kansas – Page 2 – A Thousand Acres of Silphiums

Birds of Quivira – The Swallows

birds, Quivira National Wildlife Refuge, wildlife

This warm season, including this spring at Quivira, I finally took some time to get to know the Swallows a little better, not only in visual description, but in song, behavior and flight. Other than their beauty, I find the Barn Swallows to be the most gracefully designed and beautiful fliers of their kind. With their long, forked tail and sleek and slender wings, I am sure they could beat any other swallow in a dogfight. It’s a simple pleasure to watch them swoop down, mere inches above a field to catch an insect on the wing, to then see them rise a few hundred feet while banking and rolling. Their varied and constant chatter ranks among my favorites as well.

Pete Dunne most appropriately describes the Cliff Swallow as a “…husky crop-tailed Barn Swallow wearing a miner’s lamp.” Another gorgeous swallow, this species is very communal and will often nest in the hundreds or thousands together, making gourd-shaped nests out of mud. The image below shows a few birds collecting mud on the banks of a stream that runs through Quivira.

-OZB

Birds of Quivira – Some Assorted Shorebirds

birds, Quivira National Wildlife Refuge, wildlife

Tonight I am sharing a few miscellaneous shorebirds. First up to bat is a shorebird that isn’t much of a shorebird at all – the Upland Sandpiper. So named due to its preference for higher and drier habitat, the Upland Sandpiper can be found in fields and meadows. Look for it on a typically elevated perch and find it by its haunting song.

With a ratio of what must have been close to 1000:1, the Wilson’s Phalarope greatly outnumbers any other Phalarope. However, Steve and I were still able to find and ID a couple of Red-necked Phalarope in winter plumage, as pictured above.

A true wetland favorite, the Black-necked Stilt is as pleasing to watch for its behavior as it is a piece of natural art.

As stout and cute as a Bulldog puppy, Willets are always a site for sore eyes.

On our last evening and during our very few hours of decent, golden hour light Steve and watched a number of Willets and Avocets feeding in the shallows near the road.

-OZB

Birds of Quivira – Ruddy Turnstone

bill duncan, birds, Quivira National Wildlife Refuge, wildlife

With unique coloration and behavior, the Ruddy Turnstone is a shorebird that does not take a second guess to identify. The photograph above captures this conspicuous behavior for which these birds have earned their name. They do turn anything that they can – looking for any type of small invertebrate that may be hiding underneath. Anything includes dead fish or other animals, shells or trash washed up on a beach.

These guys typically migrate along the coasts and finding them in the interior is not that common. Although we missed out on finding any Buff-breasted Sandpipers during this visit, we were glad to have the opportunity to watch these guys in action.

Ruddy Turnstone with Pipping Plover — Ruddy Turnstone with Piping Plover

-OZB

Birds of Quivira – The Egrets

birds, Quivira National Wildlife Refuge, wildlife

This Great Egret is in full breeding plumage and has acquired the green mask that are indicative of adult birds. This one has also sustained an injury to its bill, perhaps from an aggressive encounter with another male?

What is more striking than a Snowy Egret?

Finally, I realized I haven’t included too much in terms of habitat shots of Quivira. Here is a pano of one of the more productive sections of the reserve. It’s a pity to think of how much of this habitat has been lost on this continent. How many care or even know?

OZB…

Birds of Quivira – Long-billed Dowitcher

birds, Quivira National Wildlife Refuge, wildlife

Considered conspecifics for decades, both the Long-billed and Short-billed Dowitchers breed in the high arctic. Differences in plumage, migratory routes and breeding isolation, followed by allozyme and mtDNA evidence suggested separate species status. The Long-billed, pictured in this post was the only Dowitcher species Steve and I were find at Quivira. This is not altogether surprising due to the Long-billed’s preference for freshwater during migration and the Shirt-billed’s tendency to stick to marine environments.

The long, thick legs and bill give indication as to the depth of water in which these birds feed and they probe for prey using a rapid up and down motion that is quite reminiscent of the action of a sewing machine.

OZB

Birds of Quivira – The Waterfowl

birds, Quivira National Wildlife Refuge, wildlife

Most of the waterfowl had long since migrated north by the time Steve and I visited Quivira in May, but we were able to find a few. We encountered a few Eared Grebe and with the winds as high as they were, the waves were impressive in such shallow bodies of water.

Eared Grebe - Winter — Eared Grebe – Winter

Blue-winged Teal were the most abundant of the waterfowl.

Finally, we watched this gorgeous pair of Canada Geese in golden hour light. They seemed more appropriate here than in any other setting I had ever seen them before.

Birds of Quivira – The Sparrows

birds, Quivira National Wildlife Refuge, wildlife

The sparrows were not to be outdone by other groups of birds. Steve and I were fortunate to find a number of interesting sparrows. Unfortunately most were difficult and uncooperative, at least when light was good. The Lark Sparrows, although gorgeous, were giving us a little confusion with their unfamiliar song.

While moving through the woodlots of Quivira, we found a couple of sneaky, tricksy Lincoln’s Sparrows.

My first time hearing the song of Clay-colored Sparrow. Their insect-like trills were somehow quite appealing and I looked forward to hearing them in the mornings.

The Harris’s Sparrow is another classic western sparrow found at Quivira.

Finally, the Savannah Sparrow, which can be found in different forms across the continent.

Thanks for visiting…
OZB

Birds of Quivira – Sanderling

birds, Quivira National Wildlife Refuge, wildlife

A medium sized, markedly-colored Calidris sandpiper, the Sanderling is one of the most highly traveled migrant birds on the planet. Breeding only in the far north arctic, some Sanderlings will winter as far south as Cape Horn of South America. Individuals in breeding plumage are easily identified with close enough inspection by looking for the rusty-gravel coloration. Winter and juvenile forms are contrasty black and white. All birds lack a back toe, which are typically found on shorebirds.

Sanderling Juv or Winter - 6A1A3007 — Sanderling Juv or Winter

Thanks for visiting…
OZB

Birds of Quivira – East Meets West – Part Two

birds, Quivira National Wildlife Refuge, wildlife

Much like the Meadowlarks, Steve and I observed an abundance of both Eastern and Western Kingbirds. We were surprised by the close proximity of the assumed territories. The typical super-aggression shown by the Eastern Kingbirds did not seem to be delivered to either the Westerns or conspecifics.

Birds of Quivira – Piping Plover

birds, Quivira National Wildlife Refuge, wildlife

The Piping Plover, or as Pete Dunne has named them – the Sand Wraith, was one of the more special birds that Steve and I were able to view and photograph at Quivira this spring. The Piping can be identified by its top color of dry sand (vs. the wet sand-colored top of the Semipalmated Plover) and its bright yellow-orange legs (vs. the gray-legged Snowy Plover).

There are currently an estimate of ~2500 pairs of Piping Plover left on the planet – causing this species to be listed on the endangered species list. Unlike most of the shorebirds – who pass over most of North America on their migration north to nest in the arctic tundra, the Piping Plover dares to nest on Atlantic coasts and sandy shores of lakes of the northern plains. It is here where its nesting needs have been overlooked by the desires of man who has converted its coastal habitat to development and flooded its fresh-water beaches and whose dogs and cats have made easy meals of its eggs and chicks.

Thanks for visiting
OZB