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[Phyl]

Mississippi River Flyway Cam
Aug 11, 2023 3:26 PM
Camera Time: Aug 11, 2023 3:26 PM CDT
Birchwoman

[Phyl]

Mississippi River Flyway Cam
Aug 11, 2023 5:40 PM
Camera Time: Aug 11, 2023 5:39 PM CDT
Birchwoman

[Phyl]

Mississippi River Flyway Cam
Aug 12, 2023 6:33 AM
Camera Time: Aug 12, 2023 6:33 AM CDT
Birchwoman

[Phyl]

Mississippi River Flyway Cam
Aug 15, 2023 6:47 AM
Camera Time: Aug 15, 2023 6:47 AM CDT
Birchwoman

[Phyl]

Mississippi River Flyway Cam
Aug 16, 2023 9:20 AM
Camera Time: Aug 16, 2023 9:19 AM CDT
Birchwoman

[Phyl]

Mississippi River Flyway Cam
Aug 19, 2023 8:24 PM
Camera Time: Aug 19, 2023 8:24 PM CDT
Birchwoman

[Phyl]

Mississippi River Flyway Cam
Aug 21, 2023 6:52 AM
Camera Time: Aug 21, 2023 6:51 AM CDT
Birchwoman




Now, all caught up for a while.

[MNLindaBird]

Good morning!  Is good to be back at the Flyway as summer wanes and heads us into autumn before too long (have been quietly perching).  Am especially enjoying the early mornings, but miss active chatting time for help with identifications.  Nevertheless, I have identified a marsh bird, of which I had been unaware before today   My trusty Kaufman bird book helped me figure out (not necessarily quickly) that I was viewing a member of the "Rail" (Rallidae) family, "Porzana carolina", aka "Sora".  Also did not know that Green Heron and Least Bittern are also members of Rallidae family.  Photo attached of "Sora" (I hope...)  Hope everyone is successful at finding a cool space in which to linger during today's high heat and humidity (feels like Florida in summer to me, and TG we don't have their large cockroaches running about).

[STLbf]

Love the Sora pic!  Smallish water birds are hard to ID, but you got this one right.  Years ago when my area had loads of rain and flooding of the wetlands, a sora visited my backyard for a few days.  There was enough area that wasn't covered by water for the bird to pick at insects along the edge of the garden.  That was my first and only encounter with soras in the "wild."  Beautiful and fun to watch them.

[MNLindaBird]

STLbf - Well, now I'm feeling a bit proud of myself.  Thank you for the confirmation of a Sora and your wonderful story of a somewhat rare sighting yourself.  Could only have figured out this bird ID on the Flyway cam, that's for sure   Yes, they are pretty birds. Love the tail motions, which were actually what caught my attention. 

[STLbf]

Sunday morning, typical closeups of GBHs and Great Egret hunting in the shallows.  About 9:00 and for about 2 hours, a juvenile bald eagle from this year's hatching was perching, bathing, preening on and near the posing log.  It's too much to hope that it is DH2 because they all look so similar, but still . . . 

[STLbf]

Here's a new bird to add to my life list, but what is it?  Small flock, all look the same to me, dark brown on top, with golden yellowish on the face and underparts.  Perhaps Yellow-headed blackbirds?  See on the rewind today at noon.

[Linda M]

Yes STL, those are yellow headed blackbirds.  Nice find, thanks for the photos.

[STLbf]

Linda, I appreciate the confirmation of Yellow headed blackbirds.

Today there's a video posted on the chatroom from yesterdays sighting.  Also, they were back feeding on the posing log again today.  Ooops, forgot to note the time.

[eburgbirdwtchr]

Sadly, the yellow-headed blackbird is a much rarer sighting these days.  That was one of my first entries in my birdwatching book when I was in elementary school back in the mid-50's.
But what I miss most these days is the meadowlark, whose song is one of the prettiest I ever heard.  Big Ag, mono-cultures, and insecticides are the main cause for most of the problems with species intervention.  In Iowa, corn is King, but unfortunately it's main source of revenue is now bio-fuel instead of food.  And hog confinements are a major source of pollution in our streams, rivers, and lakes.
Deniers of all these problems are currently in charge of Iowa government.  But I have Hope.