# They gone



## Billcollector (Oct 31, 2007)

http://www.ksl.com/index.php?sid=27...-swans-as-storm&fm=home_page&s_cid=featured-4


----------



## Longgun (Sep 7, 2007)

*Tunrda Swans*

"So it was about 5:45 on Monday evening," said Randy Graham, science operations officer with the National Weather Service. "You could see some echoes on the south end of the lake, on what was otherwise a clear day, so we knew it wasn't a weather feature." 
The radar screens showed a *5-mile-wide, 40-mile-long radar image* that stretched from the south end of the Great Salt Lake all the way to Juab County.

:shock: MASS Exodus!


----------



## dubob (Sep 8, 2007)

*The Exodus*

One has to wonder how many of the other waterfowl left with the swans. With the deep freeze going full blast, I would think we've lost more than a few ducks and geese as well. Ice fishing anyone?

O<<


----------



## paddler (Jul 17, 2009)

We lost the vast majority of ducks and geese. I didn't see a single pintail, mallard or GWT the other day. Saw lots of geese high, V'ed up and heading south. Never seen it this bad. Others I've talked to say the same. It's an early end to the season for sure.


----------



## Longgun (Sep 7, 2007)

Oh cmon Paddler, we all know you run some mean flack on these forums but honestly, what the heck can we expect when we go from suntan weather to _THIS_ sub-zero-colder-than-my-shop freezer crap.

Sounds like i need to brush the dust off the ol' Johhny Stewart, get the .220 Swift warmed up, and get to sending some songdog's to meet their maker a little early this year.


----------



## dubob (Sep 8, 2007)

*It is over folks.*

I went to the Club today for one last look. I saw MAYBE 10 birds in 2 hours. One I kicked off the open water near the blind and a flock of 8 or 9 high up and heading south. Ice fishing starts early this year. I might have to check the ice depth on Rockport this weekend. Sayonara folks; see ya next fall.


----------



## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

The bird watching community has been all over this thing. They claim the flock of migrating birds on the radar screen is Eared Grebes. The Great Salt Lake has the largest single flock of migrating eared grebes on the planet and they get up and move out all at once. The grebes live on brine shrimp and when the water gets too cold the brine shrimp disappear, prompting a mass migration.

Swans however migrate intermittently, sorta like sandhill cranes. They also claim the the latest aerial swan surveys don't support a flock of swans large enough to make that mark on the radar screen.

It's an interesting argument. I'll dig up the narrative.


----------



## paddler (Jul 17, 2009)

I'm thinking grebes. The radar report was after the swan count that showed we had 13,000 left, which was down 20,000 birds from the week before. If they were going to see swans, seems like they would have seen the 20,000 that left previously.

This is a historic year. That cold snap froze up things rapidly, and we don't have enough flow to keep much open. When I hunted Monday, I saw no ducks except some ruddies. Saw lots of geese really high and looking like they were heading out. Only had one flock work me, but they worked well. I got nervous because I had my GSP with me, so I took them on the third pass. Probably could have landed them if I wasn't worried about Heidi flaring them. Did you know that shorthairs don't retrieve geese? Didn't seem like she liked -3F, either. It was kinda cool to kill a goose with the new M2 though, with 20 gauge 2 3/4" 4's.

Didn't fire a shot today, nor did I see or hear a single goose. It really is over.


----------



## JuniorPre 360 (Feb 22, 2012)

I used to have a buddy that would not allow me to set up my super mag shells in his decoy spread because they flair geese and look super unrealistic. I love them! I used to be able to hide completely under them when I was a kid.


----------



## hamernhonkers (Sep 28, 2007)

Paddler why did you have to go and ruin those wonderful pics with that ugly single barrel-O,-


----------



## paddler (Jul 17, 2009)

hamernhonkers said:


> Paddler why did you have to go and ruin those wonderful pics with that ugly single barrel-O,-


Sorry. I just wanted to try it out, as it's my new bike gun. I'll take something with the right number of barrels next time.


----------



## LostLouisianian (Oct 11, 2010)

Here ya go, next time bring a real gun!


----------



## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

OK, here's a narrative from an avian biologist on the grebes vs swan thing:
http://birding.aba.org/mobiledigest/UT01#579365

"....500,000 to 3,000,000 eared grebes on the GSL at one time..."

The radar showed the huge mass moving south. Swans go west when the migrate; they go to Sacramento Valley. Grebes go south.


----------



## LostLouisianian (Oct 11, 2010)

wyogoob said:


> OK, here's a narrative from an avian biologist on the grebes vs swan thing:
> http://birding.aba.org/mobiledigest/UT01#579365
> 
> "....500,000 to 3,000,000 eared grebes on the GSL at one time..."
> ...


When you listen to the supposed size of the radar return I kept telling the wife, there's no way that is swans. That would take several hundred thousand swans to make that return and that would be most of the population that exists....no way jose'


----------

