond and can put up my blind.

Looking northeast.

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With the help of chains I moved out the Russian olive trees. They are filled with thorns and grow fast.

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Last year at this very spot and at this time of the year.


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Carl, I ran out to a place this afternoon that I like to check out periodically just to see if there are ducks down yet. Can't hunt there but it's usually a decent indication of what may be around. I was super excited to see bwt, gwt, shovelors, pintail and widgeon hanging out. Sadly, this isn't a great area of the state for holding puddlers so i'm not holding my breath that they stick around long but ducks are making their way down!!!!! A couple more weekends.....
 
That's good news!
When do y'all open? Our opener is the day after thanksgiving.
 
Weekend before thanksgiving, then we close the weekend of thanksgiving and reopen two Saturdays later Dec 10 I think.
 
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