Did some birding in NC Iowa this half of the week, nothing of outstanding, still waves of winter species plowing through, had some Am. Pipits yesterday in a dried lake bed near Burt Lake. Did however today find about half a dozen Rusty Blackbirds sitting out near a small borrow pit in NC Palo Alto county. While it isn't early for them, I do guess that means I'll have to start paying closer attention to the swarms of Red-winged Blackbird flocks that have been passing overhead to see if I can't pull out a few Rusty's if not *gasp* a Brewers. Also had an absolutely stunning Kreider's Red-tailed, one of the most complete Kreider's I've ever seen, it only had just barely a little belly banding. I suspect there may be a huge push the end of this week as wings are supposed to swing out from the north at 20-25 mph.
And then back at home, it's been a motley crew of birds a Lincoln's Sparrow, some Harris' and White-throated's, White-crowned's (no Juncos yet) as well as a Winter Wren that continues to arrive and bathe in my water basin. Oh, and a leucistic American Robin. I think this spring there had been an albino Robin (not complete, the chest was colored by the dorsal and head was all white) that was hanging about about a mile from town...maybe that bird got lucky...(in both senses of the word) and this is the product of that, or this is the same bird and the all white phase was some weird stress reaction. 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/PayDues.aspx. ----- You are currently subscribed to ia-bird as: [email protected]
