Category: Birding

I debated over whether I should go to Belted Kingfisher or not Saturday morning since I had just been there Thursday evening and it had been clear since but in the end I went.  The Sun was shining and it was much less busy than it had been Thursday evening.  Far fewer birds, no terns at all.  However, even so I managed some first of seasons. I saw two Ruddy Turnstone, one Baird’s Sandpiper, and one White-rumped Sandpiper.  I also got a great look at a Yellow-breasted Chat (see pictures) and a Ruby-throated Hummingbird through my spotting scope.  The spotting scope did not succeed in turning him into a Black-chinned Hummingbird though.

It was a dark and stormy Thursday afternoon.  I received an ARBird post from Kenny Nichols.  Despite, or perhaps because of, the weather he was out at BKNWR birding and seeing all kinds of notable birds including Hudsonian Godwits, Whimbrels, plovers, sandpipers, and five species of tern.  I had planned to go there Saturday morning but his sightings made me think I ought to go Friday evening instead.  The rain was supposed to last till the early morning and conventional wisdom said that the weather ought to keep the birds on the ground until the night after the rain stops.  So there was a reasonable chance they would be here till Friday evening.  Then at about 3 PM, the Sun came out.  I knew the birds would like fly away tonight so I decided to make a speed run up there after work despite the rush hour traffic. Sam elected to go with me.

We got there about 6:20 PM. There wasn’t time for a extensive survey so we went to the best spots I was familiar with.  In short order, we saw plenty Dunlin, Black-necked Stilt, Black Tern, Least Tern, one Wilson’s Snipe, and after an hour’s review 4 Whimbrel and as we were leaving one Hudsonian Godwit which was a life bird for both of us.

We then went home and watched the season finale of Friinge, DVR’d from earlier in the evening.

I went to BKNWR Sunday morning hoping to see the  Fulvous Whistling-Duck reported there.  No luck on that front but I did see plenty of other birds including migrants and stragglers.   I saw 8 Bobolinks, 5 Dunlin, 8 Greater Yellowlegs, 1 Solitary Sandpiper,20 Black-necked Stilt, 1 Semipalmated Plover, 25 American Golden-Plover, 3 Black-bellied Plover, 6 Little Blue Heron, 1 Canvasback, 10 Northern Pintail,  and 1 Gadwall among the migrants and stragglers. In all, I encountered 47 species of bird and 1 mink.

I then went to Steve Wilson/Raft Creek WMA to see what it offered.  The road to it has very recently been flooded and much of the WMA appears to still be flooded.  I didn’t make it to the main entrance as the road was too soft.  However, I did see many egrets and herons plus more Black-necked Stilt and Little Blue Heron.  I pick up FOS Common Nighthawk and Semipalmated Sandpiper there.

From there I drove south on AR-11 toward Saul’s Fish Farm keeping an eye open for flooded fields.  I finally saw some shore birds in such a field about 2 miles north of Saul’s.  There I found more Dunlin and a single Black-necked Stilt as well as 2 Western Sandpiper and one Stilt Sandpiper.

At Saul’s there was not a lot going on but I did a quick and incomplete tour of the north end ponds.  The fifth or so pond due east of the entrance was freshly drained and looks promising.  It was about 1 PM and things were slow but I saw another Black-necked Stilt and 4 Dunlin and about 20 peeps. Heat shimmers kept me from making a better identification.  I also found two more ponds due east of there toward the eastern end that had been drained. The farthest looked freshly drained but I didn’t see anything it in.