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September 2010

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Mon, 6 Sep 2010 23:46:36 -0400
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  If anyone needs a Swift fix, head over to Hoover Reservoir!  I arrived
at Hoover Dam about an hour after daybreak and there were Chimney Swifts
EVERYWHERE...the running comment was that it was somehow reminiscent of
Alfred Hitchcock's THE BIRDS!  There were easily 100  if not 200 Swifts
swooping and circling and dodging all over the Dam.  Needless to say,
there wasn't a problem with gnats at the dam today :-D.

I couldn't get a good shot of the swifts, they were too fast, and I'm to
slow. :-)  So I settled for the flock of Cedar Waxwings.  There were an
estimated 50 Cedar Waxwings competing with the Swifts for insects...well
the adults were, the kids were still interested in the Honeysuckle berries.

  It was interesting to see the two hunting styles between the Swifts
that never rested, they just kept flying, and the Waxwings that would
perch, see a bug, fly out and catch it, then come back and perch again,
but never in the same place...I really hated that, it was tough to get a
good shot off because they kept changing perches.  Plus, each Waxwing
seem to have it's own zone, and pattern of hunting.  After about ten
minutes of photographing a certain area, I noticed that I was shooting
the same bird (it had a seed head on it's neck, and what looks to be  a
poke berry stain on it's beak area)...interesting.  It was also fun to
photograph waxwings from above.  You really get to see those red tips
and yellow tail tips sticking out.

There were also a few barn swallows there as well.  GBHs, Great Egrets
and the usual Gulls and Ducks plus a black swallowtail butterfly
completed the dam area. (Links to pics below if interested)

After that, I headed up to "Pelican Isle" see the Buff Breasted
Sandpipers, I got A (as in one) decent shot...they never really got
close enough and the wind was really bad as well.  The Sanderling was
still there.  The Red Knot, was not.  I got a report later that it was
over near the boardwalk about where the original Osprey nest is.

I went to Three Creeks MP...nada, I only had time to hit the Heron Pond
area, the only thing was a flicker, some goldfinches, and more waxwings
hunting bugs.  Isn't there a wetland area there, or has it dried out as
well?

Seeing the light starting to fade, I started heading for the house, I
stopped at Glacier Ridge Wetlands area...it's now a Drylands area...nada
again.  Then to the Twin Lakes pull off over on Dublin Rd; a few Egrets,
but the water hasn't receded enough for any shorebirds.

Finally I stopped at Big Island.  I checked the wet area at Herr Rd.:

24 Egrets  (it was almost a sea of Egrets)
10 GBH
4 or 5 Greater Yellowlegs
4 or 5 Lesser Yellowlegs.
Plus a few other sandpipers, mostly Leasts and Solitarys.

I stopped out at the area by New Bloomington where all of the earth
moving equipment was; only Killdeer were present.

I got home to watch the most spectacular sunset.

I had a great day birding.  My thanks to the men and women who went
before me to make it possible for me to have an extra day of
rest...Thank you to the people in the service industry who came in and
served me food and let me get gasoline... Thanks to the Parks and
Recreation Dept., out patrolling and cleaning...even though the main
office was closed...I know,  I called ;-D.

  And my deep and sincere thanks to the men and women who had to work
today to keep everyone safe, and not just the Military.  Today I saw
three different occurrences where both firetrucks and ambulances were
off and running to attend to an emergency.  The police were out in
force.  Doctors and nurses were working (especially over at OSU where a
friend of mine is having a difficult pregnancy.)...To you and to all the
rest...Thank You.

Steve Jones
(aka sjlarue)

Links:
Waxwings and others: http://s153.photobucket.com/albums/s226/sjlarue/Birds/
Black Swallowtail:
http://i153.photobucket.com/albums/s226/sjlarue/Insectivora/Hoover-201.jpg


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