I'd been planning to get out to do some bird surveying for the past little while but have been mostly thwarted. A couple of blown tires and other responsibilities have kept me from spending any real time. And birds from the south should be arriving these days. So my plan was to get a babysitter for Hilary for a couple of hours and head out to the outflow at Marcil Lake (our water lake) and see what is hanging around.
Fate once again intervened, but in a good way this time when Hilary's Aunt/Cousin called wanting to take Hilary for awhile. Perfect. Leah was home for lunch so I grabbed my new moleskine ("Raised by Ravens"), binoculars, camera and rubber boots and headed out.
I had no sooner parked the truck when I heard the first Lapland Longspur song of the year, and it didn't take long to see one doing their aerial display. They are back with a vengeance. I saw no less than fourteen on my little walk, mostly males but there were at least two pairs in the bunch. They are such a beautiful bird, and have a mesmerizing song/display flying up into the air and "parachuting" back down on stiff wings, singing all the while. I watched males fighting over territory and foraging for insects, like this handsome fellow, with some unlucky bug in his beak.
But more visitors awaited, the Qarsauq have returned. Three sat on a widening of the river and while I watched another clumsily landed on the next bend.
Meanwhile a lone male Old Squaw (Sorry, Long-tailed Duck) shared the pond with the three Red-throated Loons.
There were the usual assortment of Gulls, Glaucous, Iceland and Thayer's, and a pair of Snow Geese flew over. One lone Baird's Sandpiper flushed in front of me. I'm anxious to see if I can find some other shorebirds this year, based on an old article in a journal.
It was a glorious hour and a half, and far too soon the responsibilities of life were pulling me away. But seeing as that responsibility is my beautiful daughter,
I don't mind leaving the birds at all.
Comments
4 responses
Longspurs in breeding plumage – outstanding!
Glad to see they finally made it and were recorded in your new Moleskine!
What a great day! So cool. Love that Lapland Longspur! 🙂
They are outstanding aren’t they Mike.
Thanks John, and thanks for sending them up here.
Thanks Liza, they are a beautiful bird aren’t they.