birds – A Thousand Acres of Silphiums

2022 Kansas Trip – Long-billed Dowitcher

birds, Quivira National Wildlife Refuge, wildlife, wildlife photography

We didn’t have a great deal of diversity in the shorebirds during this early season trip to the “central coast,” but, we had great numbers in the early migrating species like the Long-billed Dowitcher. There may have been some Short-billed Dowitchers mixed in here but none that we could confirm identity. The LBDO uses the central flyway predominantly while the SBDO primarily moves along the coasts during spring migration.

Some Winter Songbirds (Mostly Sparrows)

birds, wildlife, wildlife photography

Here are a few songbirds I’ve photographed over the past couple of winter seasons.

Northern Cardinal

Swamp Sparrow

White-crowned Sparrow

Savannah Sparrow

2022 Kansas Trip – American Bittern

birds, Quivira National Wildlife Refuge, wildlife, wildlife photography

Found near the road at Quivira NWR, this American Bittern cooperated a bit until it slinked back into the grasses.

2022 Kansas Trip – Blue-winged Teal

birds, Quivira National Wildlife Refuge, wildlife, wildlife photography

It’s about time I begin posting more from our Kansas trip from last April. The Blue-winged Teal is one species that is easy to find at Quivera NWR and Cheyenne Bottoms Wildlife Area. Dave and I had some great light on this evening. We set up low and waited for the Teal and Shovelers to drift by.

Mississippi Kite Nest – Summer 2022

birds, Nesting Birds of Missouri, wildlife, wildlife photography

Many thanks to Chris Brown and his family! They had the incredible fortune of having a Mississippi Kite nest in their front yard this summer. The nest wasn’t really viewable from their house but with great luck, the chick after having left the nest, picked a branch right outside Chris’s son’s window to sit and wait for the parents to bring in food. At this point Chris invited me over on a couple of occasions to watch and photograph. Thanks for the use of your room, Avery! Unfortunately, these couple of days I began coming down with Covid-19 symptoms, inadvertently exposing the Browns and cutting off my time there. Thankfully, none of them picked it up during my visits. Here are some of my favorites of the parents bringing in cicadas and dragonflies.

A parent bringing a cicada to the always eager chick. In this image, the hooded or otherwise maldeveloped left eye of the chick is obvious.

Another handoff of a cicada from one of the parents.

The chick getting to work on the latest cicada.

Here, one of the parents brings in a dragonfly.

Dropping of a cicada and heading out to bring another.

Probably my favorite shot of the kites – A parent brings in a cicada shortly after the other parent dropped one off. After a few failed attempts at passing it off to the chick, the parent left the tree, presumably to eat the prey itself.

Peregrine Falcons 2022 Season – Part 4

birds, Peregrine Falcons - 2022 Nesting Season, wildlife, wildlife photography

Unfortunately, the story of the family in this nesting season has an unfortunate, and uncertain ending. At least, I do not know the final outcome of everyone. In early June, we had heard that the father was struck and killed by a vehicle on the River Road, within a few hours after Miguel and I left for the day. Our next opportunity to visit was a few days later. This was devastating news, obviously. In this species, both parents are critical in providing for the chicks and ensuring the best chances of successfully raising the entire brood. Still, with mom being a great provider and at least one, or potentially two, chicks capable of flight, we had good hopes that she could finish raising 1-3 of the chicks successfully. Once fledged, the parents still need to provide for the chicks for another 6-8 weeks until they are capable hunters. It would be a long hard struggle, but we had high hopes she would do her best.

Then more unfortunate news found its way to us. Another male had moved into the territory. At first this seemed like it might be good news, potentially someone to help mom complete the job of raising the brood. But as time went on, he seemed to be getting very aggressive with both mom and the chicks. He thwarted the mother’s attempts at bringing in food and harassed the chicks relentlessly every time they took to the air. Miguel and I visited for a number of hours over a few day period during this time and the number of successful feedings we observed were pitifully few – seemingly not enough for the chicks to complete their growth and perhaps move with mom to a different territory. We ended our observations around this time. I have heard through second hand accounts that mom was seen with two or three chicks flying away from the territory, so maybe there was a happy ending but I do not know.

A rare look of all four chicks in the same frame, waiting for a meal

Kentucky Warbler – Spring 2022

birds, Nesting Birds of Missouri, wildlife, wildlife photography

From a late May trip to Weldon Springs Conservation Area. I found this Kentucky Warbler with some insects, presumably on its way to provision some chicks in a nearby nest.

Peregrine Falcons 2022 Season – Part 3

birds, Peregrine Falcons - 2022 Nesting Season, wildlife, wildlife photography

In this post, mom continues to provision the chicks with freshly caught birds. The chicks are beginning to try out their wings and are on the verge of fledging.

Peregrine Falcons 2022 Season – Part 2

birds, Nesting Birds of Missouri, Peregrine Falcons - 2022 Nesting Season, wildlife, wildlife photography

Unfortunately, we didn’t have an opportunity to get back to the nest site until late May. When we returned, we found the parents were busy raising four already good-sized chicks. The photography was challenging. We had to contend with the too-speedy traffic of the river road that lied between us and the bluff face where the nest was located and the heat distortion that this blacktop created. There is also the issue of trying to photograph the fastest vertebrate on the planet.

Most often mom would take responsibility of feeding the chicks directly. Dad was primarily the hunter and would drop off prey. Here dad takes some time to piece the prey and feed it to the hungry chicks.

Dad brings a Baltimore Oriole (future Peregrine Falcon) back to the nest.

As typically done, dad would bring the prey back to a spot along the bluff and call for mom. Here mom has just picked up the Oriole and will take the bird to a new spot for processing.

Mom removes feathers from the prey bird on a bluff platform away from the nest site.

Mom begins feeding the impatient chicks.

I suppose at a point of diminishing returns, mom would often take the remains of the carcass away from the nest and would pick the remains to feed herself.

The female’s favorite perch was this dead cedar that provided great looks at the nest and everything above. The parents would sometimes put up with Turkey Vultures soaring near the nest, but would chase away any Red-tailed Hawks or Bald Eagles. They especially hate eagles getting too close to the nest.

Peregrine Falcons 2022 Season – Part 1

birds, Nesting Birds of Missouri, Peregrine Falcons - 2022 Nesting Season, wildlife, wildlife photography

Miguel and I spent a few hours in the spring and early summer of 2022 photographing a pair of Peregrine Falcons in Madison County, IL during their nesting season. In this first post, the photos were taken in March. There were likely no eggs in the nest at this point and the pair was bonding by the male bringing in food for the female and the two soaring the skies of their territory. It wound up being a pretty dramatic nesting season. Lots more pics to follow.