Another Two Bite the Dust

I'm trying to get 100 bird species before the end of January.  Considering my original goal was somewhere in the range of 60, I'm not going to be too disappointed if I don't make it, but it would be pretty cool.  Anyways, I went out yesterday for a few hours and decided to bird the area around Webster Reservoir.  I wasn't really trying to target any one species, but I was hoping to get Ferruginous Hawk, Northern Shrike, and Glaucous Gull (although there has been an extreme paucity of gulls at Webster since most of it froze over).  I started out on the north side of the lake and got some good looks at large rafts of waterfowl.  The best bird I added was probably Canvasback (new for Rooks this year).  I picked through the goldeneye, trying to spot a Barrow's, but no luck.
I then scoured the south part of the lake.  I didn't add any birds to my year or county-year lists, but I did see some nice flocks of Lapland Longspur.  I can't wait until March, so I can try to pick through the flocks and find a Chestnut-collared or even McCown's or Smith's.
On my way back to the north side of the lake, I noticed a large white bird sitting on the ice.  As I glassed it, it started to fly towards me.  What I first hoped was a Glaucous Gull turned out to be this lovely lady:

First-year female Snowy Owl I have seen three times around Webster this Winter (notice the pink feet; she got a meal sometime recently!)

It wasn't a new year bird or even a county-year bird, but it was awesome none-the-less.  As I got closer to the north part of the lake, I noticed some strangely colored geese mixed in with a flock of Canada, Cackling, and Snow Geese.  They are some kind of hybrid although what kind of hybrid I have no idea.

So far I have received feedback from three other birders; they have as little clue as I.  The general consensus is that they are not domestic geese, though.

At this point, I decided to start to make my way back to Stockton.  There was at least one spot I wanted to stop, though: the sandpit on 17 Rd.  I figured the water there would be frozen over because it is tiny, and Webster is mostly frozen over.  Mike Rader and his daughter had two Marsh Wrens there on the CBC, and I've tried to get them a few times without success.  I figured I'd give it another go.  When I got there, I was surprised to find some open water.  Lo and behold, another county year-bird was waiting amidst a small flock of Redhead, Ring-necked Ducks, and an American Coot:

Two Lesser scaup

I still need Greater Scaup for Kansas, but there was no way these were going to be Greater.  First off, I've never seen Greaters on such a small piece of water.  Not to say that they couldn't, but Lesser is definitely much more likely to appear on a small piece of water.  Second, they were too small to be Greaters.  Third, the peak of the crown gives them away as Lessers; Greaters would have a more rounded crown.

Near the sandpit is a nice row of Cedars that I have gotten some good birds out of (Eastern Towhee for one).  I played a screech-owl tape and got quite the response.  There were tons of cardinals, White-crowned Sparrows, and House Sparrows.  And mixed in with them was one White-throated Sparrow.  Year-bird #91!

As I made my way back on US-24, I saw a small flock of blackbirds and turned around because I thought they might be Rusties.  They were, but as I watched them, I saw a Buteo soaring over a field just to the west.  I figured it was almost assuredly a Red-tailed, but you can never be too sure.  I drove a little bit, got out of the car and was exhilarated to identify the bird as a beautiful Ferruginous Hawk (#92).  They really are gorgeous hawks.  

That was the last of the birds for the trip.  I now stand at 92 year-birds and 90 Rooks County year-birds.