Showing posts with label White-rumped Sandpiper. Show all posts
Showing posts with label White-rumped Sandpiper. Show all posts
Saturday, March 28, 2020
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.
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