Date: 6/16/26 8:20 pm From: Chuck Otte <00001b0b31b1d152-dmarc-request...> Subject: Milford Lake Bird Walk, Saturday June 20
The monthly Milford Lake Bird Walk will be this Saturday, June 20th, starting at 8:00 a.m. We meet in the parking lot at the south end of Milford Lake Dam, across the street from the Corps of Engineer's Office, 5203 North K-57 Junction City, Kansas 66441. Walks usually last 2 to 3 hours, weather and birds dependendent. If you have any questions, contact me!!
Terry just saw a hummingbird at the feeder a short while ago. So....... nevermind.
Dan Mulhern
On Wednesday, June 10, 2026 at 09:35:35 AM CDT, Dan Mulhern <browndog06...> wrote:
We've had some very violent storms through the Manhattan are in the last 5-7 days. Our last hummingbird sighting was before all that.
Now, it's possible those storms gave lingering migrants good incentive to move out. But, in a typical summer we have a number of breeders in our garden all summer, with peak numbers just as fall migration begins.
Without yet knowing when birds will reappear here at our flowers and feeders, I'm wondering if the weather actually killed some of the locals.
Is anyone else around this area, or anywhere the weather has been turbulent, seeing an unexpected lack of hummingbirds right now?
Dan Mulhern Manhattan
When I was in high school many years ago, we had severe storm go through the farm I lived on. After the storm was over I went around the yard and picked up a 5 gallon bucket of dead birds. So wherever they are will depend on whether they survive.Max Thompson
On Wednesday, June 10, 2026 at 04:42:17 PM CDT, EUGENE YOUNG <000006665a95b6b5-dmarc-request...> wrote:
It is breeding season and the birds would be switching to a more protein diet when hatchlings are being fed...we often have far fewer visits to feeders when this occurs.
Gene
Eugene A. Young
Agriculture and Biological Sciences
1220 E. Grand, PO Box 310
Tonkawa, OK, 74653-0310
Phone: 580-628-6482
Fax: 580-628-6209
E-Mail: <Eugene.Young...>
Website: www.noc.edu
-----Original Message-----
From: Birds & Their Habitats in Kansas <KSBIRD-L...> On Behalf Of Dan Mulhern
Sent: Wednesday, June 10, 2026 9:36 AM
To: <KSBIRD-L...>
Subject: Hummingbird question
We've had some very violent storms through the Manhattan are in the last 5-7 days. Our last hummingbird sighting was before all that. Now, it's possible those storms gave lingering migrants good incentive to move out. But, in a typical summer we have a number of breeders in our garden all summer, with peak numbers just as fall migration begins.
Without yet knowing when birds will reappear here at our flowers and feeders, I'm wondering if the weather actually killed some of the locals. Is anyone else around this area, or anywhere the weather has been turbulent, seeing an unexpected lack of hummingbirds right now?
Dan Mulhern Manhattan
It is breeding season and the birds would be switching to a more protein diet when hatchlings are being fed...we often have far fewer visits to feeders when this occurs.
Gene
Eugene A. Young
Agriculture and Biological Sciences
1220 E. Grand, PO Box 310
Tonkawa, OK, 74653-0310
Phone: 580-628-6482
Fax: 580-628-6209
E-Mail: <Eugene.Young...>
Website: www.noc.edu
-----Original Message-----
From: Birds & Their Habitats in Kansas <KSBIRD-L...> On Behalf Of Dan Mulhern
Sent: Wednesday, June 10, 2026 9:36 AM
To: <KSBIRD-L...>
Subject: Hummingbird question
We've had some very violent storms through the Manhattan are in the last 5-7 days. Our last hummingbird sighting was before all that. Now, it's possible those storms gave lingering migrants good incentive to move out. But, in a typical summer we have a number of breeders in our garden all summer, with peak numbers just as fall migration begins.
Without yet knowing when birds will reappear here at our flowers and feeders, I'm wondering if the weather actually killed some of the locals. Is anyone else around this area, or anywhere the weather has been turbulent, seeing an unexpected lack of hummingbirds right now?
Dan Mulhern Manhattan
Date: 6/10/26 9:33 am From: Yang, Bobinyu <000011d835fbb54b-dmarc-request...> Subject: Found and Lost
Last year, twelve sites in Johnson County were found to harbor painted buntings (Passerina ciris). All have been documented with photos and reported to eBird. The locations and coordinates are tabulated below.
This year, the birds have returned to Nos. 1,2,3,4,5,6 and 11. However, they have not been seen at Nos. 7,8,9,10 and 12. Worse yet, they will probably never again migrate to Nos. 8,9,10 and 12. This is because the habitats have been lost. At Prairie Star Parkway Water Fountain in Lenexa (Nos. 8 and 9), rapid housing development is currently taking place there. QuikTrip 255 in Spring Hill (No. 10) is now a staging area for a large construction project. The Tuscan Farms bird habitat (No. 12) has been obliterated. Not one shrub or a single tree can be found there. This is due to the expansion of the subdivision.
Of the twelve sites, four have been lost forever. Ironically, these four sites were discovered just last year. Alas, found and lost in the blink of an eye.
Bob I. Yang
<yangb...>
Overland Park, Johnson County
1 Bluestem Pkwy North 38.931939, -94.877508
2 Bluestem Pkwy South 38.929588, -94.879278
3 I-35 Logistics Park 38.843192, -94.880270
4 JoCo Aggregates North Gate 38.854325, -94.857925
5 Lone Elm Industrial Park 38.854701, -94.842880
6 Midwest Sikh Gurudwara 38.945866, -94.831796
7 Oak Run North Edge 38.861663, -94.877823
8 PSP Water Fountain North 38.959480, -94.880954
9 PSP Water Fountain South 38.958099, -94.879799
10 Quik Trip 255, Spring Hill 38.765371, -94.826715
11 Sunflower Nature Park, De Soto 38.941817, -95.011945
12 Tuscan Farms, Gardner 38.774430, -94.931541
Are birds impacted by severe storms? Absolutely! There's a great article in the KOS Bulletin by Max Thompson about a Red-bellied Woodpecker death: https://www.ksbirds.org/kos/bulletin/Vol45No2.pdf
Dan's question is one that I seem to field every summer. So many things can impact breeding birds in one's own neighborhood. In the case of hummingbirds there is a fair amount of nesting site fidelity as well as wintering site fidelity. So if some tragedy struck in a wintering area it may have wiped out all the individuals that had been nesting in your yard/neighborhood.
I saw a noticeable drop in hummer activity from Memorial Day to the first week in June indicating that the last of the migrants had likely moved on. Additionally, since June 1st I've noticed a big drop in morning bird song. It's warmer PLUS everything is into serious nesting mode. While I did detect a drop in the number of hummers, we still have a LOT of them here at the farm. So Dan, all of yours may be over here!
Kidding aside. Keep the feeders up and change nectar regularly. If you see zero activity for ten days then there are likely no nesting hummers in your area and you can probably take down your feeders, or reduce the number, until southbound migration kicks in the second half of July.
Date: 6/10/26 7:47 am From: Laura Kirk <lauraellenkirk...> Subject: Re: Hummingbird question
I think I also have less than typical currently.
Laura Kirk
Lawrence KS
Laura
On Wed, Jun 10, 2026 at 9:36 AM Dan Mulhern <browndog06...> wrote:
> We've had some very violent storms through the Manhattan are in the last
> 5-7 days. Our last hummingbird sighting was before all that.
> Now, it's possible those storms gave lingering migrants good incentive to
> move out. But, in a typical summer we have a number of breeders in our
> garden all summer, with peak numbers just as fall migration begins.
> Without yet knowing when birds will reappear here at our flowers and
> feeders, I'm wondering if the weather actually killed some of the locals.
> Is anyone else around this area, or anywhere the weather has been
> turbulent, seeing an unexpected lack of hummingbirds right now?
> Dan Mulhern Manhattan
>
> For KSBIRD-L archives or to change your subscription options, go to
> https://listserv.ksu.edu/ksbird-l.html > For KSBIRD-L guidelines go to
> http://www.ksbirds.org/KSBIRD-LGuidelines.htm > To contact a listowner, send a message to
> mailto:<ksbird-l-request...> >
Date: 6/10/26 7:39 am From: Dan Mulhern <browndog06...> Subject: Hummingbird question
We've had some very violent storms through the Manhattan are in the last 5-7 days. Our last hummingbird sighting was before all that.
Now, it's possible those storms gave lingering migrants good incentive to move out. But, in a typical summer we have a number of breeders in our garden all summer, with peak numbers just as fall migration begins.
Without yet knowing when birds will reappear here at our flowers and feeders, I'm wondering if the weather actually killed some of the locals.
Is anyone else around this area, or anywhere the weather has been turbulent, seeing an unexpected lack of hummingbirds right now?
Dan Mulhern Manhattan
This morning at sunrise I had a Wood Thrush singing repeatedly for at least a half hour in the wooded area just south of my house on the west side of Tuttle Creek Lake (Riley County). The late date makes me wonder about potential nesting, although the woods are pretty disturbed. In my experience Wood Thrushes are quite rare in Riley County. -- Ted
Date: 6/3/26 11:32 am From: Chuck Otte <00001b0b31b1d152-dmarc-request...> Subject: It's the nesting season....
I was sitting on the patio this morning, eating breakfast, and as I listened to the somewhat subdued bird song around the farm yard, I thought to myself, "Yup it's June and it's the nesting season." Which for one things means it's time to plan an early morning rising and go run my breeding bird survey route. But it also means something else.
Modern technology has put some powerful tools in our hands, not the least of which is a smart phone with one, or several, bird apps on it. Which means that we can pull up almost any bird in a few seconds and play its song. Which, if we are doing it at low volume and for a limited time so we can remind ourselves what a Scarlet Tanger scold call is like, is fine. But for the next couple of months I would strongly encourage everyone to NOT use this tool for loud playback to elicit a response from some bird species. I'll admit that I have used playback to try to draw a bird out into the open, but that's been in the fall, winter or early spring. Once we hit the breeding/nesting season I simply won't do it for the potential damage it may do. There have been numerous studies showing potential harm to nesting species by excessive (perhaps any) playback in the nesting season. There are reports of birds abandoning breeding grounds, sometimes with young in the nest. There are other reports of areas where excessive playback has been used, in which males just stopping singing, which can lead to long term issues for those breeding species.
Item 1(b) in the American Birding Association (ABA) Code of Ethics specifically states, " Limit the use of recordings and other audio methods of attracting birds.." While many of you are not a member of the ABA, this code of ethics has been developed to protect birds, the environment and the rights of all birders. It's an excellent code of ethics to follow.
Using playback, especially at this time of year, is a selfish approach to birding, to be very blunt (in my opinion). It puts the desire to see the bird or get it on your list ahead of what is best for the bird. And often, all it takes is a little bit more patience and willingness to wait, and you'll see/hear the bird anyway.
PLEASE avoid the use of playback for the next couple of months. Birds are under enough challenges/threats as it is. Let's not add one more straw to that camel's back!
Date: 6/3/26 11:10 am From: Lloyd Davies <ldavies...> Subject: Re: Yes, Sunflower Nature Park
Yes, awesome
On Wed, Jun 3, 2026 at 10:22 AM <chobbs.f1...> wrote:
> Bob, you are indeed the Painted Bunting Whisperer! Please, please share
> your technique for finding these beauties?!
>
> Chris Hobbs
> Lenexa, JoCo
> <chobbs.f1...>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Birds & Their Habitats in Kansas <KSBIRD-L...> On
> Behalf
> Of Yang, Bobinyu
> Sent: Tuesday, June 2, 2026 10:35 PM
> To: <KSBIRD-L...>
> Subject: Yes, Sunflower Nature Park
>
> A few days ago (5/30/2026), my wife and I found no painted bunting at the
> Sunflower Nature Park in De Soto, Kansas (see:
> https://ebird.org/checklist/S349840891). However, a male painted bunting
> was there last year on 8/12/2025 (see:
> https://ebird.org/checklist/S266902248). Reluntant to blame painted
> buntings for being unreliable migrants, we went back today, 6/2/2026, to
> see
> if any birds have returned. Sure enough, a drab female dutifully made her
> appearance. We were parked at (38.941926, -95.011923) to shoot the two
> photos at 4:51 p.m. shown below:
> https://ebird.org/checklist/S351631360 > So, painted buntings are beautiful and reliable. What more can one ask of
> a
> bird?
> Bob I. Yang
> <yangb...>
> Overland Park, Johnson County
>
>
> For KSBIRD-L archives or to change your subscription options, go to
> https://listserv.ksu.edu/ksbird-l.html > For KSBIRD-L guidelines go to
> http://www.ksbirds.org/KSBIRD-LGuidelines.htm > To contact a listowner, send a message to
> mailto:<ksbird-l-request...> >
> For KSBIRD-L archives or to change your subscription options, go to
> https://listserv.ksu.edu/ksbird-l.html > For KSBIRD-L guidelines go to
> http://www.ksbirds.org/KSBIRD-LGuidelines.htm > To contact a listowner, send a message to
> mailto:<ksbird-l-request...> >
Date: 6/3/26 8:25 am From: <chobbs.f1...> Subject: Re: Yes, Sunflower Nature Park
Bob, you are indeed the Painted Bunting Whisperer! Please, please share your technique for finding these beauties?!
Chris Hobbs Lenexa, JoCo <chobbs.f1...>
-----Original Message----- From: Birds & Their Habitats in Kansas <KSBIRD-L...> On Behalf Of Yang, Bobinyu Sent: Tuesday, June 2, 2026 10:35 PM To: <KSBIRD-L...> Subject: Yes, Sunflower Nature Park
A few days ago (5/30/2026), my wife and I found no painted bunting at the Sunflower Nature Park in De Soto, Kansas (see: https://ebird.org/checklist/S349840891). However, a male painted bunting was there last year on 8/12/2025 (see: https://ebird.org/checklist/S266902248). Reluntant to blame painted buntings for being unreliable migrants, we went back today, 6/2/2026, to see if any birds have returned. Sure enough, a drab female dutifully made her appearance. We were parked at (38.941926, -95.011923) to shoot the two photos at 4:51 p.m. shown below: https://ebird.org/checklist/S351631360 So, painted buntings are beautiful and reliable. What more can one ask of a bird? Bob I. Yang <yangb...> Overland Park, Johnson County
A few days ago (5/30/2026), my wife and I found no painted bunting at the Sunflower Nature Park in De Soto, Kansas (see: https://ebird.org/checklist/S349840891). However, a male painted bunting was there last year on 8/12/2025 (see: https://ebird.org/checklist/S266902248). Reluntant to blame painted buntings for being unreliable migrants, we went back today, 6/2/2026, to see if any birds have returned. Sure enough, a drab female dutifully made her appearance. We were parked at (38.941926, -95.011923) to shoot the two photos at 4:51 p.m. shown below:
https://ebird.org/checklist/S351631360 So, painted buntings are beautiful and reliable. What more can one ask of a bird?
Bob I. Yang
<yangb...>
Overland Park, Johnson County
Date: 6/2/26 11:19 am From: Dan Mulhern <browndog06...> Subject: 2 unrelated bird requests
1. Would anyone in the vicinity of Nemaha County be interested in taking over a nightjar survey route? This is a 10 mile route, run once each spring, that runs through Seneca. I just ran it last night, so you'd have a year to prepare.
Full disclosure, the reason I want to have someone else take it on is because I almost never get any nightjars on it. I don't mind recording 0s, but if I'm going to drive an hour and 15 minutes to even get there, well, you can sense my frustration.
If interested, contact me separately, thanks.
2. Can anyone direct me to a good checklist of birds possibly seen from an Alaskan cruise, Juneau and Skagway? Going in July.
Thanks and happy birding.
Dan Mulhern Manhattan, KS
I ran the Dalton Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) route this morning (Sumner into Cowley Co.) with nearly ideal conditions. Of particular note was a singing Wood Thrush at the Rainbow Bridge (202nd Rd) over the Arkansas River (Cowley Co.), a first for the route. I finished with 65 species, the second-highest total. I had high counts for Canada Goose (48), Fish Crow (5), Summer Tanager (3) and Painted Bunting (10). The full tally is at the link below. I ran the Wellington route (Sumner into Sedgwick Co.) on Friday, but it was fairly ho-hum, with only 57 species tallied, which is well below average.
Date: 5/31/26 7:22 am From: Atcha Nolan <qanolan1942...> Subject: Re: New Site in JoCo for Painted Bunting
Absolutely beautiful!
On Sat, May 30, 2026 at 11:36 PM Yang, Bobinyu <
<000011d835fbb54b-dmarc-request...> wrote:
> I am happy to report that my wife and I have discovered today, 5/30/2026,
> a new location in Johnson County harboring a painted bunting. The place is
> near NWCFD Sunflower Fire Station., W 99 St @ Lexington Ave, De Soto, KS.
> (38.948831, -94.992925). We were parked on the west side of Lexington
> Ave. The bird could have come from the pasture on the east side of the
> road. It was a truly brilliant male deserving the title of being the most
> beautiful bird in North America. Two photos taken at 7:26 p.m. may be
> viewed here:
> https://ebird.org/checklist/S349840891 > For the past couple of weeks, we have been checking locations where
> painted buntings were found last year. Our observations showed this
> species to reliably return to the same haunts year after year. On the
> outing today, we first went to Sunflower Nature Park. This time, the
> reliability failed. A painted bunting was there on 8/12/2025, but nothing
> today. Just for grins, we drove 1.4 miles eastward along Lexington Ave and
> stopped at this seemingly "birdy" spot. And we got lucky. How abundant
> are painted buntings in Johnson County? I wonder.
> Bob I. Yang
> <yangb...>
> Overland Park, Johnson County
>
>
> For KSBIRD-L archives or to change your subscription options, go to
> https://listserv.ksu.edu/ksbird-l.html > For KSBIRD-L guidelines go to
> http://www.ksbirds.org/KSBIRD-LGuidelines.htm > To contact a listowner, send a message to
> mailto:<ksbird-l-request...> >
Date: 5/30/26 9:39 pm From: Yang, Bobinyu <000011d835fbb54b-dmarc-request...> Subject: New Site in JoCo for Painted Bunting
I am happy to report that my wife and I have discovered today, 5/30/2026, a new location in Johnson County harboring a painted bunting. The place is near NWCFD Sunflower Fire Station., W 99 St @ Lexington Ave, De Soto, KS. (38.948831, -94.992925). We were parked on the west side of Lexington Ave. The bird could have come from the pasture on the east side of the road. It was a truly brilliant male deserving the title of being the most beautiful bird in North America. Two photos taken at 7:26 p.m. may be viewed here:
https://ebird.org/checklist/S349840891 For the past couple of weeks, we have been checking locations where painted buntings were found last year. Our observations showed this species to reliably return to the same haunts year after year. On the outing today, we first went to Sunflower Nature Park. This time, the reliability failed. A painted bunting was there on 8/12/2025, but nothing today. Just for grins, we drove 1.4 miles eastward along Lexington Ave and stopped at this seemingly "birdy" spot. And we got lucky. How abundant are painted buntings in Johnson County? I wonder.
Bob I. Yang
<yangb...>
Overland Park, Johnson County
Date: 5/29/26 9:09 pm From: Yang, Bobinyu <000011d835fbb54b-dmarc-request...> Subject: Sixth Repeat Location for the Painted Bunting
Late this afternoon (5/29/2026), my wife and I drove to the north end of Marion St. just east of the Midwest Sikhs Gurudwara in Lenexa (38.945870, -94.831758). We had high hopes of finding a painted bunting because we discovered one there in 2024 and had a repeat sighting in 2025. We did not have any luck there on 5/12/2026. However, we attributed the absence of the bird to the earliness of the season.
Sure enough, a very handsome male painted bunting atop a low shrub was spotted by my wife. I hurriedly trained my camera on him and snapped a few shots. Two taken at 6:39 p.m. may be viewed here:
https://ebird.org/checklist/S349143649 This sighting brings the total to six in Johnson County thus far. Out of the twelve locations shown to harbor painted buntings last year, six again produced a bird this year. This points to the bird's considerable reliability to visit the same addresses year after year. Two places from last year will not see returning birds this year. The fast and furious housing development has uprooted the trees and leveled the ground. Thus, the habitat around Prairie Star Pkwy @ Canyon Creek Blvd is gone forever.
Bob I. Yang
<yangb...>
Overland Park, Johnson County
I had what appeared to be a female Ruby-throated Hummingbird in my yard in Hays today. For many Kansas birders, this would not be a remarkable event, but it is my first ever May (and second only spring) hummingbird in my yard in Hays.
On April 14, 2024 I had a Ruby-throated. Other than that all Ruby-throated observations have been between August 12 and October 16. I have documented Ruby-throated in my yard 173 times. Other hummingbirds in my yard have been Black-chinned once, Calliope six times, Rufous fifteen times, and Broad-tailed once. All of these have been late summer (some of the Rufous) or fall sightings.
Date: 5/25/26 9:26 pm From: Yang, Bobinyu <000011d835fbb54b-dmarc-request...> Subject: Two More Repeat Locations for Painted Buntings
On this Memorial Day, my wife and I were delighted to witness again the return of our favorite bird to its old haunts. The painted buntings have remembered two additional addresses from last year. This brings the total to five in Johnson County thus far. The dates and locations are tabulated below:
1. 5/25/2026 Johnson County Aggregates North Gate (38.8543461, -94.8580991)
2. 5/25/2026 I-35 Logistics Park, S Mize Rd @ 156 St (38.8432714, -94.8803209)
Two photos each, taken at 3:08 p.m. and 3:49 p.m. at the above sites, respectively, may be viewed here:
https://ebird.org/checklist/S346877325 https://ebird.org/checklist/S346879239 At each site, one male bird showed up. A bird whose beauty is without equal (nonpareil) was there just for my wife and me to enjoy. We were the only people around. What luxury. What a day.
Bob I. Yang
<yangb...>
Overland Park, Johnson County
