After a little moderate rain I went to check some of the Humboldt Sheetwaters most of which remain depleted and only the one South of Bradgate retains any water and that's limited. None the less the mudflat surrounding the water had a dozen Semipalmated and Least Sandpipers scurrying around it. A bit of flooded pasture just across the street of the Bradgate Elevator provided a single Spotted Sandpiper and a couple of Short-billed Dowitchers.
Florida Ave near the W branch of the Des Moines River provided several Yellow Warblers, several Common Yellowthroats, a Pine Warbler, three Am. Redstarts and several Yellow-rumped Warblers. A Imm. Scarlet Tanager or a basic plumaged Male Scarlet Tanager was also on the roadside inspecting the gravel and a second Spotted Sandpiper was making a ruckus on the river bank flying back and forth across the river. At home in Ottosen we've had numerous Rose-breasted Grosbeaks for and extended period (at least longer than normal) as well as a male Indigo Bunting and a White-crowned Sparrow, however the biggest shock today was that of a Red-breasted Nuthatch that showed up to our feeders today (having not had any the past winter this was a shock) I assume it's a female from the light coloration, though it could simply be faded or an immature. Finally our RT Hummers have returned after being bullied and chased off by a gang of over-indulgent orioles which had taken over the hummingbird feeder after they drained their own feeder. Jacob Newton Ottosen Humboldt Co. , IA --- 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]
