Sora Putty, not third place yet.

Had some stuff both this morning on the way to the car, and then this evening when I got home. This mornin' I had a BAWW and a SWTH. The EAKI's are back in the yard, BTNW, EAWP, and a PUMA slurped over.

A good one

(104/133)

Red-throated Loon

yep, seen skye high yesterday while tracking a group of bonies in hopes of a "little" salvage. A flock of 40 shorebirds against the morning sun added to the excitement but not to the total.

Adding to the tease a pair of Wilson's Phalaropes, Dunlin, Pectorial Sandpiper, are 200 meters away blocked from view by the cattails. Do phalaropes display? They have nested here in the past.

I see the northern boys are on the wrong side of the front but hopefully if we tread water for a few more days we get to partake in the feast. I've seen springs though were the fronts effectively keep us cut off from the action though down here in Delta County a billion or two midges can't go unnoticed.

Snow expected this weekend -- dohp.

Good birdin'

Big Rig, you working that yard hard or what? Watch your RPMs.

The Birds are Building Up!

It's truly getting to the thick of it now and the birds are really building up in numbers! I added 7 more to the year list today:

Least Flycatcher (64)
Yellow-throated Vireo (65)
Gray Catbird (66)
Magnolia Warbler (67)
Common Yellowthroat (68)
Cape May Warbler (69)
Warbling Vireo (70)

Sorry 'bout the rain up north, but it's really nice for a pile-up down here. I think I may be able to beat my 38 species count that I got today and increase my lead over "The Skye's the Limit" Haas.

Nachtmusic pushes Putz into 3rd place

Just now (11:15PM) had a BBCU give its gurgle call quietly as it overflew the house (102)- the mic surely picked it up. Interestingly, the mic also picked one of these up 2 nights ago too after I had gone to bed. Also from last night, I found a recording of a few shorebirds flying over which included at least 1 LESA, and several unidentified sounds I assume refer to another shorebird sp. And just before coming in tonight I heard what sounded like a sandpiper of some sort give 3 single notes. Will have to work the recording to see what I can do with it.

Weird being this close to the top of the leaderboard!

Hold on to your seats

The dam has broken, my friends, as evidenced by these shots from this AM.




Here's my eBird checklist from this AM, but note that BLBW, BAWW, CHSW, and other species are not included b/c they were observed outside the time period of my stationary count.

2	Canada Goose	DELETE
1	Green Heron	DELETE
1	Mourning Dove	DELETE
1	Red-bellied Woodpecker	DELETE
1	Downy Woodpecker	DELETE
2	Hairy Woodpecker	DELETE
1	Northern Flicker	DELETE
1	Eastern Phoebe	DELETE
1	Yellow-throated Vireo	DELETE
15	Blue Jay	DELETE
2	Horned Lark	DELETE
2	Tree Swallow	DELETE
4	Bank Swallow	DELETE
5	Black-capped Chickadee	DELETE
3	Tufted Titmouse	DELETE
2	White-breasted Nuthatch	DELETE
1	Ruby-crowned Kinglet	DELETE
2	Blue-gray Gnatcatcher	DELETE
1	Eastern Bluebird	DELETE
5	American Robin	DELETE
2	Brown Thrasher	DELETE
1	European Starling	DELETE
3	Nashville Warbler	DELETE
1	Yellow Warbler	DELETE
6	Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle)	DELETE
3	Black-throated Green Warbler	DELETE
1	Palm Warbler	DELETE
2	Eastern Towhee	DELETE
5	Chipping Sparrow	DELETE
1	White-crowned Sparrow	DELETE
3	Northern Cardinal	DELETE
2	Rose-breasted Grosbeak	DELETE
1	Indigo Bunting	DELETE
3	Bobolink	DELETE
20	Red-winged Blackbird	DELETE
4	Common Grackle	DELETE
X	Brown-headed Cowbird	DELETE
2	Baltimore Oriole	DELETE
1	House Finch	DELETE
4	American Goldfinch	DELETE
2	House Sparrow	DELETE

Trolls revenge

You folks below the bridge (Michigan speak for the lower peninsula ) should have a delightful morning....... enjoy.

Nocturnal Solitary Sandpiper! (thanks Caleb?!)

So I get out of work at 12:30 a.m. and have a message on my phone from Caleb saying "DUDE, you have to get out and try for Solitary Sandpiper tonight. I've had several tonight". And I'm thinking, what are the chances. So, I sit outside at 1am just to do it. Then, low and behold, just as I am shifting to get up I hear the distinct 2 noted cry of a Solitary Sandpiper (63/110)....whoa! That was pretty cool.
Thanks, Caleb...I guess. (I think this odd...that is, to be thanking Caleb for his generosity)

Columbus, Meet The Wastelands!!!

A single flyover BARS (#46) this evening brings me up with the Slagermeister. Considering the decent swallow numbers lately, I'm surprised it took me this long to get a barnie. Oh well...

More nocturnal fun

Saw the radar looking good again, and sat on the roof from ~10-11PM just now. Had 6-8 seeps (unknown, but several sounded like warblers, others sparrows), and 2 Solitary Sandpipers (94/132).

Walk to car, get yard lifer. NOWA and a PUGA (not yard, but state).

So I was walking to my car this morning and some loud-mouth was singing down by the creek. I had to stop and listen and sure enough, a Northern Waterthrush was singing repeatedly from near the creek. What the heck? Its a creek, I should be getting a yard lifer Louisiana Waterthrush, I tried so hard for that bird with no luck. Then I just walk to the car and get what should be the harder one for this spot. Silly birds. BAORs and YWARS wake me up in the morning. Maybe I'll get to actually bird the yard sometime soon. Work has been fun, getting paid to find birds and show birds to the public is sweet. But today I had to talk to 100 kindergarteners about mammals. The forest at work has been hopping with warblers. I wish my yard was more like that. Have had 70 species of birds for the park in the past two days. Oh and after work last night I drove up and enjoyed a state lifer near Cleveland, PUGA! Heres the pic I got of him. Another showed up near to this one. My yard is next? Please?

New Rule: talk on the phone when birding The Wastelands

Because when you do, good things happen. Like this afternoon when 8 American White Pelicans (#45/#52) drifted north...and while chatting with Fitzgerald of all people. This a year yard bird, a yard lifer, and a new Will County bird for me. Awesome!