Thursday, January 26, 2012
Is that the Red or the White? The Red!
Did a little birding in Stockton today to see if I could pick up the Red-breasted Nuthatch that was seen on the CBC. I headed over to the house on 7th that has a large concentration of feeders. I used the iPod there and got not response. I then headed up Ash just a block to the row of pine trees. I played the song twice and then shut the iPod off. Sitting in the car, I heard the nasally voice of the Red-breasted Nuthatch (#94) calling. It flew and fluttered right over my head. I tried to get a nice photo of it, but it then flew back into the pine trees. I turned the iPod on again. It fluttered right over my head and landed on a post five feet away from me. Here are the photos I got before it took off:
Monday, January 23, 2012
A Successful Quest
So I've mentioned a few times that I had a spot staked out that I was almost positive would have a Winter Wren. Today after school, I decided to take a quick jaunt to check it out. The trip didn't start out well. It was quiet, and as I walked the bank of the creek, I got no response to the Winter Wren call. After 40 minutes or so, I decided to head back. When I got to the trailhead, I heard quite a few birds. I used the screech-owl call and got a response from a couple of woodpeckers, White-breasted Nuthatches, and Black-capped Chickadees. I got to the dam and decided to try once more for the Winter Wren. I played the song and saw a tiny bird fly across the creek into the boulders: Winter Wren (#93)! It started singing in response to the song from the iPod. I absolutely love it when I find a spot that I just know has a certain bird in it. On a side note, the area where I was today (Woodston Wildlife Area) has some good habitat for Barred Owl. If there are Barred Owls in Rooks, they would be on the western limit of their range in the midcontinent area. They are expanding north and west, so if they aren't here now, they should be soon.
Winter Wren singing in response to the iPod-Am I the only one who feels a little guilty tricking birds this way?
Winter Wren showing off its short little tail
Winter Wren trying to find the invisible wren who invaded its territory
Sunday, January 22, 2012
Some more Kansas birds
Continuing the strain of posts about state-birds for me:
31. Empids-I need a lot of these babies. Yellow-bellied and Acadian Flycatcher are going to be difficult for me to get this far west. Acadian breeds in the far east, so I can probably get that some time. Yellow-bellied passes through in small numbers, so I'll have to be at one of the migrant hotspots in the East. I don't have any plans on doing that any time soon (although it would help me with a lot of state-birds), so I'll have to get extremely lucky to get this bird...like really lucky. Alder, Willow, and Least are all migrants through the entire state although Alder and Least are more numerous in the East. If I were a betting man, I would say that I'll probably get Willow and Least this Spring. Eventually, I'll get Alder. Dusky--and a few other western flycatchers--are birds that I hope to get some time, and I probably can get a few of them in Morton County. As I said before, I really would like to travel down there during Spring of Fall migration this year.
32. Ash-throated Flycatcher-Lifer! This is a rare bird in the SW, but one I have a real shot at getting if and when I go to Morton.
33. Cassin's Kingbird-Lifer! This is an uncommon migrant through the extreme SW. This is a bird I would love to get. I have a decent shot at it if I go down there. I don't know why it seems so appealing to me, but it just seems so much cooler than its cousin the Western Kingbird.
34. White-eyed Vireo, Yellow-throated, Philadelphia, and Red-eyed Vireo- White-eyed is one of my favorite birds. Those white eyes just make the bird seem so intelligent, more human-like. It's an uncommon migrant and rare breeder in the East. I could get it in Rooks, but it is not to be expected here any time soon. Yellow-throated and Philadelphia are much more likely to be seen in the East. My best shot would be a trip during migration although Yellow-throated does breed in the state. Both are possibilities in Rooks but probably casual. Red-eyed...well, I don't want to jinx it, but I should get Red-eyed during Spring. Knock on wood.
35. Fish Crow and Chihuahuan Raven-I'll get them eventually, but it will take a trip to the SE for Fish and to the SW for Chihuahuan. The Fish Crow's voice is cool (very nasally), but otherwise it just looks like an American Crow. I've never seen Chihuahuan, but for some reason it's a lot easier to get excited about a raven than it is about a crow. I wonder why that is?
36. Carolina Chickadee-An easy bird to get as long as you are in the bottom tier of counties. Again, I'll get it; it will just take a trip down there. Chickadees are just so cool. I'd be more excited about this one, though, if it wasn't so similar to Black-capped.
37. Tufted Titmouse-How do I not have a Tufted Titmouse in Kansas? Well because I haven't done any birding in the East. The farthest east I've birded is Quivira and Cheyenne Bottoms. Maybe I'll get to go birding the next time we are visiting family in Wichita or McPherson. I'll pick it up then.
38. Bewick's, Winter, Sedge, and Marsh Wren-I'm determined to get Winter Wren this Winter. I know that at least one is around because Mike Rader and his daughter called one up on the CBC. I've got a place that I'm almost positive has to have one; I just need to go there with my speakers. Sedge Wren is just a cool bird. They are fairly common during migration in the East, but I'm willing to be I could pick one up in Rooks or the surrounding counties (perhaps with a Le Conte's Sparrow?). Marsh Wren I will pick up sometime this year. I am determined. Finally we come to Bewick's. This population is just weird in Kansas. It's supposed to be more common in the South, but you could pick it up anywhere almost at any time. They are cool birds and if I don't get one this year I'll try to make a trip to the South to pick it up with some other specialties.
39. Blue-gray Gnatcatcher-I should find this bird during Spring or Fall migration. It's definitely more common in the East, but it's not rare anywhere in the state.
40. Ruby-crowned Kinglet-Another bird I should find during migration. I hate to count on birds, but this is one that is to be expected.
To be continued....
31. Empids-I need a lot of these babies. Yellow-bellied and Acadian Flycatcher are going to be difficult for me to get this far west. Acadian breeds in the far east, so I can probably get that some time. Yellow-bellied passes through in small numbers, so I'll have to be at one of the migrant hotspots in the East. I don't have any plans on doing that any time soon (although it would help me with a lot of state-birds), so I'll have to get extremely lucky to get this bird...like really lucky. Alder, Willow, and Least are all migrants through the entire state although Alder and Least are more numerous in the East. If I were a betting man, I would say that I'll probably get Willow and Least this Spring. Eventually, I'll get Alder. Dusky--and a few other western flycatchers--are birds that I hope to get some time, and I probably can get a few of them in Morton County. As I said before, I really would like to travel down there during Spring of Fall migration this year.
32. Ash-throated Flycatcher-Lifer! This is a rare bird in the SW, but one I have a real shot at getting if and when I go to Morton.
33. Cassin's Kingbird-Lifer! This is an uncommon migrant through the extreme SW. This is a bird I would love to get. I have a decent shot at it if I go down there. I don't know why it seems so appealing to me, but it just seems so much cooler than its cousin the Western Kingbird.
34. White-eyed Vireo, Yellow-throated, Philadelphia, and Red-eyed Vireo- White-eyed is one of my favorite birds. Those white eyes just make the bird seem so intelligent, more human-like. It's an uncommon migrant and rare breeder in the East. I could get it in Rooks, but it is not to be expected here any time soon. Yellow-throated and Philadelphia are much more likely to be seen in the East. My best shot would be a trip during migration although Yellow-throated does breed in the state. Both are possibilities in Rooks but probably casual. Red-eyed...well, I don't want to jinx it, but I should get Red-eyed during Spring. Knock on wood.
35. Fish Crow and Chihuahuan Raven-I'll get them eventually, but it will take a trip to the SE for Fish and to the SW for Chihuahuan. The Fish Crow's voice is cool (very nasally), but otherwise it just looks like an American Crow. I've never seen Chihuahuan, but for some reason it's a lot easier to get excited about a raven than it is about a crow. I wonder why that is?
36. Carolina Chickadee-An easy bird to get as long as you are in the bottom tier of counties. Again, I'll get it; it will just take a trip down there. Chickadees are just so cool. I'd be more excited about this one, though, if it wasn't so similar to Black-capped.
37. Tufted Titmouse-How do I not have a Tufted Titmouse in Kansas? Well because I haven't done any birding in the East. The farthest east I've birded is Quivira and Cheyenne Bottoms. Maybe I'll get to go birding the next time we are visiting family in Wichita or McPherson. I'll pick it up then.
38. Bewick's, Winter, Sedge, and Marsh Wren-I'm determined to get Winter Wren this Winter. I know that at least one is around because Mike Rader and his daughter called one up on the CBC. I've got a place that I'm almost positive has to have one; I just need to go there with my speakers. Sedge Wren is just a cool bird. They are fairly common during migration in the East, but I'm willing to be I could pick one up in Rooks or the surrounding counties (perhaps with a Le Conte's Sparrow?). Marsh Wren I will pick up sometime this year. I am determined. Finally we come to Bewick's. This population is just weird in Kansas. It's supposed to be more common in the South, but you could pick it up anywhere almost at any time. They are cool birds and if I don't get one this year I'll try to make a trip to the South to pick it up with some other specialties.
39. Blue-gray Gnatcatcher-I should find this bird during Spring or Fall migration. It's definitely more common in the East, but it's not rare anywhere in the state.
40. Ruby-crowned Kinglet-Another bird I should find during migration. I hate to count on birds, but this is one that is to be expected.
To be continued....
Another Two Bite the Dust
I'm trying to get 100 bird species before the end of January. Considering my original goal was somewhere in the range of 60, I'm not going to be too disappointed if I don't make it, but it would be pretty cool. Anyways, I went out yesterday for a few hours and decided to bird the area around Webster Reservoir. I wasn't really trying to target any one species, but I was hoping to get Ferruginous Hawk, Northern Shrike, and Glaucous Gull (although there has been an extreme paucity of gulls at Webster since most of it froze over). I started out on the north side of the lake and got some good looks at large rafts of waterfowl. The best bird I added was probably Canvasback (new for Rooks this year). I picked through the goldeneye, trying to spot a Barrow's, but no luck.
I then scoured the south part of the lake. I didn't add any birds to my year or county-year lists, but I did see some nice flocks of Lapland Longspur. I can't wait until March, so I can try to pick through the flocks and find a Chestnut-collared or even McCown's or Smith's.
On my way back to the north side of the lake, I noticed a large white bird sitting on the ice. As I glassed it, it started to fly towards me. What I first hoped was a Glaucous Gull turned out to be this lovely lady:
I then scoured the south part of the lake. I didn't add any birds to my year or county-year lists, but I did see some nice flocks of Lapland Longspur. I can't wait until March, so I can try to pick through the flocks and find a Chestnut-collared or even McCown's or Smith's.
On my way back to the north side of the lake, I noticed a large white bird sitting on the ice. As I glassed it, it started to fly towards me. What I first hoped was a Glaucous Gull turned out to be this lovely lady:
First-year female Snowy Owl I have seen three times around Webster this Winter (notice the pink feet; she got a meal sometime recently!)
It wasn't a new year bird or even a county-year bird, but it was awesome none-the-less. As I got closer to the north part of the lake, I noticed some strangely colored geese mixed in with a flock of Canada, Cackling, and Snow Geese. They are some kind of hybrid although what kind of hybrid I have no idea.
So far I have received feedback from three other birders; they have as little clue as I. The general consensus is that they are not domestic geese, though.
At this point, I decided to start to make my way back to Stockton. There was at least one spot I wanted to stop, though: the sandpit on 17 Rd. I figured the water there would be frozen over because it is tiny, and Webster is mostly frozen over. Mike Rader and his daughter had two Marsh Wrens there on the CBC, and I've tried to get them a few times without success. I figured I'd give it another go. When I got there, I was surprised to find some open water. Lo and behold, another county year-bird was waiting amidst a small flock of Redhead, Ring-necked Ducks, and an American Coot:
At this point, I decided to start to make my way back to Stockton. There was at least one spot I wanted to stop, though: the sandpit on 17 Rd. I figured the water there would be frozen over because it is tiny, and Webster is mostly frozen over. Mike Rader and his daughter had two Marsh Wrens there on the CBC, and I've tried to get them a few times without success. I figured I'd give it another go. When I got there, I was surprised to find some open water. Lo and behold, another county year-bird was waiting amidst a small flock of Redhead, Ring-necked Ducks, and an American Coot:
Two Lesser scaup
I still need Greater Scaup for Kansas, but there was no way these were going to be Greater. First off, I've never seen Greaters on such a small piece of water. Not to say that they couldn't, but Lesser is definitely much more likely to appear on a small piece of water. Second, they were too small to be Greaters. Third, the peak of the crown gives them away as Lessers; Greaters would have a more rounded crown.
Near the sandpit is a nice row of Cedars that I have gotten some good birds out of (Eastern Towhee for one). I played a screech-owl tape and got quite the response. There were tons of cardinals, White-crowned Sparrows, and House Sparrows. And mixed in with them was one White-throated Sparrow. Year-bird #91!
As I made my way back on US-24, I saw a small flock of blackbirds and turned around because I thought they might be Rusties. They were, but as I watched them, I saw a Buteo soaring over a field just to the west. I figured it was almost assuredly a Red-tailed, but you can never be too sure. I drove a little bit, got out of the car and was exhilarated to identify the bird as a beautiful Ferruginous Hawk (#92). They really are gorgeous hawks.
That was the last of the birds for the trip. I now stand at 92 year-birds and 90 Rooks County year-birds.
Friday, January 20, 2012
More Kansas Birds for Me to Get
Here is another update to the continuing list of birds I still need in Kansas:
21. Inca Dove-Lifer! I'll likely have to go to the SW to get this bird. It's an attractive dove species, but for some reason, I have a hard time getting too excited about any doves.
22. Black-billed Cuckoo-This species has been kind of a bugaboo bird for me the past few years. Up until 2010, I didn't have too much difficulty getting it, but I haven't seen it the past two years. In Kansas, it's a bird that I could easily get during migration or could easily miss. I think it's a pretty rare breeder, so I'm not going to count on that. I think my best shot for this cuckoo is during spring migration in the area.
23. Long-eared Owl-Lifer! I'll get this bird; I swear! In fact, I might get it tomorrow. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.
24. Short-eared Owl-I'm pretty sure I've seen two of these babies down in Pawnee County. As my wife and I drove 156 from Rozel to Larned, I've seen two birds flying like Short-eared Owls just after sunset. I couldn't stop to get a better look, so I haven't counted either of them. There is a chance that they could have been harriers flying late. I'll get a Short-eared some time by driving the country roads around sunset (or sunrise if I ever get up that early).
25. Common Poorwill-Lifer! I am determined to get this bird this Spring. I don't think it should be too terribly difficult; it will just involve driving around at night and playing the poorwill call. There's plenty of good habitat for it in Rooks County. Or I might get it at Bird Runner in June.
26. Chuck-will's-widow (Lifer!) and Eastern Whip-poor-will-My best shot for both of these birds is at Bird Runner later this year. I should be able to get the Chuck's there, but the Whip is going to be more difficult. It's definitely a possibility, though.
27. Black-chinned (Lifer!), Broad-tailed (Lifer!), and Rufous Hummingbirds-I could get one at my hummingbird feeder or I could get any one of them at Henry Armknecht's. The most likely time is during Fall migration, which seems like a long time from now.
28. Ladder-backed Woodpecker-Lifer! This is one of the main target species that I would try to get if I go down to Morton County. I need to go soon! I can feel the itch.
29. Pileated Woodpecker-Always an awesome bird to see, but I've just seen so many of them in Michigan. I definitely want to get one in Kansas, but it's not a bird that I would make a trip for by itself. I think I can get it at Bird Runner; otherwise, I'll have to get it in the East some time. I don't have any specific trip to that area planned, though.
30. Western Wood-Pewee-Lifer! This is a bird that I should get in Morton County. Theoretically, I could get it in my own county, but that is not as likely. I guess I better start brushing up on my flycatcher song identification!
A Quick Trip 1/20/2012
I decided to run out to Webster after school today. It was the first time that most of the lake has been frozen over. This was probably a good thing for me, though. All the waterfowl were concentrated around the two small areas of open water. There was a large flock of geese. Almost all of them were Canada and Cackling, but there were two birds that stuck out very clearly:
One of two Snow Geese in a large flock of Canada and Cackling Geese and dabblers (almost all Mallards).
There were also a few Greater White-fronted Geese mixed in; they didn't stick out nearly as well as the Snow Geese.
Greater White-fronted Goose amidst other geese.
I also saw my first Bald Eagles for Rooks County for 2012.
Two adult Bald Eagles chillin' on the ice.
After I picked up Hooded Merganser for Rooks, I decided to take to the county roads in search of Northern Shrike, Ferruginous Hawk, Short-eared Owl, and anything else I could pick up. Well, there were no shrikes, Ferruginous, or owls to be found, but I did pick up a small flock of Greater Prairie-Chicken (#90). I love the way they fly: short bursts of flaps with longer drifting periods. I also found a nice flock of sparrows, nothing too special, but still nice.
Thursday, January 19, 2012
10 More State Birds
Continuing my post from before, I am going through some of the more likely candidates for new state birds for me:
11. Northern Goshawk-Here's another bird that is more common in Michigan than in Kansas. Somehow, I never saw one there, though. Henry Armknecht has seen at least 2 of these birds at Webster on the CBC. I will be checking every large accipiter that I see carefully during the colder months; you can be sure of that. Apparently, Webster is one of the better spots in Kansas to see this bird of prey.
12. Red-shouldered Hawk-For this one, I think I just need to go to the east side of the state, find some appropriate habitat, and play a tape of its call. This one shouldn't be too difficult to get if I ever do a birding trip to the east.
13. Broad-winged Hawk-I should get this one at some point during migration. I know that they are more common on the east side of the state, but I don't think it should take me too many migration seasons to get this in Rooks County.
14. Black and King Rail-Theoretically, Quivira and Cheyenne Bottoms are probably two of the best inland sites for these species in the entire county. Their populations are affected quite a bit by the water conditions, and this past year wasn't good. I've tried a handful of times for them at CB and Q, and I tried a few times in North Carolina; no luck. I desperately want to hear the kee-kee-der of the Black Rail. I will try pretty hard to get it in May or June this year. I would love to see one, but that might be hoping for too much. As for King, I'm pretty sure I heard one this past September, but I wasn't quite convinced enough. I should get one this April-June.
15. Piping and Mountain Plover-There's a small breeding population of Piping in the NE, but I am going to wait to pick one up on migration. I could get one at Webster or Kirwin, but they are much more frequently seen at CB or Q. Mountain Plovers breed in small numbers in the SW. I'd loved to see these birds. There's always a chance I could get one on migration at one of the central reservoirs, but I think I will try for the breeding population when I make a birding trip to the SW.
16. Long-billed Curlew-I definitely could pick this baby up on migration in my area or at CB or Q, but I think I want to go to the Garden City area and see the larger flocks that gather there in migration. How can you pass up seeing hundreds of these amazing shorebirds?
17. Short-billed Dowitcher-I should pick one (or more) of these this year. They are not that common in Kansas, but they are not rare, either. The hard part is differentiating them from Long-billed. You see the Short-billeds that pass through Kansas are the prairie subspecies (Hendersoni sp.) that look very similar to Long-billed. In breeding plumage, I should be able to tell them apart, but they can be very difficult to identify when not in breeding plumage.
18. American Woodcock-Another eastern Kansas specialty. I hope to go to Bird Runner Wildlife Refuge in the spring. There very well could be woodcocks there, and it still could be early enough to hear them peent-ing.
19. Black-legged Kittiwake, California, Iceland, Glaucous, Laughing, and Great Black-backed Gull-Oh the gulls. Ya gotta love 'em. There's not any super-predictable spot for any of these birds except for Glaucous. I'll just have to do some gull-watching at some of the larger reservoirs. Laughing and California Gulls are rare in Kansas, but they are regular and many--I'm sure--go unreported and unidentified. Apparently I was not very far away from a California at CB in the Fall, but I was looking in the wrong direction. My best shot for one of these is to do some gull-watching at a spot like CB or Q. I could always get lucky and spot one at Webster, but it will probably be during migration. Laughing Gulls would be difficult at most times to pick from a large flock of Franklin's. I guess I'll have to keep practicing my gull identification.
20. Caspian and Common Tern-I should get both of these species relatively soon by just identifying terns during migration. I'm sure a couple past through Rooks County each year; the trick is to be in the right spot and--in the case of Common--to differentiate it from Forster's.
Again, there are more birds to come, but I don't want to make any one post too long.
11. Northern Goshawk-Here's another bird that is more common in Michigan than in Kansas. Somehow, I never saw one there, though. Henry Armknecht has seen at least 2 of these birds at Webster on the CBC. I will be checking every large accipiter that I see carefully during the colder months; you can be sure of that. Apparently, Webster is one of the better spots in Kansas to see this bird of prey.
12. Red-shouldered Hawk-For this one, I think I just need to go to the east side of the state, find some appropriate habitat, and play a tape of its call. This one shouldn't be too difficult to get if I ever do a birding trip to the east.
13. Broad-winged Hawk-I should get this one at some point during migration. I know that they are more common on the east side of the state, but I don't think it should take me too many migration seasons to get this in Rooks County.
14. Black and King Rail-Theoretically, Quivira and Cheyenne Bottoms are probably two of the best inland sites for these species in the entire county. Their populations are affected quite a bit by the water conditions, and this past year wasn't good. I've tried a handful of times for them at CB and Q, and I tried a few times in North Carolina; no luck. I desperately want to hear the kee-kee-der of the Black Rail. I will try pretty hard to get it in May or June this year. I would love to see one, but that might be hoping for too much. As for King, I'm pretty sure I heard one this past September, but I wasn't quite convinced enough. I should get one this April-June.
15. Piping and Mountain Plover-There's a small breeding population of Piping in the NE, but I am going to wait to pick one up on migration. I could get one at Webster or Kirwin, but they are much more frequently seen at CB or Q. Mountain Plovers breed in small numbers in the SW. I'd loved to see these birds. There's always a chance I could get one on migration at one of the central reservoirs, but I think I will try for the breeding population when I make a birding trip to the SW.
16. Long-billed Curlew-I definitely could pick this baby up on migration in my area or at CB or Q, but I think I want to go to the Garden City area and see the larger flocks that gather there in migration. How can you pass up seeing hundreds of these amazing shorebirds?
17. Short-billed Dowitcher-I should pick one (or more) of these this year. They are not that common in Kansas, but they are not rare, either. The hard part is differentiating them from Long-billed. You see the Short-billeds that pass through Kansas are the prairie subspecies (Hendersoni sp.) that look very similar to Long-billed. In breeding plumage, I should be able to tell them apart, but they can be very difficult to identify when not in breeding plumage.
18. American Woodcock-Another eastern Kansas specialty. I hope to go to Bird Runner Wildlife Refuge in the spring. There very well could be woodcocks there, and it still could be early enough to hear them peent-ing.
19. Black-legged Kittiwake, California, Iceland, Glaucous, Laughing, and Great Black-backed Gull-Oh the gulls. Ya gotta love 'em. There's not any super-predictable spot for any of these birds except for Glaucous. I'll just have to do some gull-watching at some of the larger reservoirs. Laughing and California Gulls are rare in Kansas, but they are regular and many--I'm sure--go unreported and unidentified. Apparently I was not very far away from a California at CB in the Fall, but I was looking in the wrong direction. My best shot for one of these is to do some gull-watching at a spot like CB or Q. I could always get lucky and spot one at Webster, but it will probably be during migration. Laughing Gulls would be difficult at most times to pick from a large flock of Franklin's. I guess I'll have to keep practicing my gull identification.
20. Caspian and Common Tern-I should get both of these species relatively soon by just identifying terns during migration. I'm sure a couple past through Rooks County each year; the trick is to be in the right spot and--in the case of Common--to differentiate it from Forster's.
Again, there are more birds to come, but I don't want to make any one post too long.
Kansas Life Birds
Part of what I like about birding is making lists and making plans on when and where to find those birds. Having just moved to Kansas in August and having only visited a few times before that, there are quite a few state birds that I still need, so I though I'd lay out some of the more likely candidates for me to get this year.
1. Mottled Duck-These birds are rare but regular at Cheyenne Bottoms and Quivira. This would be a life bird for me and probably one that I can get realistically, but there's a problem. In order to get it, you should have a good scope (which I don't have), and you have to spend time at the aforementioned sites sifting through the Mallards, picking out the Mottleds. I very well could get it, but do I really want to spend time comparing female Mallards and Mottled Ducks?
2. Greater Scaup-This is a bird that I hope to get by chance at Webster. Seeing that they were pretty common in Michigan, it's not a bird that has a lot of "magic" for me. Although they are rare in Kansas, I don't plan on doing any chasing for this bird.
3. Scoters-I need all three of 'em for Kansas. While I only have a few Blacks and Surfs for Michigan, White-winged was pretty common. They are definitely attractive birds, but again, I don't think I would do any chasing for these birds. Eventually, I assume I will get them in the Fall at Webster or Kirwin.
4. Long-tailed Duck-This bird was very common in winter in Michigan. It is not uncommon to see thousands of "Oldsquaw" flying on the horizon of Lake Michigan. I am definitely not chasing this bird and will get it at Webster during migration or winter some time.
5. Barrow's Goldeneye-I had one potential female a few weeks ago at Webster, but the sighting was not anywhere close to conclusive. Although I believe I could get it through patience at Webster in the next few years, I probably have a better chance of getting it in Wichita if we go there to visit relatives. There has been a male there for the past few winters that has been pretty reliable.
6. Scaled Quail-This little beauty would be a lifer for me. I would definitely have to travel to the SW part of Kansas for it, and I plan to do so in the near future. I hope to do so this year, but if not now, then in the next few years.
7. Lesser Prairie-Chicken-One of the aspects of Kansas birding that I'm most looking forward to is seeing prairie-chickens on the lek. I've had 5-6 Greater sightings this past year, with one quality view of a bird on the ground, but I need to have the pair. Scott Seltman has graciously offered to show me a lek or two around the Pawnee County area.
8. Common, Pacific, and Red-throated Loon-I'm still not sure how I birded in Michigan for ~6 years and don't have a Red-throated Loon. I guess in my defense, I didn't start going after the water birds of Lake Michigan until the last year or two, but it was still a nemesis bird for me. They are much rarer here in Kansas, but I guess as a consolation, Pacific is much more common. I think it very likely that I could get Pacific at Webster (or certainly at Wilson) within a few years. Red-throated I might have to chase to get. Common I should get this spring migration period.
9. Red-necked and Clarks' Grebe-One of my thrills this past fall was seeing 11 Western Grebes on Webster. Each of the birds showed stereotypic characteristics of Western Grebes. I am very confident, though, that I will get Clark's at Webster if I'm patient. One thing that will help is the addition of a quality scope, which I am saving up for. Red-necked is quite a bit more rare here than in Michigan. And I have had the pleasure of getting to see Red-neckeds in breeding plumage (with fledged young) on Eagle Lake in Ontario. Seeing them in winter plumage is still cool, but it doesn't compare to that sharp breeding plumage. Any sighting I get here in Kansas is likely to be in basic (winter) plumage, and I just might have to work for it. I'm not planning on doing any chasing for it any time soon, so I guess I try to pick through any groups of water birds I see in spring migration.
10. Glossy Ibis-These birds are rare but regular in Kansas. I got to see my first ones of these birds in North Carolina this past May. The problem with getting them in Kansas is that they are likely to be in Kansas when they look almost identical to White-faced. What that means is that you need to take time carefully studying minor details of any Ibis. With the right light and viewing conditions, you can see the brown iris of Glossy Ibis. Just make sure that what you are looking at is an adult bird because young White-faced Ibis also have brown irises.
That's it for now. I'll continue the list, but I don't want to overwhelm in one post.
1. Mottled Duck-These birds are rare but regular at Cheyenne Bottoms and Quivira. This would be a life bird for me and probably one that I can get realistically, but there's a problem. In order to get it, you should have a good scope (which I don't have), and you have to spend time at the aforementioned sites sifting through the Mallards, picking out the Mottleds. I very well could get it, but do I really want to spend time comparing female Mallards and Mottled Ducks?
2. Greater Scaup-This is a bird that I hope to get by chance at Webster. Seeing that they were pretty common in Michigan, it's not a bird that has a lot of "magic" for me. Although they are rare in Kansas, I don't plan on doing any chasing for this bird.
3. Scoters-I need all three of 'em for Kansas. While I only have a few Blacks and Surfs for Michigan, White-winged was pretty common. They are definitely attractive birds, but again, I don't think I would do any chasing for these birds. Eventually, I assume I will get them in the Fall at Webster or Kirwin.
4. Long-tailed Duck-This bird was very common in winter in Michigan. It is not uncommon to see thousands of "Oldsquaw" flying on the horizon of Lake Michigan. I am definitely not chasing this bird and will get it at Webster during migration or winter some time.
5. Barrow's Goldeneye-I had one potential female a few weeks ago at Webster, but the sighting was not anywhere close to conclusive. Although I believe I could get it through patience at Webster in the next few years, I probably have a better chance of getting it in Wichita if we go there to visit relatives. There has been a male there for the past few winters that has been pretty reliable.
6. Scaled Quail-This little beauty would be a lifer for me. I would definitely have to travel to the SW part of Kansas for it, and I plan to do so in the near future. I hope to do so this year, but if not now, then in the next few years.
7. Lesser Prairie-Chicken-One of the aspects of Kansas birding that I'm most looking forward to is seeing prairie-chickens on the lek. I've had 5-6 Greater sightings this past year, with one quality view of a bird on the ground, but I need to have the pair. Scott Seltman has graciously offered to show me a lek or two around the Pawnee County area.
8. Common, Pacific, and Red-throated Loon-I'm still not sure how I birded in Michigan for ~6 years and don't have a Red-throated Loon. I guess in my defense, I didn't start going after the water birds of Lake Michigan until the last year or two, but it was still a nemesis bird for me. They are much rarer here in Kansas, but I guess as a consolation, Pacific is much more common. I think it very likely that I could get Pacific at Webster (or certainly at Wilson) within a few years. Red-throated I might have to chase to get. Common I should get this spring migration period.
9. Red-necked and Clarks' Grebe-One of my thrills this past fall was seeing 11 Western Grebes on Webster. Each of the birds showed stereotypic characteristics of Western Grebes. I am very confident, though, that I will get Clark's at Webster if I'm patient. One thing that will help is the addition of a quality scope, which I am saving up for. Red-necked is quite a bit more rare here than in Michigan. And I have had the pleasure of getting to see Red-neckeds in breeding plumage (with fledged young) on Eagle Lake in Ontario. Seeing them in winter plumage is still cool, but it doesn't compare to that sharp breeding plumage. Any sighting I get here in Kansas is likely to be in basic (winter) plumage, and I just might have to work for it. I'm not planning on doing any chasing for it any time soon, so I guess I try to pick through any groups of water birds I see in spring migration.
10. Glossy Ibis-These birds are rare but regular in Kansas. I got to see my first ones of these birds in North Carolina this past May. The problem with getting them in Kansas is that they are likely to be in Kansas when they look almost identical to White-faced. What that means is that you need to take time carefully studying minor details of any Ibis. With the right light and viewing conditions, you can see the brown iris of Glossy Ibis. Just make sure that what you are looking at is an adult bird because young White-faced Ibis also have brown irises.
That's it for now. I'll continue the list, but I don't want to overwhelm in one post.
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Kirwin NWR 1/17/12
So after a meeting I had this afternoon, I had some time to kill before I picked my wife up. Luckily, Phillipsburg is ridiculously close to Kirwin NWR. I headed over to pick up some of the species I have yet to see this winter (although they won't be difficult at all to pick up later). I guess it just frees up some time later to focus on species more difficult to pick up. As I drove in, I was greeted by this sight:
American White Pelicans soaring over Kirwin.
I'm not used to seeing this in January yet. I hope that it will become a regular sight, but this far north, I'm sure that it's not going to happen every winter. Anyways, year bird #86. I took the drive just west of the Kirwin headquarters and spotted some ducks. They were partially obscured by the heat haze, but I was able to make out one female Hooded Merganser (#87).
As I took the road that runs to the east of the headquarters, I saw a raptor soaring over the water. Yep, you guessed it (or maybe you didn't...I don't know) Bald Eagle (#88).
I scoped the lake from one of the offshoot roads and thought I saw three Red-breasted Mergansers. The look was not definitive enough to call it, and I wasn't able to get a better look.
The final year bird I got for the day was Double-crested Cormorant. There were at least three individuals on the lake and probably more.
The most impressive sight I saw for the day--though--was the raft of white geese. I estimated it at 30,000 strong.
White goose flock of tens-of-thosands of birds at Kirwin.
And here's one last shot of one of the American White Pelicans:
I'm not used to seeing this in January yet. I hope that it will become a regular sight, but this far north, I'm sure that it's not going to happen every winter. Anyways, year bird #86. I took the drive just west of the Kirwin headquarters and spotted some ducks. They were partially obscured by the heat haze, but I was able to make out one female Hooded Merganser (#87).
As I took the road that runs to the east of the headquarters, I saw a raptor soaring over the water. Yep, you guessed it (or maybe you didn't...I don't know) Bald Eagle (#88).
I scoped the lake from one of the offshoot roads and thought I saw three Red-breasted Mergansers. The look was not definitive enough to call it, and I wasn't able to get a better look.
The final year bird I got for the day was Double-crested Cormorant. There were at least three individuals on the lake and probably more.
The most impressive sight I saw for the day--though--was the raft of white geese. I estimated it at 30,000 strong.
And here's one last shot of one of the American White Pelicans:
Monday, January 16, 2012
Ramblings in January
So I think I'm at the point in my year list where I need to decide how crazy I want to be about the listing this year and, more specifically, how crazy I want to be in the next few weeks. I've gotten all the birds in my county that are to be expected at this time of year. Now there are undoubtedly some more species that I could get if I go "all in." A few of these species probably include the following:
-Swamp Sparrow
-Marsh Wren
-Ferruginous Hawk
-Northern Shrike
-Loggerhead Shrike
-Glaucous Gull
-Lesser Scaup
-Field Sparrow
-Virginia Rail
-Wilson's Snipe
-White-throated Sparrow
-Winter Wren
-Greater Prairie-Chicken
Now if I was a smart birder, I would pick the birds that I don't have as good of a shot at seeing later in the year (Ferruginous Hawk, Glaucous Gull, Northern Shrike, and Winter Wren). There are a few problems with some of these species:
Glaucous Gull-The last few times I have been out to the lake, I have seen very few gulls. Where did they go? I need to check the landfill, but I don't think it's a landfill on the scale I'm used to. I wouldn't be surprised if there aren't any gulls there.
Ferruginous Hawk-I have not found a reliable spot in Rooks where one is hanging out, so that means driving, driving, and more driving. This goes for Northern Shrike, too, as I have not seen one for a number of weeks now.
Winter Wren-I think I have a good potential spot for this species, but my speaker has kind of been on the fritz lately, so my best chance of finding it (using the Winter Wren call or a screech-owl call) is shaky.
-Swamp Sparrow
-Marsh Wren
-Ferruginous Hawk
-Northern Shrike
-Loggerhead Shrike
-Glaucous Gull
-Lesser Scaup
-Field Sparrow
-Virginia Rail
-Wilson's Snipe
-White-throated Sparrow
-Winter Wren
-Greater Prairie-Chicken
Now if I was a smart birder, I would pick the birds that I don't have as good of a shot at seeing later in the year (Ferruginous Hawk, Glaucous Gull, Northern Shrike, and Winter Wren). There are a few problems with some of these species:
Glaucous Gull-The last few times I have been out to the lake, I have seen very few gulls. Where did they go? I need to check the landfill, but I don't think it's a landfill on the scale I'm used to. I wouldn't be surprised if there aren't any gulls there.
Ferruginous Hawk-I have not found a reliable spot in Rooks where one is hanging out, so that means driving, driving, and more driving. This goes for Northern Shrike, too, as I have not seen one for a number of weeks now.
Winter Wren-I think I have a good potential spot for this species, but my speaker has kind of been on the fritz lately, so my best chance of finding it (using the Winter Wren call or a screech-owl call) is shaky.
Sunday, January 15, 2012
January+over 50 degrees=Awesome!
I took a little jaunt this afternoon to see if I could grab a few species that I needed for the year in Kansas and in the county. My main targets were Rough-legged Hawk, Ferruginous Hawk, and Northern Shrike. The thing about these birds is that if you don't have a bird staked out, you basically drive around in appropriate habitat. It can be fun, but it can be tedious, too.
As I drove out of town, I noticed a medium-sized woodpecker dive into a coniferous tree. "Sapsucker!" I thought to myself. I made a u-turn, glassed the tree, and sure enough...sapsucker.
Next I made a stop by the creek east of US-183. As I drove along the road that skirted the creek, I heard some screeching. I stepped out of the car and was surprised to see 14 of the following birds:
One of 14 Rusty Blackbirds perched in trees next to the creek
I then headed to Rooks County Fishing Lake. I didn't really think I would see any of the target species at the lake, but my dog, Gracie, needed to run around, and the lake is always nice to see. As I was on the roads headed to the lake, I saw a Buteo soaring over some of the agricultural fields. I got out of the car and saw the bird clearly in my binocs: Rough-legged Hawk. Sometimes it just pays to be lucky!
I got to the lake and took a walk with Gracie. I didn't see anything too spectacular: a couple of Spotted Towhees, a plethora of Harris's and American Tree Sparrows, and quite a few ducks in the small open area on the lake. I also happened to get a nice view of this beaut:
I know the pic isn't great, but what you're looking at is a female Northern Harrier without a tail!
I don't know what happened to this bird, but you can let your imagination run wild: maybe it got attacked by a Ferruginous or a Red-tailed, or maybe things got a little wild when it was with its mate. I don't know.
After Gracie was good and tired, I took to the country roads looking for Ferruginous Hawks or Northern Shrikes. Unfortunately, I didn't get either of those, but I did see a few things worth mentioning:
1. I got my first Lapland Longspurs in Rooks for the year, a flock of ~100 birds doing their usual lifting off as a group while managing to look like a big flock of individual birds.
2. I saw a Prairie Falcon perched on a hay bale.
3. I happened to catch a Great-horned Owl out of the corner of my eye. It happened to be perched out in the relative open, right above a group of 100+ turkeys...they didn't seem too perturbed.
4. I also got to see the largest flock of blackbirds I have seen. Kansas is kinda notorious for its winter blackbird flocks. I've seen some decent ones up to this point, but I saw a flock today that was easily 100,000 birds strong.
5. Finally on my way back into town, I got to see the small group of Great-tailed Grackles that have been hanging around Stockton. They are pretty rare this far north in winter. In fact we got a group of 11 birds during the Webster CBC, the first birds of this species for the history of Webster CBC.
I'm now over 80 species for Rooks for the year and close to 85 for Kansas for the year. When I first planned the year out, I think I had a goal of ~65 birds for January. Ummmmm...cut me some slack; it's my first winter in Kansas!
As I drove out of town, I noticed a medium-sized woodpecker dive into a coniferous tree. "Sapsucker!" I thought to myself. I made a u-turn, glassed the tree, and sure enough...sapsucker.
Next I made a stop by the creek east of US-183. As I drove along the road that skirted the creek, I heard some screeching. I stepped out of the car and was surprised to see 14 of the following birds:
I then headed to Rooks County Fishing Lake. I didn't really think I would see any of the target species at the lake, but my dog, Gracie, needed to run around, and the lake is always nice to see. As I was on the roads headed to the lake, I saw a Buteo soaring over some of the agricultural fields. I got out of the car and saw the bird clearly in my binocs: Rough-legged Hawk. Sometimes it just pays to be lucky!
I got to the lake and took a walk with Gracie. I didn't see anything too spectacular: a couple of Spotted Towhees, a plethora of Harris's and American Tree Sparrows, and quite a few ducks in the small open area on the lake. I also happened to get a nice view of this beaut:
I don't know what happened to this bird, but you can let your imagination run wild: maybe it got attacked by a Ferruginous or a Red-tailed, or maybe things got a little wild when it was with its mate. I don't know.
After Gracie was good and tired, I took to the country roads looking for Ferruginous Hawks or Northern Shrikes. Unfortunately, I didn't get either of those, but I did see a few things worth mentioning:
1. I got my first Lapland Longspurs in Rooks for the year, a flock of ~100 birds doing their usual lifting off as a group while managing to look like a big flock of individual birds.
2. I saw a Prairie Falcon perched on a hay bale.
3. I happened to catch a Great-horned Owl out of the corner of my eye. It happened to be perched out in the relative open, right above a group of 100+ turkeys...they didn't seem too perturbed.
4. I also got to see the largest flock of blackbirds I have seen. Kansas is kinda notorious for its winter blackbird flocks. I've seen some decent ones up to this point, but I saw a flock today that was easily 100,000 birds strong.
5. Finally on my way back into town, I got to see the small group of Great-tailed Grackles that have been hanging around Stockton. They are pretty rare this far north in winter. In fact we got a group of 11 birds during the Webster CBC, the first birds of this species for the history of Webster CBC.
I'm now over 80 species for Rooks for the year and close to 85 for Kansas for the year. When I first planned the year out, I think I had a goal of ~65 birds for January. Ummmmm...cut me some slack; it's my first winter in Kansas!
Saturday, January 14, 2012
Two are better than one!
Went out with the wife today to Twin Pond Campground, part of the Webster State Wildlife Area. On the way there, Tiff shouts out, "Is that a Snowy Owl?" I pull over; sure enough, the same Snowy Owl I saw on December 30 is perched on a fence post, scanning the area. I take out the camera to get some photos. Crap! I left the battery charging at home! Of course.
Once we got to the campground area, we got out and took a hike. It was ridiculously gorgeous out, and thankfully, the birds decided that it was too nice out to hide. Tiff and I saw 1 new state and county bird (Hermit Thrush), 1 new county bird (Golden Eagle), and 2 other new year birds (Townsend's Solitaire and Brown Creeper). Awesome day to have the wife by my side! I'm pretty sure I would have driven right by the owl if she wasn't there. (Sorry, no pics...yeah, the battery thing)
Once we got to the campground area, we got out and took a hike. It was ridiculously gorgeous out, and thankfully, the birds decided that it was too nice out to hide. Tiff and I saw 1 new state and county bird (Hermit Thrush), 1 new county bird (Golden Eagle), and 2 other new year birds (Townsend's Solitaire and Brown Creeper). Awesome day to have the wife by my side! I'm pretty sure I would have driven right by the owl if she wasn't there. (Sorry, no pics...yeah, the battery thing)
Kansas 2012
With each new year comes the anticipation of starting a new year list. Suddenly, birds like House Sparrow and Northern Cardinal become exciting again. Anyways, my year goal for Kansas is to get 245 birds. This may not seem like a lofty goal (after all people who do a big year in Kansas fairly easily get over 330 species), but under my current circumstances (baby on the way), I feel like it is a fairly ambitious goal.
The way I got to 245 was to give each bird on the Kansas list a code number from 1-6, not unlike the ABA codes, on the likelihood of my seeing that species. As of 1/14/2012, I have 77 species for Kansas. In addition, there are 87 species that I have coded as 1; I should have no problem whatsoever in viewing these species. Therefore, I aim to view 100% of these 87 species. I labelled 64 species as Code 2. These birds are uncommon where I do most of my birding (Rooks, Phillips, and Pawnee County) or common in an area where I plan on doing a little birding throughout the year (Cheyenne Bottoms, Quivira, Bird Runner Wildlife Refuge, and Cimmaron National Grassland). Of these 64 species, I hope to see 75% of them, giving me a total of 47 more species. There are 56 species that I labelled as Code 3 (Rare but regular in my area, or uncommon in one of the aforementioned areas where I plan to do a bit of birding). I hope to see 50% of these species, giving me 28 more birds. There are 85 birds species that I labelled Codes 4-6. These birds are either rare but regular in areas where I plan on doing a little bit of birding, casual or accidental in my area, or birds that I would have to make another trip to see. It's possible that I could make another trip somewhere in Kansas, but I don't want to plan on it. I hope to see 6 of these Code 4-6 birds. This gives me a grand total of 245 birds.
I also hope to get my Rooks County total up to 200+. I am currently sitting at 176 after lucking upon a Golden-crowned Kinglet at a creek crossing yesterday. Part of the beauty of moving to a place to different geographically from West Michigan is that birds that were plentiful there (such as a Golden-crowned Kinglet) are much harder to come by here. But species I wouldn't have even dreamt about there (Ferruginous Hawk, Prairie Falcon, Harris's Sparrow) are to be expected here. You gotta love birding!
Another example of why birding keeps things interesting. Yesterday I saw a hawk circling above Stockton after school. I assumed it was a Red-tailed, being by far the most numerous Buteo around. Usually, my thought process would be the following: "Great another Red-tailed. Who cares." But I don't yet have Red-tailed for my yard list here in Stockton. So I raced home, ran into the house for the binoculars, and threw open the door to view the bird. Sure enough, Red-tailed.
Anyways, here are some of the photos of the birds I have gotten in Rooks lately:
First-year female Snowy Owl seen at Webster SP.
First-cycle Thayer's Gull seen at Webster SP.
Immature Sharp-shinned Hawk at Webster SP.
Interestingly enough, this may be the first immature Sharpie I have seen.
Adult Bald Eagle at Webster SP.
Very bold Northern Bobwhite at Webster SP.
Flock of white geese at Kirwin NWR. Can you
pick out the Ross's?
Adult Sharpie very close to my house.
The way I got to 245 was to give each bird on the Kansas list a code number from 1-6, not unlike the ABA codes, on the likelihood of my seeing that species. As of 1/14/2012, I have 77 species for Kansas. In addition, there are 87 species that I have coded as 1; I should have no problem whatsoever in viewing these species. Therefore, I aim to view 100% of these 87 species. I labelled 64 species as Code 2. These birds are uncommon where I do most of my birding (Rooks, Phillips, and Pawnee County) or common in an area where I plan on doing a little birding throughout the year (Cheyenne Bottoms, Quivira, Bird Runner Wildlife Refuge, and Cimmaron National Grassland). Of these 64 species, I hope to see 75% of them, giving me a total of 47 more species. There are 56 species that I labelled as Code 3 (Rare but regular in my area, or uncommon in one of the aforementioned areas where I plan to do a bit of birding). I hope to see 50% of these species, giving me 28 more birds. There are 85 birds species that I labelled Codes 4-6. These birds are either rare but regular in areas where I plan on doing a little bit of birding, casual or accidental in my area, or birds that I would have to make another trip to see. It's possible that I could make another trip somewhere in Kansas, but I don't want to plan on it. I hope to see 6 of these Code 4-6 birds. This gives me a grand total of 245 birds.
I also hope to get my Rooks County total up to 200+. I am currently sitting at 176 after lucking upon a Golden-crowned Kinglet at a creek crossing yesterday. Part of the beauty of moving to a place to different geographically from West Michigan is that birds that were plentiful there (such as a Golden-crowned Kinglet) are much harder to come by here. But species I wouldn't have even dreamt about there (Ferruginous Hawk, Prairie Falcon, Harris's Sparrow) are to be expected here. You gotta love birding!
Another example of why birding keeps things interesting. Yesterday I saw a hawk circling above Stockton after school. I assumed it was a Red-tailed, being by far the most numerous Buteo around. Usually, my thought process would be the following: "Great another Red-tailed. Who cares." But I don't yet have Red-tailed for my yard list here in Stockton. So I raced home, ran into the house for the binoculars, and threw open the door to view the bird. Sure enough, Red-tailed.
Anyways, here are some of the photos of the birds I have gotten in Rooks lately:
Interestingly enough, this may be the first immature Sharpie I have seen.
pick out the Ross's?
One of 5 Northern Shrikes I spotted in the area in November and December 2011. Now it's 2012, and I can't find one!
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