Michael,

How did you find out?... Yes, I had 10 lifers on this trip to IN & IA,
some of them very exciting indeed!

We had one day, June 30, to bird IN while we were there for the first
time for a family reunion. I'd read on birdingonthe.net about WOOD
STORKS near a LEAST TERN colony in southwestern IN next to the Wabash
River (Gibson Co.) near the confluence with the Ohio River. We made a
wrong turn on "970" looking for Cane Ridge and picked up BLACK & WHITE
WARBLER, and BLUE GROSBEAK on a lovely wooded portion of road along the
Wabash. We were having such fun that we didn't get on the correct road,
"950", until 3 p.m. Since I never found directions to the tern colony,
we had to 'settle' for seeing a few flying over the grasslands and
wetlands numerous times! Along the way, a NORTHERN BOBWHITE, which we
heard in profusion every time we went out, wandered into the road ahead
of us for great looks. There were 4 storks exactly where the directions
indicated. Unfortunately/fortunately, we flushed 3 of them when we
stood up on the bumper of the rental SUV so that we could see over the
tall native grasses. They flew to a dead tree in a tiny wooded area
nearby, where they were joined by a fourth. This corner of the state
used to be swamp lands and has not been altered as much as most of the
state. I believe the eco-region was called "Hill Country." We had
Prothonotary Warblers foraging calmly just 20 feet away along our
'wrong' road. Wood Thrush, Ovenbird, and a host of other species
completely filled our ears with vocal vying for territory in these lush
surroundings. The state retains only 5% of the original 80% of woodlands.

In IA, at my sister's, we managed 4 birding outings. We've birded a few
spots in IA visiting family in the past, so we had to work a little
harder for our lifers. I joined the state list serve to keep closer
tabs on what was happening. On July 4, we headed to the south central
eco-region of "Heartland" to see YELLOW-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON in Lucas
County. We arrived at 5 p.m. and only had to wait an hour to begin
seeing this fascinating nocturnal species. Two showed up before we left
at 7:30 p.m., seeing a Northern Bobwhite singing in a tree on our way out.

There are plenty of excellent birders in IA, so it's not surprising that
Des Moines gets quite a few interesting reports. Still tired on July 6,
we went looking for the MISSISSIPPI KITE in the city. I dipped on a
couple local birds I'd wanted to see--not enough focus--but got the rare
kite.

Early the next day we again headed to south central, this time nearly to
the Missouri border in Wayne, Decatur, and Ringgold counties. With
considerable effort we managed to see both HENSLOW'S SPARROW and UPLAND
SANDPIPER, but not until after 2 p.m. Anyone who thinks Iowa is flat
needs to get off the interstate! The Prairie-Chicken restoration
project just 2 miles west of Kellerton was constant up and down in the
most beautifully luscious wildflower and tall grasses that I've ever
seen. Once covered with these grasses, fire suppression has reforested
much of these rural areas with oak forests. This is the area Grant Wood
depicted in his famous paintings. I think I fell in love with the voice
and vision of the sweet sandpiper that breeds here.

Still tired July 9, we just had to drag ourselves out to see the latest
state bird, MOTTLED DUCK, just a couple miles north of Des Moines at
Jester County Park. Fortunately, others were on the bird when we
arrived. Shorebird migration was in full swing and we'd seen quite a
few already. Although I could've had a couple lifers here, I did not
trust my dulled senses in bright Iowa sunshine and at confounding distance.

I may have had other lifers, but need to go over my notes to find out.
Sorry for such a long reply, but I just got going and had to ride it
out. Thanks for asking!

Patricia S. Lott
Seattle, WA
mail to: VariedThrush at comcast.net


Michael Fleming wrote:

> Hi Patricia;
>
> Mississippi Kite is an excellent bird for Iowa............. Did you
> get the other two you were after.
>
> Cheers;
>
>
> Michael Fleming
> Ballard, WA
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------