Rooks County Birding: August 2013

In January I started posting on state/life birds that I hoped to get this year. Here's an update on how I've done so far:

Mottled Duck-A life bird that shall elude me no longer! I guess this really depends on the water levels at CB and Q. If they are good, this is a distinct possibility.=I actually think I had a Mottled Duck at Webster...I just didn't have a camera and couldn't rule out ABD. What could have been...!

Scoter-Any of the three would be a state bird. They will be mine; oh yes, they will be mine!=Nothing yet...nothing even remotely close.

Lesser Prairie-Chicken-This is my promise to you, dear reader: I will get Lesser Prairie-Chicken this coming year!=Calhoun took me to a lek in April...it was awesome!

Scaled Quail-The "cottontop" will bite the dust if I make a trip down to SW Kansas.=I'm going to Morton Co. on September 20. If I get it this year, it will be on that trip.

Clark's Grebe-A new scope will do wonders of my chances of identifying one of these. A new scope huh....=Got one on Spring KOS. If I was by myself, I wouldn't have called it, but others had better scopes and more experience.

Red-shouldered Hawk-One trip out East with a little birding involved should nab this state bird for me. Now, if only I can figure out how to make that trip....=No birding trips out East yet this year; therefore, no R-s H.

Black/King Rails-These little buggers cannot avoid me much longer! Please, Quivira, have good water levels this year!=Tried for them in late April/early May...nada!

Mountain Plover-How did this bird ever get its name? Did someone see one in a mountain at one time? Not likely! This lifer is a real possibility if I make the long-awaited trip to SW Kansas.=I think I could still get them in Morton Co. on Sept. 20.

Long-billed Curlew-Does its bill really need to be that long? Really? Another SW Kansas specialty that could appear in my area as well. State bird.=Lake Coldwater in April!

Sabine's Gull-Not many this year. Next year? A lifer t'would be.=I will be looking this Fall!

Caspian Tern-Oh, Prince Caspian, will I ever find you in this state? Me thinks t' answer would be "yes."=Think I had one at Wilson Sp last weekend, but the bird was in flight and the look was too fleeting.

Inca Dove-Why is it called an Inca Dove? Hum, I wonder? Where could I find this little guy? SW Kansas; that's where. Well, I think I'm starting to see a pattern here....=Sept. 20?

Long-eared Owl-One of those tree branches will turn out to be a Long-eared Owl one of these days! My life is not complete without it.=They have still all been tree branches:)

Short-eared Owl-One of those harriers will turn out to be a Short-eared owl one of these days! My Kansas list is not complete without it.=Pawnee County in the Winter=Short-eared Owl!
To be continued....

So it's been waaaaaaaaaaaay too long since I posted. This year has been a strange one as far as birding goes. I've had some great experiences and odd sightings interspersed with some long periods of "drought." I haven't gotten a new year bird in quite some time, so it currently feels like I'm in a slump.
Things at Webster were weird this summer, too. Because Cheyenne Bottoms and Quivira were so dry at the beginning of the summer, I got a lot more birds at Webster. I also got breeding Piping Plovers and probable breeding Snowy Plovers. I'm going to post what birds I still need for this year (Snowy Egret!?) soon, but I'm going to dedicate this post to pics.