Showing posts with label Dunlin. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Dunlin. Show all posts
Saturday, February 29, 2020
Sunday, December 8, 2019
Sunday, June 30, 2019
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.
Sunday, December 2, 2018
Birding On a Shoestring: Brevard County Florida--The Final Act
Osprey with Fish
Magnificent Frigatebird
Black-bellied Plover
Ruddy Turnstone
Royal Tern
Osprey
Laughing Gull
Laughing Gull, View 2
Dunlin
Black Scoters
Black Scoters, View 2
Northern Gannet
112318
70's/partly cloudy/windy
Most of the day was spent on the sand in Cocoa Beach off South Atlantic Ave. post Thanksgiving. The Magnificent Frigatebird showed up early, and several were seen, which is proving that pelagics are not only near land during breeding season.
The early birds were the gulls, terns, pelicans, Osprey, Dunlin, Black-bellied Plover, and Willets, among several others.
When the sun started cresting toward the west, it brought out the pelagics. The Northern Gannet was seen on the horizon, and I believe this photo was nearly a good half mile off. The Black Scoters were also all day birds, but these sea ducks wandered closer as time marched on. I don't think that they would have come any closer.
It was a wonderful final day, but unfortunately all good things come to an end. But see the other two adventures here:
https://debhirt.blogspot.com/2018/11/florida-birding-adventure-in-brevard.html
https://debhirt.blogspot.com/2018/11/florida-birding-adventure-in-brevard_30.html
Friday, May 1, 2015
Birding On a Shoestring: High Island Songbirds and Bolivar Flats Shorebirds
Swainson's Thrush
Great-crested Flycatcher
Brown-crested Flycatcher
Yellow-billed Cuckoo
Female Baltimore Oriole
Male Bay-breasted Warbler
Male Scarlet Tanager
Female Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Sanderling
Semi-palmated Plover
Black-bellied Plover
Dunlin
Semi-palmated Plover
Dunlin
Snowy Plover
Snowy Egret
Brown Pelican in Flight
Whimbrel
Most of the songbirds came from a residential street, and the next trip was to Bolivar Flats. There were some remarkable birds at both locations, as you can see,
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