Comins Lake

Comins Lake is right off of US6/50/93 outside of Ely. We would frequently stop there on the way back to town just to see what waterfowl was around. The lake always seemed good for ducks, but it was also great for many other bird species, including ones that you wouldn't necessarily think would be at a lake.

This large sandpiper landed right beside me on the beach. It took me a bit to identify him, and I might not, had he not shown his striking Willet wing pattern. I kept trying to make him into a Long-billed Dowitcher, but they are a bit smaller.



This Pied-billed Grebe popped up near me a couple times. He would disappear for long stretches. Eared Grebes were more common on the lake.

Birds I have seen at Comins Lake
___ Pied-billed Grebe
___ Eared Grebe
___ Great Blue Heron
___ Canada Goose
___ Mallard
___ Cinnamon Teal
___ Northern Shoveler
___ Gadwall
___ American Wigeon
___ Canvasback
___ Redhead
___ Ring-necked Duck
___ Lesser Scaup
___ Common Goldeneye
___ Bufflehead
___ Common Merganser
___ Ruddy Duck - males out there strutting their stuff
___ Turkey Vulture
___ Osprey
___ Northern Harrier - always hunting the lake shore
___ Swainson's Hawk
___ Red-tailed Hawk
___ Ferruginous Hawk
___ American Coot - everywhere on the lake
___ Sandhill Crane - they like the headwaters marsh/meadow
___ Willet
___ Long-billed Curlew
___ California Gull
___ Northern Flicker
___ Say's Phoebe
___ Horned Lark
___ Tree Swallow
___ Cliff Swallow
___ Common Raven
___ Marsh Wren
___ Ruby-crowned Kinglet
___ Mountain Bluebird
___ American Robin
___ Sage Thrasher
___ American Pipit
___ Yellow-rumped Warbler - seemed strange to see in the marsh
___ Vesper Sparrow
___ Sage Sparrow
___ Savannah Sparrow
___ White-crowned Sparrow
___ Dark-eyed Junco
___ Red-winged Blackbird
___ Western Meadowlark
___ Yellow-headed Blackbird