A quiet start to summer

Summer has truly, unofficially begun! The plan is to bird locally for the first week or so.

First stop was to the park on Thursday morning. The goslings are quickly growing!

The next day was a walk on the path where several bobolinks were singing among the grass and young trees.

And a stop at the decayed sunflower plant to photograph the rock pigeons. It was fun seeing birds in much different scenery than the usual ponds and parks. While I walked around the plant exterior, pigeons watched from all the roofs and rails.

Big Midwest Weekend - Part 2

Loess Bluffs National Wildlife Refuge is one of the top hotspots for Missouri birding. The refuge was quiet of birders when I arrived at sunrise this past Saturday, but I did spot a few enthusiasts as I crept along the auto tour route. Nothing compared to the numbers of teals, coots and shorebirds though.

The highlight of the day and the whole trip occurred near the middle of the auto tour route. I was photographing a pair of semipalmated plover when I caught the down-winding whinny of a sora. I made up my mind then--I was going to get a picture of a sora.

The sora has been my menace for a few years, always making itself known except to the lens of my camera. I walked quietly on the side of the road, eyes trained on the reeds from where the sora's call had emerged. I strolled maybe fifty feet and saw a small, chunky shadow with a yellow candy corn bill. I quickly put my eye to the viewfinder . . . held my breath . . . and finally . . .

Finally. Despite the picture's quality, I was ecstatic.

As the sun claimed the sky, I continued through the refuge, walking a few short trails around which turkey vultures soared and thrushes scurried. Then it was time for the long, boring drive home.

The next day I concluded the weekend's birdwatching with a relaxing walk through the park. Sparrows and yellow warblers were aplenty, and the green herons were busy at the edges of the river and ponds.

This heron sized me up and allowed me to watch it snatch small fish from the park pond.

Big Midwest Weekend - Part 1

Was I supposed to be birdwatching or storm chasing (or storm-chased)? Easy to forget as I made my drive through South Dakota on Thursday afternoon. Perhaps twenty miles south of Watertown, I-29 was swallowed by a startlingly dark mass of cloud and dirt, forcing Interstate travelers such as myself onto shoulders and underneath overpasses. Strong winds and heavy rains buffeted the car a good while before letting up to drivable conditions. The next ten minutes revealed the carnage with semis and their trailers tipped into the shoulders and ditches.

I paused for gas in Sioux Falls and, figuring I wouldn't make it to Sioux City before sunset as planned, decided to do a bit of birding at Sherman Park.

The park was a mess of garbage bins and debris flung about by the storm. Ambulances and other emergency vehicles were active. Several traffic lights were out. I had twenty minutes at the park before dark clouds began rolling back over town, and the rain resumed. With the weather updates warning of half-dollar hail, I ducked my car into the nearest sturdy cover I could find--the drive-thru at the nearby Walgreens-- and waited out the worst of the day's second storm before hopping back on interstate, hoping I was done with the worst of the weekend's weather. All the way to Onawa, Iowa, I was treated to an incredible show of nature--huge streaks of lightning cutting across the sky and dancing to the horizon on either side of me.

The next morning, gray but calm skies stretched over the DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge. The refuge was packed with orchard orioles, dickcissels and swallows, and although I didn't see anything to add to the life list, it was a good start to a busy day of birding.

After DeSoto, it was time for Missouri. It was also time for a few lifers to pop up. The Brickyard Hill Conversation Area was a nice little woodland area nestled onto its namesake not far from Interstate, and not long after jumping out of the car I added the beautiful Kentucky warbler, the energetic tufted titmouse and the stunning white-eyed vireo to the life list! There were also lots of cool butterflies and moths fluttering about the lower vegetation.

Mound City was my next destination. The day was getting hotter and hotter--not something I will complain about considering the day prior (not to mention the winter too recent in mind). I made a quick pause at the Mound City marsh, but the heat and glaring sun were quite intense, and the water was looking rather desolate but for a few Canadas so I headed to my hotel to unwind.

As the sun began to set, I set off around town. For an interstate town, Mound City was rustic. It was awesome seeing so many purple martin houses around.

It was a great day for birdwatching--a great start to the weekend. And Big Day was still to come.