Armleder Park, Lost Bridge, Shawnee Lookout Park, & The Obow
Where has the last 4 days gone? I had nothing but the best intentions to get a blog post out to all my readers, however during migration and with other responsibilities at home I’ve been rather delinquent with some of my blog posts. So first an apology in hopes that this won’t become habit, but with migration in full bloom this promise might soon be broken as well. So bear with me during this Spring.
So this posting will combine 2 field trips that Jon and myself took these past few days. Our first trip was to Armleder Park this last Thursday. Joining Jon and myself was Jason who works with Jon and is starting to accompany us every now and then. This was to be an evening trip where we just wandered around the park doing some casual birding trying our best trying to pick up any migrant.
It was a beautiful evening with a stiff breeze and plenty of people in the park either watching their kids practicing lacrosse and soccer, or just walking, running, and skating around on the paved paths. The wind seemed to keep the birds a little less active and even with the diminishing light we were able to total 31 birds for the evening. I was able to add a few new ones for the year including Baltimore Oriole, Prothonotory Warbler, House Wren, and Yellow-throated Warbler. And the Vesper Sparrow eluded me again.
So after a field trip I would post this trip on my blog, however Friday was kind of busy after I got home from work. Kathy and myself went out to do a little shopping and for a bite to eat. So after I got home it was getting a little too late to post anything considering I was going out the next morning with Jon to Shawnee Lookout.
Saturday morning shone bright and cold as I made my way towards Shawnee Lookout. Anticipations were high, and with a early jump on the morning I was hoping for some great birding. Jon was going to join me a little later due to a previous appointment, so I arrived at Lost bridge bright and early. With some of the recent rain we’ve had the river was running high so none of the usual mud flats were visible, so my stay was short.
Knowing how high the water level was it came as no surprise to see the parking lot for the boat access at Shawnee Lookout flooded.
Where you see water in this picture, is usually a parking lot.
You will always find a Belted Kingfisher near the boat ramp area at Shawnee Lookout Park.
The ramp down to the parking lot was abundant with birds. House Wrens once again made their voices known above all others. A lone Yellow-throated Vireo came through as I searched in vain for this small elusive bird that sang so beautifully. But with every Spring there is one bird I look forward to the most. Standing in the parking lot below the park headquarters a Wood Thrush started to sing. I don’t need to see a Wood Thrush to know what I’m hearing. My all time favorite bird song. I recall a time when I was camping with the Boy Scout troop I was a leader with. As usual I was up very early getting in some birding. The forest was still and quiet except for the call of the Wood Thrush. Above all else it’s voice was heard.
I made my way into the park after buying my yearly pass. Up the hill through the trees to the crest of the hill and the golf course parking lot. I had to stop because a warbler was calling.
First of the season Yellow Warbler
Through a tangle comes the song of the Brown Thrasher.
Chipping Sparrows are back in force, and Shawnee Lookout is no exception. Small in size, their voice is anything but. I was following this particular bird as it flew to the top of a branch and started to belt out it’s song.
Jon finally joined me and brought along his super-cool dog Edgar. Edgar is this enormous Black Lab that has such a great disposition and was so well behaved all during the day. You barely knew he was there as we walked the fields and trails that criss-crossed Shawnee Lookout. We meet up with a good birding friend Gary Stegner who was out birding by himself, so we joined up together to what turned out to be a glorious day of birding and conversation.
Wood Warblers and Vireos were the prime birds for the day as first-of-the-season birds include White-eyed, Yellow-throated, Warbling Viroes. Wood warblers included Prairie, Cerulean, Red Start, Yellow, and Blue-winged.
One of my favorite trails at the part is called the Fort trail due to the fact that early Native Americans had villages at the top. Signs are posted throughout and along the trail telling about early Native American life here. Early blooming flowers were beginning to bloom,
As well a butterflies being seen flying low over the ground, landing and feeding on the clover that was in bloom.
Black Swallowtail
As the morning wore into the afternoon Gary parted ways after almost 3 hours of birding. And for Jon and myself it was time to make our way to the Oxbow to see if it was passable for car traffic. Much to our surprise the water levels were lower than anticipated, so we made our way into the park. We watched as 2 Bald Eagles played and Blue-winged Teal feed along sky pools. A few wading birds were seen but nothing that made our hearts jump. It’s been rather a disappointing year for wading birds.
This Eastern Kingbird was so cooperative as I drove ever so close so as to get parallel to it and get it’s picture.
Blocking my way was this Turkey Vulture that was feasting on this dead fish in the middle of the road. As I crept closer in my car trying to get a better angle to get this picture, it dropped the fish and flew off, only to return later after it circled in the air.
At the overlook for Oxbow Lake we scanned through the trees to try and locate this group of white dots on the other side of the trees in this flooded field. Sitting on the long stretch of grass were these 2 Caspian Terns. First of the year birds.
The ones on the far left and right are the birds in question. I only wish they were a little closer, but they are Caspian Terns.
Both days we had some very good birds, and since I’m including both days into one blog post, it only seems logical that I include both list of birds into one. So without further ado:
Notable birds for both days include:
- Canada Goose
- Pied-billed Grebe
- Blue-winged Teal
- Green-winged Teal
- Mallard
- Wood Duck
- Double-creasted Cormorant
- Great Blue Heron
- Turkey Vulture
- Black Vulture
- Wild Turkey
- Bald Eagle
- Red-tailed Hawk
- Cooper’s Hawk
- Broad-winged Hawk
- Pigeon
- Mourning Dove
- Killdeer
- Spotted Sandpiper
- Lesser Yellowleg
- Pileated Woodpecker
- Downy Woodpecker
- Red-bellied Woodpecker
- Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
- Northern Flicker
- Belted Kingfisher
- Tree Swallow
- Northern Rough-winged Swallow
- Cliff Swallow
- Bank Swallow
- Barn Swallow
- Chimney Swift
- House Wren
- Carolina Wren
- Baltimore Oriole
- Orchard Oriole
- Blue Jay
- Carolina Chickadee
- Tufted Titmouse
- Northern Cardinal
- American Robin
- Eastern Towhee
- American Crow
- Common Grackle
- Brown-headed Cowbird
- Red-winged Black Bird
- Brown Thrasher
- Wood Thrush
- House Sparrow
- Swamp Sparrow
- Song Sparrow
- White-crowned Sparrow
- White-throated Sparrow
- Field Sparrow
- Chipping Sparrow
- Indigo Bunting
- Eastern Meadowlark
- Horned Lark
- Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
- Eastern Phoebe
- American Goldfinch
- Ring-billed Gull
- Caspian Tern
- Yellow-rumped Warbler
- Common Yellowthroat
- Yellow-throated Warbler
- Blue-winged Warbler
- Protonotary Warbler
- Prairie Warbler
- Pine Warbler
- Northern Parula
- Palm Warbler
- Warbling Vireo
- Yellow-throated Vireo
- White-eyed Vireo
- Cerulean Warbler
- American Redstart
- Yellow Warbler
- Eastern Bluebird
- White-breasted Nuthatch
- European Starling
Lighting was horrendous. It was really overcast and the shadows made getting the true color of the birds difficult. I shot over 60 pictures.
The Glossy Ibis has a brownish bill, this White-faced Ibis has a gray one.
A Birder's Notebook 