Even though I went last night right before sunset and saw the Red Phalarope (who was near two Red-necked Phals as reported yesterday) I didn't get any Buff-breasteds or any pictures. So I decided to try and get some pics and other species today, but I got there kind of late since I led the birdwalk at the BFEC this morning (Best birds were Yellow-throated Warbler, Tennessee Warb, White-eyed Vireo, Warbling, and Yellow-throated Vireos all vireos still singing). By the the time I got all the way out to Pelican Island area the birds had been scared off or something because I and the other birders there who had seen the Red Phal. before I got there couldn't re-find them since they'd flown moments before. Anyways on the shoreline walk I took to get out there I was stopped in my tracks by an Olive-Sided Flycatcher, who was pretty close in a dead snag. The bird stood out as being big-headed and smaller tailed, and I saw also a bit of the white spot by the wing towards the back/rump. He flew to another group of trees and I lost him, but it was nice to get this nemesis as a consolation for that hot hike ('course it flew just as I put my digiscope on him). Birds also seen in this area were,
Greater Yellowlegs,
Lesser Yellowlegs,
Short-billed Dow.
Spotted Sandpiper,
Solitary Sandpiper,
Killdeer, Caspian Tern, Pied-billed Grebe, and adult Bald Eagle snatching at fish over the water.
Next I hit the boardwalk area where I was joined by some other birders that included Bob Powell, and Michael Dietrich (sp? sorry) from WV. We saw some good birds including the RED PHALAROPE who was feeding in the outlet area of the creek by the boardwalk. Viewable from this spot also was an AMERICAN GOLDEN PLOVER, and across the way by the Wiese road area I was able to pick out 4 or more Buff-Breasted Sandpipers. I went over there next and counted a whopping 15, but there could have been more.
Boardwalk partial list:
Red-Phalarope - either an adult who isn't fully molted or a Juv. who is in transition, i'm not sure
either way it is most of the way there, just showing a gray back, black coverts, primaries and tertials, and mostly white body etc.
Stilt Sandpiper - 3 juv.
Baird's Sandpiper - 1 juv.
Least Sandpipers
Semipalmated S.p. - at least two
Killdeer
Yellowlegs sp. - (sorry didn't pay close enough attn.)
American Golden Plover - 1 bird looked to be a Juv.
Semipalmated Plover - 3+
Killdeer
Great Egret - 1
Great Blue Herons
Blue-winged Teal - 8+
Wiese Road (near the first open area you get to along the road bed)
Buff-Breasted Sandpipers - 15, a main group of 11 or 12 were along the taller sedges of the short grass, but others were out in the muddier areas towards the water.
Least Sandpipers
Short-billed Dowitcher- 2
Killdeer
Red-tailed Hawk
I got some photos of the Red Phal (not that good) and the Buffies (slightly better but still in my trademark blurry style, haha), and Baird's Sandpipers posted in my shorebird photo collection online at this address:
http://mvnu.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2012649&l=ec659&id=164901416
Well it was a great return to Ohio (i've been in MI) with state and year-birds a plenty.
Happy Birding
- Ben Warner
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