Hi I-Birders,
This morning's dog walk, expected to be a 40 minute stroll, turned into a
90 minute Bird Fest. A mile long stretch of the Des Moines River in NW Des
Moines was jumping with birds. Without trying all that hard I tallied nearly
40 species. I saw a dozen or so RT HUMMINGBIRDS along this trail [although
there could easily have been twice that many], while during the breeding season
I might see one or two on a similar walk. There was some WARBLER migration
action as well, including a mixed flock of WILSON'S and NASHVILLEs, a trio of
young C YELLOWTHROATS, and single CHESTNUT-SIDED and AM. REDSTART. The neatest
find was a lovely adult breeding-plumaged female BLACK-AND-WHITE WARBLER,
courteously foraging down low in a close-by shrub. A BG GNATCATCHER was a
welcome find as well, along with YELLOW-THROATED and RED-EYED VIREOS. Also
seen were many of the usual suspects, including oriole, bunting, and titmouse.
Some kingfisher chatter was heard across the river. The ordinarily ubiquitous
house wren must be on vacation this week, as he was conspicuously absent.
Hope you are all experiencing your own touch of migration.
Good Birding,
Stuart Sparkman
NW Des Moines
"First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you
win."
M. K. Gandhi
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