South Sycamore Bottoms Marsh, Iowa City: 2 Black-crowned Night-Herons 1 Virginia Rail 1 Marsh Wren 5 Caspian Terns 2 Willow Flycatchers 1 Orchard Oriole
The night-herons and rail were on the east side of the marsh, which was reached by following the outermost of the three dikes. I wouldn't recommend this trek without either hip waders or waterproof boots and pants, as I had to slog through tall wet vegetation, willow thickets, and a long stretch of foot-deep water to reach the area where they were seen. The dikes are in very poor shape. N side of 480th Street, 1/2 mile E of Vincent Avenue in Johnson County: 1 Upland Sandpiper 2 Vesper Sparrows Nearby, Bob Dick found a Northern Mockingbird yesterday in the field NW of the intersection of 500th Street and the Johnson/Muscatine county line, but I didn't relocate it during a brief stop today. At Cone Marsh in Louisa County, the only birds of interest were a Black Tern and a Sandhill Crane. There were extensive mud flats but no shorebirds today. Yesterday, three White-eyed Vireos were along the Osprey Trail at Lake Macbride State Park, a Common Loon was on the south arm of Lake Macbride, several hundred shorebirds including Dunlins and Short-billed Dowitchers plus an Alder Flycatcher were at Twinview Heights, two male Redheads were on Swan Lake, and Prothonotary Warbler, Cape May Warbler, and an Olive-sided Flycatcher were at the Gun Club Ponds. 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/PayDues.aspx. ----- You are currently subscribed to ia-bird as: [email protected]
