I didn't even have to leave town in order to get my next year bird. As I was driving, going around the block in order to get back on to 24, I noticed some birds flying around a martin house. At first I assumed they were European Starlings, but they turned out to actually be Purple Martins (#122). Who would have thought that martins would hang out by a martin house?
The next year bird came a little later. It's one that I've written some posts about, and apparently I was just looking for them a bit too early. Back in Michigan the first Eastern Meadowlarks would come back in early to mid March. Apparently (at least this year) they return to their haunts in my area in late March. As I was scoping some sparrows, I heard the unmistakable four note song of an Eastern Meadowlark (#123). I wanted to get a look at it to compare to the Westerns I've been seeing.
The bird definitely had a mostly-white malar and had quite a bit of white on the outer parts of the tail. The amount of black in the proximal parts of the back feathers was similar to what I've seen in most of the Westerns. I've also seen Westerns lately that have about the same amount of white in the malar; perhaps they haven't reached full breeding plumage? Overall, I think the differences I noticed by sight were very subjective. Of course, there is the song; that's not so subjective. I guess the "experts" know what they are talking about some times.
The final year bird of the day was probably the most exciting even though the meadowlark was rewarding because I've been looking for them (I actually ended up finding another spot with a few Easterns and later found some up in Phillips county). However, the next bird was a member of one of my favorite groups of birds. I knew I would get it eventually, but it just was a matter of finding an old run-down building. I ended up finding one, but I didn't have too high of expectations for finding one. But as I looked in the nooks and crannies at the top of the building there sat my target: Barn Owl (#124)! I love owls!
Those were the four year birds I got on 3/31. My parents arrived from Michigan the next day, so I didn't do any specific birding. That didn't stop me from picking up three new year birds (and one county bird to boot). As we sat in the 90 degree weather on the banks of the Rooks State Fishing Lake, six birds flew over with their undulating pattern and distinctive flight call, a new county bird: American Pipit (#125). Later on two new swallows appeared in a larger group of Tree Swallows: Cliff (#126) and Barn (#127). Not bad for just sitting on the banks of the lake, chatting with my parents and Tiff.
The final day of the "weekend" was probably the most exciting for me because I found a bird I have been targeting very passionately. Before it fell, though, came a few much more routine birds: Brown Thrasher (#128) at Rooks Fishing Lake and Vesper Sparrow (#129) on the country roads. The real treasure of the day, though, was found as I drove the dirt 8 Rd. just north of U Rd. To the right, there was a fallow agricultural field and to the left there was a fresh wheat field. As I drove, I kicked up a small group of six birds. I could tell right away that they were longspurs. "Finally!" I thought. Now I had to figure out what type they were. It wasn't that difficult. I never got looks at the birds while they were on the ground, but they flew right over me, perhaps 20 feet above my head. Each of the birds had solid black on the necks and bellies, much farther down the belly than a Lapland would have. In addition, their faces were a light color, and they had far too much white in their tails for a Lapland. Finally, I got a life Chestnut-collared Longspur (#130). As they flew over the wheat field, another group of 15 longspurs kicked up and joined the group. I never got good enough looks to identify them. They seemed lighter (at least the ones I saw in the binoculars), so they were either female Chestnut-collareds (most likely), or they could have been McCown's (not as likely). I just left them as longspur sp. This was a major coup for me. Not in that they are all that rare in my county during migration, but they are a beautiful new life bird for me, and I found them by myself, and longspurs can be tricky.
Just as exciting as that, I actually spotted a bird earlier in a burnt field that flew exactly like a pipit, had wider wings than an American Pipit would. I didn't hear it. I saw it land in my binocs, but couldn't find it in the scope. I'm 70% sure it was a Sprague's Pipit, but I'm not close to counting it. I want to be positive for that lifer. I can't wait!
At the end of the birding time, I picked up a few Franklin's Gulls (#131) on Webster. Compared to the longspurs, I was hardly excited.
Later that day, my parents and I toured Kirwin NWR. I didn't see any new birds, but I did see some Loggerheads, some Eastern Meadowlarks, and an Eared Grebe. We also saw a Bull Snake, sunning itself in the road, and we visited the prairie dog town: it was beautiful.
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