Hanging Around, Nothing Left to do but Frown…
-Karen Carpenter-
Mondays Are For The Birds
Tag: “bill duncan”
The Visiting Arctic Angel
In case you have not heard, Missouri had it’s first documented visit by an Ivory Gull this past month. This species is typically found north – way north. We’re talking fighting with Polar Bears for scraps north. Once in a while a species like this gets way off track and can be found far from home. This bird was found in the marina and lock and dam areas at Quincy Illinois and Missouri.
Folks flocked from as far as Texas and Florida, to the Carolinas and New England. This was a potential once in a lifetime bird, unless you took a trip to their normal range.
Although we were not fortunate enough to get super close looks in great light, Steve and I were thrilled with watching the bird for several hours over the course of an extremely cold and windy Sunday.
At least one photographer paid a local to motor him past the gull to get a closer shot. A truly surreal experience.
Say Hello to Nougat
This past Thanksgiving break Steve and I found ourselves back at Jasper-Pulaski to see the tens of thousands of Sandhill Cranes that stop there during their autumn and vernal migrations. Although the spectacle of that many three-foot birds in one place is always worth the drive, of course we wind up with heavy overcast skies, which makes getting interesting photos quite a challenge. The numbers of birds during this visit did not disappoint.
During the night, the majority of birds roost in one or two places on the reserve or nearby. During the day they spend their time picking up fallen grain in the surrounding agricultural fields. After lunch one day, we were driving around watching the different groups move across the landscape. With light as poor as it was, my attention went to staying awake, while Steve lost the fight and started to dose off and on. After a time, I was startled back to full alertness by Steve’s exclamation of “White!” I found a place to pull over at the nearest opportunity. And, after wrenching our necks, we confirmed what we were both anticipating the bird to be…
This was a life bird for the both of us, and with about 500 birds left on the entire planet, we were sure going to watch this guy as much as we could. At five feet tall, with nearly an eight foot wingspan, this mostly white bird could be seen for well more than a mile away. This made him easy to follow, but we made sure we gave him his space. He was definitely attached to the Sandhill Cranes, and seemingly was uncomfortable without being near at least a few of his cousins.
How do we know that Nougat is a male? See his colored leg bands in the 2nd and 3rd photos of this post? These are used to identify and keep track of the banded birds.
Click on Nougat to read more about this fantastic bird.
Trumpeter, Upside Down
Alton’s Angels
A few random shots of Trumpeter Swans taken at RMBS this winter…
Tis the Season for Eagles
During the past week were were fortunate enough to have sub-freezing temperatures across the region, signifying the beginning of one of my favorite parts of the season – the congregation of much of the mid-western population of Bald Eagles at the lock and dams along the Mississippi River. Although we will still need to wait a couple or few more weeks for the large numbers, hoping for the cold in order to freeze the river completely, I was still able to make a few photos of fishing birds at Clarksville’s Lock and Dam #24 yesterday. The image below, showing what I believe to be a late-second year bird just before impact, is an early favorite.
The next image is a head-shot of an adult bird from a nice walk-through of the World Bird Sanctuary that Sarah and I took over the holiday break.
Glaucous Gull
Finally, my first successful photos of a Glaucous Gull. This 1st winter bird was photographed yesterday as I tried to make some eagle fishing photos at Lock and Dam #24 at Clarksville MO. In an interesting coincidence, I ran into Brenda Hente, from Great-Horned Owls Will and Kate fame, and Danny Brown, from MDC Photography fame.
Earlier in the day I joined Josh Uffman, from uber birder fame, and the hoard of birders from across the country at Lock and Dam #21 at Quincy, looking for what is likely the most famous bird in the nation – the Ivory Gull. Unfortunately, this was to turn out to be the first day the bird was not successfully found since its discovery on or about 2-January. I am so glad Steve and I headed there last weekend to get a look and a few pics (yet to be posted).
A Couple Autumn Days in Forest and Stream
Back in October, Steve and I had the pleasure of spending a couple days doing our favorite things in the Missouri Ozarks. We made our base at our usual, the cabins at Big Spring SP, our last stay here for at least three years as the cabins will be closed for construction. For our first day, we decided to take care of something that had been on my list for a number of years, to hike the largest official Wilderness Area in the state – the Irish. Named after the Irish immigrants who settled in this area in the mid nineteenth century, the Irish was visited and pushed for protection by Aldo Leopold himself. The Irish was finally designated by law as an official wilderness area in 1984 after close to two decades of work by a number of caring people. This area was virtually cleared of its timber by the early years of the 1900s, but was replanted with its current deciduous hardwood mix by the CCC in the 1930s.
Officially listed as 18.4 miles, the Irish Wilderness loop trail is typically tackled with a night or two of backpacking. Being the athletic super-freaks that we are, Steve and I put down an estimated 22 miles, with some back tracking and assisting a lost backpacker (a GPS unit with topographic map display is quite the asset here), in about 16 hours. It would have been more enjoyable with a night or two sleeping in the woods and spending more time, but we had other plans in store as well. The image below is from an overlook of the Eleven Point River at close to the halfway point of the hike. I will never forget standing here in the late afternoon light with hundreds of ladybird beetles covered the rocks and filled the air.
Covering 20 miles in a single day does not leave much time for taking photos. After getting some much appreciated sleep back at the cabin, we arose early to arrive at Richard’s Canoes to be in the water by ~07:30. We put in at Greer Spring Access (mile 16.6) and had the day to move the ~12 miles to our take out at Whiten Access (mile 27.6). The Eleven Point offers a perfect mix of slower moving stretches and deep pools mixed with just enough class 2 rapids to keep things interesting. Make sure to bring along some wet bags if carrying delicate camera or other electronic equipment. We were offered autumn views like this around nearly every bend.
As if the landscape and feelings of being on the river were not enough, the wildlife opportunity are surely the highlights for a float trip like this, assuming you are quite and keep your eyes open. This White-tailed buck was moving upstream when Steve spotted him.
Of course the birds will be abundant along any Missouri Ozark stream at any time of year. We were thrilled to see this Osprey come in to perch nearby as we floated.
Within a couple of miles from our take-out point, we were presented with our pièce de résistance for the float, two groups of River Otters! The images below are the first group, a mom and four pups. These animals were venturing out of their den to play in the day’s last light.
The pups seemed not too concerned, but mom kept a close eye on the floating log with ugly heads.
These guys will turn anything into a toy… 😉
I leave you with a sunset from the nearby Big Spring State Park and eternal thanks to those who worked so hard against heavy opposite forces so that, at a minimum, we have what we have today.
The day is almost upon us when canoe travel will consist in paddling up the noisy wake of a motor launch and portaging through the back yard of a summer cottage. When that day comes canoe travel will be dead, and dead too will be a part of our Americanism…
-Aldo Leopold-
A Random Five
Hello again and happy holidays.
These five were all taken at the confluence, either at RMBS or CBCA.
This gorgeous juvenile light-phase Rough-legged Hawk spent nearly a week at the confluence recently. These infrequent winter residents nest up north, far north, like arctic circle north. One of my favorite birds, it is always a pleasure to find one of these guys. Sarah and I very much enjoyed this bird, nearly the size of a Red-tailed Hawk, as it hover-hunted much like what is seen by the American Kestrel.
Steve and I were tipped off to these Ross’s Geese at Teal Pond by a kind birder. I can’t imagine a cuter bird. Well, maybe a few.
This has really been my year with the Harriers. I don’t know if it is luck, patience, or what. This one drifted by closely yo me at CBCA recently.
Over the Thanksgiving holiday, the dark-phase Red-taileds invaded the confluence area. I do not believe I have ever seen such a dark RTHA on the eastern side of Missouri before this one.
This handsome young Kestrel was quite cooperative in posing for me recently at RMBS.
Ozark Bill Travels West – Part Four – Quivira NWR & Cheyenne Bottoms
Hello, and thanks for paying a visit. This final post from our September 2014 trip to the west will focus on a few highlights from a couple of spots in central Kansas, Quivera NWR and Cheyenne Bottoms, or what I like to call the birding Mecca of the central plains. I apologize for the grey shots, but during the far too few hours we spent here, we were given mostly heavy overcast skies.
These two locations and their combined 60,00+ acres are incredibly important for nearly 400 species of birds. The vast wetlands of Cheyenne Bottoms and the salt marsh and sand prairie habitats of Quivera NWR provide habitat for breading birds such as the endangered interior populations of the Least Tern, pictured above. Other nesting birds, which utilize these habitats, include Swainson’s Hawks, Mississippi Kites, Snowy Plover, American Avocet and White-faced Ibis.
With most of my birding experiences restricted to the southern half of the Show-me State, some of what I observed simply shocked me. Observing hundreds of the American Avocet was something I could not have imagined previously.
Also found in the hundreds, White-faced Ibis were as common as gulls!
Referred to by someone as an inverse sunflower, I found the YHBB to be stunning, even if they were in their off-season plumage.
Numerous Franklin’s Gulls were a nice surprise. Oh, how a trip in every season is critical at these locations!
Just to show we were interested in more than just birds… I am sure the coyotes make quite a living on these habitats.
What an unexpected treat. My first non-winter Merlin.
Wilson’s Phaleropes were found in the dozens among the big and little marshes of Quivera NWR.
As cute as any terrier that ever was, a lone Willet patiently posed for me. And finally, a Ring-neck Pheasant hen showed me her backside during the our evening visit to Cheyenne Bottoms. Until next time…
A Thousand Acres of Silphiums 