Showing posts with label Greater Yellowlegs. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Greater Yellowlegs. Show all posts
Saturday, June 6, 2026
Saturday, February 7, 2026
Saturday, January 18, 2025
Wednesday, December 27, 2023
Saturday, June 11, 2022
Saturday, May 21, 2022
Monday, May 16, 2022
051622 Excessive Early May Rains, Migrant Travels, and Grand Father of Heron Cove
050622 Greater Yellowlegs
This was the day after the crazy four inches of rain that hit us. The two shots were taken
at the Lowlands, which is off Husband Street near Lakeview Rd. In attendance were a Spotted Sandpiper, Blue-winged Teal, two Mallards that paid me no mind, both Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs, and the star of the show, multiple Wilson's Phalaropes, that are not seen very often in these parts.
Female Brown-headed Cowbird
Wilson's Phalaropes Flanked by Lesser Yellowlegs (L) and Greater Yellowlegs (R)
By the way, did you know those gorgeous phalaropes are the females?
051122 Clay-colored Sparrow
We all call this birds a scourge due to their behavior (dumping eggs in other species' nests),
but it was how the evolved. They probably made horrible parents, so now they leave it up to someone else. There are other subspecies that raise their own...to some degree.
Male Brown-headed Cowbird
051322 Clay-colored Sparrow
They are usually gone by the 15th, but it is now the 16th. Are we going to press our luck? This is an appropriate spring shot, and the buzzy call will be remembered well until next spring.
051622 Great-tailed Grackle
My old birding buddy always says, "get some action shots." Okay, Susan, will this suffice?
Brown Thrasher
This fluffy beauty was quiet just sitting under second growth cover, minding its own business in the shade, but it was a nice shot, so here were are at the original flood plain.
Male Eastern Bluebird (Dad)
The same day of this posting this sweet little male finally emerged with three strapping fledglings. Unfortunately, writer was too far in the distance for a nice photo, but they were seen via poor photos and binoculars. By the time that I slowly meandered over, the young were nowhere to be seen, but dad was perched (actual photo), so the three young were around SOMEWHERE. We'll be trying to get shots of them, as well as the proud mother.
Sunday, October 24, 2021
Thursday, February 25, 2021
Monday, October 28, 2019
Post-Rain Adventures still Continue with One Shorebird
Pine Siskin atop Bradford Pear
Yellow-rumped Warbler in Northern Catalpa
102619
0822-0929/48-50 F/clear/NW-7/87-86% RH/29.80-29.83 Hg and falling
After two solid days of rain, it was certainly necessary to get out for a while to look for birds, as I knew they would be out there. On the water we had both Pied-billed and Horned Grebes, the American Coot, Ring-billed Gulls, Ruddy Ducks, and a few Double-crested Cormorants with most of them heading south.
Songbirds comprised large numbers of Yellow-rumped Warblers, a half dozen Eastern Bluebirds, a few Pine Siskins with a couple of fall plumaged American Goldfinches, several Chipping Sparrows, and last but not least a Savannah and a White-crowned Sparrow. The Carolina Chickadees were there as a welcoming committee, but no unusuals were there...yet.
Greater Yellowlegs
102719
0815-0934/50-55 F/clear/SE-9/83-8-% RH/29.72 Hg and steady to 29.81 Hg and rising
Today there were both the Bewick's and Carolina Wrens, American Goldfinch, Western Meadowlark,
38 Yellow-rumped Warblers with most of them in the air, my first Dark-eyed Junco of the season staring me down in a tree, and the Greater Yellowlegs that I saw from Heron Cove. It was so far away, I thought that I had a yellowlegs or Solitary Sandpiper, so I had to go see for myself what was among the ten Killdeer.
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, November 11, 2018
Thursday, November 1, 2018
Oklahoma Migratory Species Profile: Lesser Yellowlegs
tu-tu
The best way to establish an identity on this bird is to remember that its shorter bill is about the length of its head. It is also a sandpiper with a thin build, seemingly more delicate than the Greater Yellowlegs. Primary feathers also extend to the end of the tail. It also favors only one or two syllable phrases with a softer sound, whereas the greater utters three and four syllable phrases and it is more high pitched.
The Lesser Yellowlegs also prefer shallower water that is more grassy and less open. They can be either solitary or in the company of other groups, often mixing with the Greater Yellowlegs, who migrates a little later.
This medium sized, long yellow legged shorebird often runs through shallow water seeking its prey in order to feed. Its bill is also black year round and appears to be straight, whereas the Greater Yellowlegs bill is sometimes upturned.
Lesser Yellowlegs
Boomer Lake Park, 2017
These neotropical migrants breed in the Boreal forest between Alaska and Quebec, nesting upon the ground. Some of the birds will migrate as far as South America, but many will winter along the Gulf coast in either fresh or salt water habitat.
Both the male and the female provide care for the young, but the female often leaves the male to raise the young before they can fly. He must then feed and defend them alone.
These shorebirds will also be affected by climate change. They will start breeding further north, as well as wintering more north, possibly even in Oklahoma. Their northern winter range appears to be traveling more north and east.
Sunday, March 25, 2018
Sunday, May 7, 2017
May 2017 Has Started Out As the Best Spring Migration Over the Past Five Years
Least Flycatcher
Ditto
Forster's Terns
Orange-crowned Warbler
Greater Yellowlegs
Lesser Yellowlegs
Clay-colored Sparrow
Male Orchard Oriole
Least Flycatcher
Nashville Warbler
Scissor-tailed Flycatcher
Black-crowned Night-Heron
Cedar Waxwing
Green Heron
Canada Gosling
Ditto
Great Blue Heron
05-02 through 05-06-17
Cedar Waxwings have arrived to take advantage of buds, fruiting flowers, and the multitudes of
mulberries, which have begun ripening. I know this, as I have been watching the berries and actually ate a couple of them right beside some Yellow Warblers. Another tidbit for you is that mulberry bushes become mulberry trees in just a few short years, which is why you can get hordes of fruit-
eating birds. Try it and you'll see for yourselves when you have an increase in waxwings and warblers. Since the Middle Atlantic and a few northeastern states are still on the chilly side, some of
these birds have been with us a little longer. Our mornings have still been a little cooler than normal, but I just as soon have these photo opportunities as long as possible. Not only that, there is a remote
possibility that if these birds are held up too long, they might just decide to start breeding here.
Monday, which was May Day, was the coolest morning of the week, which we touched on last photo posting, and that was a relatively good morning for migratory birds. Thursday the 4th was an outstanding morning. I believe I had 62 species on that day, and they were practically dropping out of the trees. Warblers were quite plentiful, Clay-colored Sparrows were everywhere, and shorebirds were still enjoying puddles, especially the Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs.
Our first empidonax flycatchers, the Least Flycatcher, was plentiful and a allowing for some excellent photo ops. A juvenile Black-crowned Night-Heron rested for a short time at Heron Cove. This bird wasn't driven out like an adult would be. It wasn't seated far from a breeding aged Green
Heron, as a matter of fact.
Birding was still good, but slowed up a little at the end of the week, but there were a few good things
that still came along, like three Red-headed Woodpeckers at Boomer Creek, one of which managed to grace Boomer Lake proper, and we have a pair of beautiful Great-crested Flycatchers eying the largest snag on the north end of the lake. They lost the thinner snag at the wood's edge last year, but I'm pleased to note that they were not deterred by that.
We have peaked with eight Forster's Terns for the past several days and there are still plenty of Franklin's Gulls passing through the area.
Our Bell's Vireos have also returned to their nesting grounds in our area, and one is already courting
a young lady...
Due to the fact that conditions have been quite good this spring with plenty of water, there is plenty of food for the birds, and we should have a wonderful crop of rough leafed dogwood berries in short order for discriminating palates. Migratory action is still going on, so keep your bins and spotting scopes handy and see what else we can find in Payne county during the spring of 2017, which is the best conditions that I have noted over the past five years.
Wednesday, February 24, 2016
Aransas National Wildlife Refuge/Laguna Atascosa in Texas
Blue-winged Teal Pair
Male Green-winged Teal
Male Blue-winged Teal
Least Grebe
Pied-billed Grebe
Breeding Plumage, Foreground
Greater Yellowlegs
American Wigeon
Crested Caracara
Greater Roadrunner
White-tipped Dove
Golden-fronted Woodpecker
Olive Sparrow
02-18/02-20-16
Photos were taken at Jones Lake and Heron Flats in Aransas NWR and Laguna Atascosa just
prior to darkness.
Jones Lake was observed over two days, where the both teals, the Least Grebe, and American
Wigeon were found.
The real gems were located at Laguna Atascosa, which was worth the drive via a seven-mile detour over very rough terrain. The birds photographed were the Crested Caracara, Greater Roadrunner, White-tipped Dove, Green Jay, Golden-crowned Woodpecker, Gray Catbirds and the very regional Olive Sparrow. The Aplomondo Falcon was seen attempting to apprehend a Gray Catbird, as was the Long-billed Thrasher. Darkness
nearly enveloped us, and I ran out of time trying to get a decent shot of the Long-billed Thrasher. Perhaps next time will yield additional results.
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