Kirwin NWR 1/17/12

So after a meeting I had this afternoon, I had some time to kill before I picked my wife up.  Luckily, Phillipsburg is ridiculously close to Kirwin NWR.  I headed over to pick up some of the species I have yet to see this winter (although they won't be difficult at all to pick up later).  I guess it just frees up some time later to focus on species more difficult to pick up.  As I drove in, I was greeted by this sight:

                                       American White Pelicans soaring over Kirwin.

I'm not used to seeing this in January yet.  I hope that it will become a regular sight, but this far north, I'm sure that it's not going to happen every winter.  Anyways, year bird #86.  I took the drive just west of the Kirwin headquarters and spotted some ducks.  They were partially obscured by the heat haze, but I was able to make out one female Hooded Merganser (#87).
As I took the road that runs to the east of the headquarters, I saw a raptor soaring over the water.  Yep, you guessed it (or maybe you didn't...I don't know) Bald Eagle (#88).
I scoped the lake from one of the offshoot roads and thought I saw three Red-breasted Mergansers.  The look was not definitive enough to call it, and I wasn't able to get a better look.
The final year bird I got for the day was Double-crested Cormorant.  There were at least three individuals on the lake and probably more.
The most impressive sight I saw for the day--though--was the raft of white geese.  I estimated it at 30,000 strong.

                               White goose flock of tens-of-thosands of birds at Kirwin.

And here's one last shot of one of the American White Pelicans: