Seen this afternoon, harassing a Red-shouldered Hawk along Black Land Rd, aka Oakland Dr. Having missed it several times this year, we decided to give it a try before it heads west for the next season. If you go looking for it, keep in mind there's a Merlin in this same area, which is easy to confuse it with. We were lucky to get photos of it in flight, showing its dark axillaries. Shorebirds are also in this area, thanks to a few flooded fields. These included American Golden-Plovers (close enough to hear their chatter), Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs, a single Pectoral Sandpiper and, of course, the ubiquitous Killdeer.Further along Atkins Bottoms Rd, we found a few Western Meadowlarks singing their delightful yet distinctly different song. Patty McLean and Michael Linz The Roadrunners
