Migration From Medium to Lower Intensity Over Two Day Period

                                                          American Avocet, View 1

                                                          American Avocet, View 2



092319

0751-0909/69-72 F/partly cloudy/E-8/84-82% RH/30.01-30.03 Hg and rising

There were still well over four dozen Mallards settled into the low spots at the southeast corner of Boomer Lake.  Twenty-Nine Turkey Vultures were riding the thermals over the Boomer Creek area, one Great Egret was at the water's edge wading, two Great Blue Herons were counted as flyovers, an American Coot was in the water, and a Killdeer was heard wailing in the distance.

At The Cove, we had a couple of Mourning Doves on the wing, a yellow-shafted Northern Flicker in the air, an Eastern Phoebe that sat upon a martin house until it tired of the view, a Blue Jay, Carolina Wrens, and a couple of the Northern Cardinal family hiding in the trees on the west side around the sycamores, western soapberry, Bradford pears, and others.

The dozen American Avocets flew up and down Boomer Lake the entire time that I was there, and these were the best shots of them.  When they flew from north to south, their height increased, and they pulled closer together the higher that their trajectory became.  Then the circling movement came into play and they slowly dropped until the reached about the center of the lake and repeated the process.  Once they attempted to land for a moment in the water on the south side of Shorebird Jetty, but soon changed their minds.  Perhaps the Great Blue Heron standing in the area on land thwarted their intentions.

An American Crow called from the dam area. and two dozen Double-crested Cormorants were southbound on high.  They were likely not planning on resting for a while at the height that they passed through.

                                                               Yellow Warbler, View 1

                                                             Yellow Warbler, View 2



092419

0832-0923/76-77 F/variable clouds/S-5/86% RH/29.88-29.90 Hg and steady//.16" 24-hour rainfall shortly before dawn

There were slightly fewerMallards today around the lowlands on the southeast corner of the lake with a half dozen Blue-winged Teal in tow.

Two Barn Swallows made their way south, and on the water we had two Canada Geese, a Pied-billed Grebe, three Great Egrets,  and a Great Blue Heron.

At The Cove a Nashville Warbler was in the company of eight Yellow Warblers, all partaking of sunflower seeds and insects, which by the way, over the past two weeks held up well with the onslaught.