Monday, September 30, 2013

Sprague's Pipit Search, Sedgwick County

September 25, 2013

Richard Stevens:

Bryan and I continued our Sprague's Pipit search today.  Weather was again quite good.  We drove many of the roads (those that were accessible in spite of recent flooding).

Only one Sprague's Pipit was run across.  It was near yesterday's sighting, this time along Sedgwick County Road 59, and south of CR 30.

An interesting meadowlark caught our attention northeast of CR 61 & CR 32.  We were 99 percent sure; it was an Eastern Meadowlark!  It sang and called exactly like an Eastern Meadowlark.  Unfortunately, we never managed to get good looks at its throat.

The afternoon was spent at a friend's ranch along the South Platte River.  Most of the riparian area was flooded and we could not get close to the trees.  An unidentified warbler was most interesting (possible first fall female Cape May Warbler or female Black-throated Green Warbler or who knows what).

Fall warblers are difficult ids, especially females.  Even with a good look, it might have been difficult and we were too far away.  We will never know what it was.  A female Red-bellied Woodpecker was easier to identify.

At dusk, an Eastern Screech-Owl called!  It was a decent end to our birding day!

No comments: