Hi Tweets:
We did the monthly Kent Ponds census yesterday, Sun, 4-18. No rarities, but there were a few interesting sightings. There was a pair of AMERICAN KESTRELS near the south tower at GRNRA (Kent Ponds). Both a male and a female NORTHERN HARRIER were seen flying in the area. Several hundred CACKLING GEESE flew over at two different times. Both times the big V's were flying south, so maybe they will remain in the valley for awhile. A few BROWN-HEADED COWBIRDS were seen, including at least one female. YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS were abundant, both Audubon's and Myrtle. Several ORANGE-CRND. WARBLERS were seen and heard. SAVANNAH SPARROWS and COMMON YELLOWTHROAT's were abundant and singing. A few LINCOLN'S SPARROW's remain. Randy Bjorklund got a picture of a Savannah Sparrow and a Lincoln's Sparrow perched close to each other for a great comparison of the gray-headed
Lincoln's and the light-colored head of the Savannah Sparrow.
In the afternoon, I drove over to S 204th St after a Tweeters report from Matt Bartels on Sat. The ponds are drying, but there were 9 GREATER YELLOWLEGS, and 1 LESSER YELLOWLEGS in the pond to the north of 204th. In the mitigated pond on S 212th which is near the bottom of the Orillia hill where Orillia becomes 212th, there were a lot of waterfowl including a pair of skulky CINNAMON TEAL, and a EURASIAN X AMER. WIGEON hybrid. Other birds in that pond were coots, Canada geese, No. Shoveler, Gadwall, Mallard, Green-winged Teal, and American Wigeon.
It was warm (almost 70 degrees), and sunny. Spring could finally be here.
Yours, Carol Schulz
Des Moines