Showing posts with label Baird's Sandpiper. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Baird's Sandpiper. Show all posts
Saturday, April 5, 2025
Saturday, March 9, 2024
Sunday, April 16, 2023
Sunday, October 2, 2022
Saturday, March 6, 2021
Tuesday, September 1, 2020
Friday, April 17, 2020
041720 Fallout Hits Boomer Lake
041420 Scissor-tailed Flycatcher
This beauty is the Oklahoma state bird. It is a neotropical migrant that spends our winters in balmy Central and South America. When it is time to return the the US and builds its nests, it surprises us with some of the things that it builds with--cigarette filter papers, soft plastic sheathing, paper, cloth, and carpet fibers. One can even observe this bird speeding by in a car with those bright colors and long tail.
041720 Bald Eagle
There were two eagles at the lake this morning, a cold, windy and heavily cloudy day. When the barometer was heading up since last night, it made sense that birds were going to be on visiting today. That was an understatement. The lake was filled with hundreds of birds, including Ruddy Ducks, rafts of Pied-billed Grebes, American Avocets, Blue-winged Teal, and American Coots, just to name a handful.
American Avocets
When I began scanning the lake with binoculars, there was a lot there. At first, it appeared that there were sixty of these birds, with a Bald Eagle sitting on Shorebird Jetty. It surprised me that it was not a mobil raptor. Perhaps it was awed by the sheer numbers of birds that it had a choice to dine upon. A second eagle was over my head fifteen minutes later, the previous photo. By the time the avocets were flushed (the eagles never even got near them), the counter in my head went off to show 85 birds, a definite species record at this lake.
American Avocets, View 2
This view of the avocets shows them right in front of me as they're winging their way across the lake, which was their sixth pass. It was impossible to get all birds in one frame.
Spotted Sandpiper
There were two Spotted Sandpipers that have been in the area since late March, unusual for that early in the season. Once they have arrived, they'll not turn around to head south again, so they're making the best of it, even though they are not happy with the weather. These sandpipers are easy to identify, as they bob when they walk, no matter what plumage they are wearing.
Baird's Sandpiper
A lone Baird's Sandpiper was here several days ago, two of them near one another.
Semipalmated Sandpaper in center
As I headed west on Shorebird Jetty, I counted seven, two of them here with a Semipalmated Sandpiper sandwiched in the center. All of them were moving and will not all look at the camera.
There was also a Lesser Yellowlegs, another having been here last week. A Willet had been in the area earlier, but I stationed myself at Heron Cove where I managed thirty species alone.
The Hudsonian and Marbled Godwits were found elsewhere this morning in Payne County. We also entertain the Buff-breasted Sandpiper in the area, too.
Saturday, February 29, 2020
Saturday, August 3, 2019
Birding On a Shoestring: Quivira National Wildlife Refuge, Kansas
Black-necked Stilt
Long-billed Dowitcher
Assorted Shorebirds #1
Snowy Plover
White-rumped Sandpiper
Baird's Sandpiper
White-rumped Sandpiper
Assorted Shorebirds #2
Assorted Shorebirds #3
Greater Yellowlegs (Left)
Killdeer (Right)
Greater Yellowlegs (Center)
Baird's Sandpiper (Right)
White-rumped Sandpiper (Left)
Northern Cliff Swallow
Ruddy Duck and Ducklings
Blue-winged Teal (Front)
Immature and Juvenile American Coot (Center and Rear)
American Coot Adult (Left)
Recently Hatched American Coot (Right)
adult male Black-necked Stilt (Rear)
Juvenile Black-necked Stilts ( Center)
adult female possibly on nest (Front)
072719
Taking about five hours, my birding buddy and I arrived at Quivira around 1130ish. Several area residents had informed us at pitstops that there had been plenty of rain this year, so we could expect some wonderful birds. This information was taken to heart, and the more observed, the better it got.
Primed for this adventure, my eyes had been on weather conditions, past and present. It was a given that this adventure was a little too early for both the Red Knot and Buff-breasted Sandpiper, but it was a solid time for the many resident breeding birds and their offspring. There was no disappointment.
The first thing we did was visit the tower area, which had good views of Barn Swallows, Black-necked Stilts in flight that were constantly calling, Great Egret, Great Blue Heron, Spotted Sandpiper, and more.
Eventually making it to Little Salt Marsh, the numbers and species of shorebirds was thrilling, even though many of the most common migrants were there. Just seeing them in their natural state, both on the shore and foraging in the shallow water brought back memories of home in Maine.
Though my hunt for the Bobolink was unsuccessful, a fabulous photo of the Northern Cliff Swallow was unparalleled. There are hopes to return to another part of KS at a later time when the Bobolink and other target birds will be more accessible.
We drove through the Big Salt Marsh area, where were encountered many water birds, which included the above family of Black-necked Stilts, and took a short walking tour at Migrant's Mile Nature Trail. This was a former marsh that had a little water. Sampling my first sand plums, we heard the Common Yellowthroat, and semi-observed a few others.
The prairie grass area also netted the Northern Cliff Swallow. Many other grassland birds, like the meadowlark and Dickcissels were heard there.
Juvenile American Coots, Blue-winged Teal, Black-necked Stilts, and Ruddy Ducks were somewhat unexpected and most welcome. Never had I observed the young of these species.
Once we arrived, we never left until it was time to resettle round the Cheyenne Bottoms area in Barton County. A short stop was made just prior to the Kansas Wetlands Education Center closing for the day, where we semi-solidified plus for Sunday. Stay tuned for the Cheyenne Bottoms and Cheyenne Bottoms Preserve adventure.
for more on the adventure:
https://debhirt.blogspot.com/2019/08/birding-on-shoestring-cheyenne-bottoms_5.html
https://debhirt.blogspot.com/2019/08/birding-on-shoestring-cheyenne-bottoms.html
Sunday, May 26, 2019
Wednesday, May 22, 2019
Storms of 2019 Flood Boomer Lake and Beget Shorebirds Galore
Hooded Merganser (Right)
Ruddy Duck (Left)
Female Hooded Merganser
Ruddy Shelduck
Willow Flycatcher
White-rumped Sandpipers
White-rumped Sandpiper
Semipalmated Sandpiper
Ruddy Turnstone ( Center of Group)
Franklin's Gull (Center)
Black Tern
Franklin's Gull (Bottom)
Forster's Terns
052119
0855-1012 hrs/65-66 F/mostly cloudy/89% RH--shortly after heavy rain stopped
A few dozen Canada Geese were in the arms of safety on the southeast corner of the our beloved Boomer Lake with low areas growing in size with water, which had two or three Mallards swimming within. Three Great Blue Herons were seen in transit from all directions.
Beloved Boomer was flooded to the mow line and police units were out to deter traffic in flood areas on the west side. Heron Cove was my biggest worry, with the Green Heron nest just over the water and in full view.
Relaxing a little when I observed Mother Heron upon her nest, fast asleep, wet and bedraggled, the stick fortress was sinking lower just above water. Two Willow Flycatchers were heard on the Cove, one safely hidden, yet obviously fearful and calling from the mulberry bush at The Cove. On the west side of Heron Cove was a female Hooded Merganser near shore with a sleeping Ruddy Duck. A Baltimore Oriole was in attendance, along with plenty of Great-tailed Grackles, a Common Grackle, and an Eastern Kingbird could be heard, while a Brown Thrasher was atop the trees, having taken sentry duties. A yellow-shafted Northern Flicker always seemed to be foraging in front of me, always just ahead to pave the way.
At least one southwest jetty was nearly covered by water, yet the southeastern jetty was close to the same with a twelve-foot span toward the end of the cove submerged. Franklin's Gulls could be observed, giving writer a good idea that there were shorebirds there.
On the way to the southeastern jetty, several familiar areas were choked with excess water with at least two more Willow Flycatchers flitting about in a normal nervous manner. All birds were doing their best to stay above the rushing water line. Mourning Doves were performing their plaintive wail atop the new power lines. Ducks, both wild and domestic, and Canada Geese were going about their business foraging in wet grass.
Rounding the corner to reach the jetty, a friend was scoping the area. He had come up with most of the photographed birds. While we inched closer to these birds, he was walked beside me, telling me what he had observed. We both continued to get as close as possible without driving the shorebirds and gulls away. Upon approach, Black Terns were flying by closer than I had ever seen them, allowing wonderful observation of behavior.
The real question was nearest the bench at the end of the jetty, breached by several feet of standing water. Was there a Common Tern among the Forester's Terns? It turned out to be a false alarm, but this was a fabulous search for shorebirds, some of which I had never before seen in Oklahoma.
My standing joke has always been that birds that have never been here eventually come to see me and they Payne County list grows.
Friday, April 22, 2016
Getting in the Groove of Spring with the Neotropical Migrants
Baird's Sandpiper
Kansas Glossy Snake
Barred Owl
White-faced Ibis
Yellow-rumped Warbler(Myrtle)
Green Heron
Cedar Waxwing
Female Gadwall
Blue Jay
Harris's Sparrow
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
55-67 degrees F/partly cloudy/light and variable winds
The first four photos are a carry over from my time spent in the western part of Oklahoma. Sadly,
I was unable to capture a Cassin's Sparrow, which was in the area and the prairie dogs and Burrowing Owls were staying undercover.
Upon my return home, I was still greeted with rain, which came from a front that infiltrated Texas
and western Oklahoma first.
As you can see, I still was able to get some good photos over the past couple of days, which made the wait well worth it. A Neotropic Cormorant has been at Boomer Lake for several days. The Baltimore Oriole and Warbling Vireo are now home as well as one member of my Green Heron family, the eldest. I believe this one is a grandparent, one of the original settlers of the Southern Cove. Last year, that art of the lake hosted two families. So we shall see what this summer brings
us.
The female Gadwall pictured here was all by herself, taking up with an American Wigeon, some Blue-winged Teal, Northern Shovelers, and some American Coot. Observed yesterday was another male Wood Duck, so perhaps he will get used to my presence and maybe I'll be fortunate enough to see some young on the creek.
There are plenty of Blue-gray Gnatcatchers, at least a couple of Orange-crowned Warblers, and at
least one Yellow Warbler on the lake proper. A Common Loon was spotted, which I thought I saw a couple of days ago with a raft of Double-crested Cormorant, but dismissed that thought. I guess I was right after all!
Onward and upward!
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