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[STLbf]

A nice flock of avocets feeding and resting at the Flyway this morning.  Nifty wading birds with upturned beaks.

[STLbf]

The avocets are in the same location this afternoon at 3:00, but the light is much better.

Thanks to the cam ops for some great closeups today!  Mallards, eagle, Great Blue Heron, and turtles (no pic of turtles).

[STLbf]

Nice morning views of sub-adult eagles perching, one with a friend.

[STLbf]

Caspian terns feeding and resting with some mallards around noon today.

Black-necked stilt, beautiful black and white medium sized wading bird with long pink legs at about 8:00 this morning.  New species for me.

One pic of the stilt next to a different shorebird, don't know the name but seen previous years here.  Help, anyone?

[T40cfr403]

From RRP's FB page:

Mississippi Flyway

May 16, 2022 - Lunar Eclipse! https://youtu.be/U_ZLoJtl1Ww.

May 13, 2022: Black-necked Stilt - https://youtu.be/hDmFLYCj0iY. This is an extremely cool sighting! Black-necked stilts have been seen in the area, but they aren't common and don't breed here or migrate through very often. It was probably blown in from the west, but I find it intriguing that it belongs to the same family as American Avocet (Recurvirostridae). We are seeing avocets in increasing numbers during the spring (cam op Spish reported six of them in breeding plumage on April 25) and I can't help but wonder if we'll see more Black-necked Stilts, too. The two species are capable of hybridizing and producing young. You can learn more about Black-necked stilts here: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/.../Black-necked.../overview.

This has been a good year for interesting birds on the Flyway! I didn't get a change to post this earlier, but check out this White-faced Ibis, seen on May 4, 2022 - another very uncommon visitor! https://youtu.be/lJ5ZZEhMSHw. You can learn more about White-faced Ibis here: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/White-faced_Ibis.

May 10, 2022: Subadult eagle walking - https://youtu.be/03ruTMRVZeQ. Dinosaur stomp at 52 seconds!


May 4, 2022: A White-faced Ibis on the Flyway! This was a surprise visitor - an isolated population breeds in northeastern South Dakota, but they don't breed or migrate anywhere near here. We think it might have been blown in on a powerful western storm wind.


May 13, 2022: A Black-necked stilt on the Flyway! This is an extremely cool sighting! Black-necked stilts have been seen in the area, but they aren't common and don't breed near here or migrate through very often.


A look at the distribution of the Black-necked Stilt. It isn't a common visitor!


May 16, 2022: Lunar eclipse on the Flyway.

[eburgbirdwtchr]

Thanks for the RRP report T40.
I see those "uncommon" birds and get out my bird books and try and figure out who's what but this year has been mostly reliance on other peeps or authoritative identification to finally learn what we've seen.
Just put the book back on the shelf and hope you or somebody else come's to the rescue! 

[STLbf]

That video of the lunar eclipse is a keeper!  I had a really good view of it where I live, when the clouds predicted didn't show up.

Love the uncommon birds and identifications.  It's a challenge to recognize the regulars, especially shore birds and small wading birds, some ducks, too.

The most uncommon bird at my backyard feeder this spring was a male indigo bunting, who dropped by for just a few moments when I happened to be watching.  They are more common in the woods of east-central Missouri, but rare in suburban yards.

[T40cfr403]

eburg - Don't hold your breath waiting for me to ID anything!! Ha! A couple of years ago there was a beaver or a marmot or some such creature on the Flyway cam and I nailed it as a bear! I'm even worse at birds.

[eburgbirdwtchr]

Young colt sandhill cranes on the flyway.  Nesting on Lake Onalaska.  So cool!

[STLbf]

eburg, thanks for the heads-up about the sandhill babies.  I didn't know they were called colts.  Cool!  We'd love to see a pic from you, too.   

Here's one from me, and the rewind to see them in motion is way better.  So cute!

And a closeup of a Northern Shoveler drake from earlier this morning, thanks to the cam ops.

[eburgbirdwtchr]

STLbf--think I learned about the "colt" nickname here in the Forum.  It's such a fountain of learning.
When I lived in Colorado I'd often be traveling I-80 thru Nebraska during the sandhill migration and it is an experience I wish everyone could have.  Literally thousands of sandhill cranes, and when they rise off the South Platte River in the morning....well....it's absolutely "primeval"  The sound is a real trip.  And the cranes in the cornfields along the interstate are courting, hopping up and down and calling their groovy calls.  It's overwhelming.  Now they even have a Visitor Center near Guttenburg (I think?) and you can view the videos of all that year-round.  Don't pass it by if you have the time!!
And I've had no luck posting pictures the last couple of years, so I just enjoy viewing those entered by yourself and our other experts.

[eburgbirdwtchr]

LOL- who says you need web feet to swim? 

[WendyC3]

Sandhill cranes with 2 fluffy babies this afternoon.

[eburgbirdwtchr]

Nice to see sandhill cranes, like our eagles, do the "mombrella" thing in a storm and the Dad covers her "six'.   

later....and her "twelve" 

[eburgbirdwtchr]

Apparently, in the bird world anyhow, Big Brothers and Sisters are Bullies.  That's how they get Bigger, I guess.  Being the third in a family of four kids, I'm familiar with Both characteristics!