Subject: [Tweeters] Lazuli Buntings at GRNRA - Kent Ponds
Date: Jun 6 23:17:25 2007
From: Lynn Schulz - linusq at worldnet.att.net


Hi Tweeters:
We seem to have a new high count this year of Lazuli Buntings at Green River
Natural Resources Area (GRNRA) known to birders as Kent Ponds. During the
GRNRA census on May 20, 2007 the census crew reported 8 Luzuli's. The ponds
team reported 2, the meadows team saw 4, and there were at least 2 more
south of the power lines. I don't have a detailed report about the sex of
the birds or exactly where they were seen, but the indication is that the
sightings were widespread in the area. On Sat, June 2, 2007, Barry Levine
reported 5 or six birds that he saw, and he heard them all singing. So they
must have been males. On Sun, June 3, '07 I saw and heard 4 males along the
powerline trail, each about 300 feet from the previous bird.
In 2006, our censuses did not show Lazuli's. But Marv Breece was seeing
them, and attempting to photograph them. He took photos near the little
wetland pond down near the east end of the powerline trail on 5-20-06, and
on 7-14-06. He never saw any young Lazuli's.
In 2005, I don't think we have any records of Lazuli's in the area.
Our first sightings of Lazuli Buntings at GRNRA that I am aware of occurred
in 2004, and that year we may have had some evidence of breeding. Nita
Fulwiler, a lady who lives down in that area, saw a pair of Lazuli's near
the powerline trail on May 31, '04. They were calling, but not singing. On
June 3 she and Sherry Barchus saw a male singing in the tree right next to
the South observation tower. On June 13, '04, Charlie Wright reported that
the census team saw 3 males and 1 female. A few days after that Ted Ripley
was at the grassy knoll and saw a female carrying grasshoppers down to a
Lazuli nest about 3 feet below the fence toward the water. Mark Becraft saw
this nest with a male and female near it. The female perched on the fence
with a grasshopper. Mark saw it on June 21, '04. Unfortunately, a few days
later the grounds crew mowed the tall grass, and the Lazuli's apparently
abandoned the nest.
I have been asked if we have evidence of breeding by Lazuli Buntings.
Looking through these old records, I think we may have. I myself would love
to see some young Lazuli Buntings this summer at Kent Ponds.
Yours, Carol Schulz
Des Moines
linusq at att.net