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.
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