The Neal Smith NWR CBC was held today under good conditions-calm, relatively warm, and no precipitation. We found 42 species, which is slightly above average for this count, but had no real rarities. Still waiting for a few feeder reports, but it's not likely they'll add much. Among the 28 participants in today's count were 6 international students from Grinnell College, experiencing something completely new to them. They enjoyed seeing Bald Eagles, Barred Owls, and other birds that we sometimes take for granted, as well as their first encounters with icy bodies of water. A group of preschoolers contributed an American Crow to our count. Highlights were:
Eastern Screech-owl-count first and my personal first for the refuge! Rough-legged Hawk Brown Creeper Eastern Bluebird Cedar Waxwing Song Sparrow Fox Sparrow White-throated Sparrow Red-winged Blackbird Rusty Blackbird Common Grackle Brown-headed Cowbird Not much in the way of open and grassland birds, with no Short-eared Owls, shrikes, Horned Larks, longspurs, etc. Despite the mediochre bird list, it was a great day to be out birding! Karen Viste-Sparkman Des Moines --- 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]. Unsubscribe at http://iowabirds.org/Reporting/Listserv.aspx.
