Bill Scheible and I spent the day birding in Keokuk County and a small portion of Iowa County, tallying 93 species. The best bird was a stunning drake CINNAMON TEAL at the Fuller Green Valley Addition to the English River Wildlife Area, where Iowa, Keokuk, and Washington counties meet. The bird was in Iowa County for most of the time we were there, and may have strayed into Keokuk County, but we're not sure of the exact location of the county lines out in the marsh. Directions: From CR F67 in southeast Iowa County, take S Ave. south about 1.5 miles to where it intersects Keokuk-Iowa Rd. to the west. There is a parking lot directly east of the intersection, and the bird was on the water several hundred yards east of the parking lot. The best views were obtained by walking down close to the water's edge.
Other birds at Fuller Green Valley: 9 waterfowl sp. including 1 Snow Goose and 2 Hooded Mergansers 5 Great Egrets 2 Sandhill Cranes 8 shorebird sp. including 50+ Lesser Yellowlegs, 2 Baird's Sandpipers, 3 Dunlin, and 1 Wilson's Phalarope 1 American Pipit Haysville Bend Wildlife Area, Keokuk County: Bald Eagle nest with at least 2 chicks 1 Pileated Woodpecker 4 Warbling Vireos Belva-Deer Recreation Area, Keokuk County: 1 Green Heron 3 Least Flycatchers 1 Sedge Wren 7 warbler sp. including 20+ Palm Warblers (numerous at every stop during the day) 7 sparrow sp. including 2 Lincoln's Sparrows and 1 Henslow's Sparrow 2 Eurasian Tree Sparrows in Kinross and 1 Eurasian Collared-Dove in Webster Aside from the Cinnamon Teal, the Pileated Woodpecker was our best bird of the day, as we have been trying to add the species to the Keokuk County checklist for several years. Shortly after arriving at Haysville Bend, we stopped to chat with a DNR employee conducting a wildlife survey. We asked if he had ever seen a Pileated Woodpecker there, and he replied that he hadn't. Moments later the bird called nearby and then flew right past us! Couldn't have scripted it any better. Chris Edwards Solon, IA [email protected] --- Please contribute your sightings to our list; it is only as good as members make it! --- Birding channel recommendation for FRS/GMRS radio use: Primary selection; channel 5/0 , alternate selection; channel 6/0 --- This mailing list is sponsored by the Iowa Ornithologists' Union. Membership available on-line at http://www.iowabirds.org/iou/membership.asp. ----- You are currently subscribed to ia-bird as: [email protected]
