7:00AM start at Jester. Light was horrifically bad and after 90 minutes gave up on the Sabine's Gull. Lap around Saylorville produce little however 27 Caspian Terns and 1 Common Tern were still nice. Returned to Jester around 11:00 and hooked up with Art Check but alas the results were no better. The light was marginally better but all the gulls were kind of clumped together and trying to fine the juvenile Sabine's was failure. Did hear a Blue-headed Vireo and a Pileated Woodpecker and had a great look at an Osprey cruising right over the area they once nested in on the shoreline. Also, one Broad-winged Hawk.
Off to Redrock Lake--dead dead and more dead. No water being let out at the dam. Total ducks 3. Highlights were 65-70 Caspian Terns in various locations around the lake, 4 Black Terns, and 2 Forster's Terns. Robert's Creek had two Neotropic Cormorants sitting on snags next to three DC Cormorants. One last (silly me) run to Jester--Yep the lighting was absolutely fantastic, the gulls had kind of separated, and not long after the Sabine's literally jump into my scope view. Was able to get some distant be very diagnostic photos as it walked around the mud flat like a shorebird. Also caught a couple of inflight shots showing have the "M" pattern. As a bonus the Ruddy Turnstones I had unsuccessfully looked for at least 4 times deigned to send one representative for a brief look. 3 Buff-breasted Sandpipers, 2 Black-bellied Plover, and numerous Pectorals, Least, Lesser YL also made appearances. What started off as a very poor day ended rather well. ps NOT a warbler was seen by me today though I did make some rather half-hearted attempts with a drive through Jester, Oak Grove, Cherry Glen, and the Whitebreast CG. God Bless, Paul Roisen Sioux City, IA Woodbury County 712-276-0371(H) 712-301-2817(C) --- 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]
