I found 3 Great-tailed Grackles at Harrier Marsh (Boone Co,) while doing a volunteer bird survey for DNR this morning. As I walked around my survey area, the GTGRs moved north, to the marsh with new dike right along the south side of US Hwy 30. If they stay in that area they should be visible to anyone just pulling off along the highway (but take care of the heavy semi-truck traffic here). Other good finds on the survey today included many Bobolinks, a Virginia Rail, Grasshopper Sparrow, LeConte’s Sparrow, and a very brief view of what might have been a Henslow’s Sparrow, but I didn’t hear it sing and I couldn’t flush it a second time, so I.D. is unsure. A female Northern Harrier continues to be seen here, sometimes with a male nearby, now making nearly 2 months they’ve been present. I fully expect there’s an attempted nesting here at their namesake wildlife area.
DOUG HARR Ogden --- 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]
