Outstanding! Keep up the good birding!
________________________________
From: leasbirds-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx <leasbirds-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> on behalf
of Jennifer Miller <foundnatureblog@xxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Tuesday, April 14, 2020 2:48 PM
To: leasbirds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx <leasbirds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [leasbirds] McAlister Park
What a day (and its not over yet)! A friend texted me a pic of Marbled Godwits
that he took at 8:30 this morning and I was out the door! Didn't even see
anyone else's report until I was well into birding the park. The composition
had already changed from when Drew was there this morning. We didn't find the
Stilt Sandpipers, Snowy Plovers, Franklin's Gulls, or Yellowlegs, but 3 hours
in and we never made it to the SE side before we were too cold and hungry. The
Marbled Godwits were on the west side but became skittish, moved around, and
eventually left to the north. The Herring Gull, Western Grebe, and Loggerhead
Shrike were also seen from the west side and Brad spotted a Yellow-headed
Blackbird being chased by a Red-winged Warber that flew over us. Brad and I
moved to the east side by the library and found Baird's, Western (beautiful in
breeding plumage!), Semipalmated, and Least Sandpipers. The Avocets were over
on this side and 4 White-faced Ibis flew in. There were lots of great birds,
but that seems to be how it goes on the coldest days! It was cold, but worth
it, and enjoying the company of Brad S., Jim C, and Jordan and Whitney C. (? I
hope I got that right, I can't believe I'm already uncertain!!! - oh wait, I
can believe it! ;) made it easier to withstand the cold. Full list is below.
Happy birding and stay warm!
Jennifer
Blue-winged Teal (Spatula discors) 5 Males and females
Northern Shoveler (Spatula clypeata) 20
Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) 2
Ruddy Duck (Oxyura jamaicensis) 13 Males and females. At least one male in
breeding plumage.
Pied-billed Grebe (Podilymbus podiceps) 1
Western Grebe (Aechmophorus occidentalis) 1 Large black and white grebe,
long necked, yellow bill, black on the head came down over the eye.
Eurasian Collared-Dove (Streptopelia decaocto) 1
Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura) 2
American Coot (Fulica americana) 3
Black-necked Stilt (Himantopus mexicanus) 3
American Avocet (Recurvirostra americana) 12 Breeding plumage
Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus) 6
Marbled Godwit (Limosa fedoa) 11 Originally found by Craig Curry. Large,
buffy shorebirds with long straight two-toned bills (orange and black). When
they flew all had large buffy patches in their wings. Flew to the north when
they left.
Baird's Sandpiper (Calidris bairdii) 7 Breeding plumage
Least Sandpiper (Calidris minutilla) 2
Semipalmated Sandpiper (Calidris pusilla) 1
Western Sandpiper (Calidris mauri) 3 Gorgeous! Breeding plumage.
peep sp. (Calidris sp. (peep sp.)) 4
Ring-billed Gull (Larus delawarensis) 3 One adult and 2 immature
Herring Gull (Larus argentatus) 1 Large gull that looked like a
Ring-billed Gull (same colors) but substantially larger and with black and red
dots on its lower bill. Jim Crites’ pic showed something of a black line all
the way down the bill - maybe a 3rd cycle winter transitioning to breeding.
Everything else was breeding plumage. All white head and neck, large yellow
bill with black and red dots on lower mandible, solid light gray back/mantle,
white crescent near end of wings, black wing tips with small white diamonds,
and pink legs. In flight, all white tail, solid gray back, black wing tips,
white head.
Double-crested Cormorant (Phalacrocorax auritus) 3
White-faced Ibis (Plegadis chihi) 4 Adults
Burrowing Owl (Athene cunicularia) 2
Loggerhead Shrike (Lanius ludovicianus) 1
Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica) 6
Cliff Swallow (Petrochelidon pyrrhonota) 5
European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris) 1
American Robin (Turdus migratorius) 1
Savannah Sparrow (Passerculus sandwichensis) 4 Gorgeous! One with really
nice and bright plumage. Lots of yellow by the eye.
Yellow-headed Blackbird (Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus) 1 Male being
chased by a Red-winged Blackbird
Western/Eastern Meadowlark (Sturnella neglecta/magna) 1 Beautiful bright
yellow plumage. Taking a bath until a Barn Swallow flushed it back into the
grass.
Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus) 1 Male
Great-tailed Grackle (Quiscalus mexicanus) 7
--
Jennifer Miller
Lubbock, TX
(o,o)
/)_)
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