Date: 2/20/19 7:58 pm From: <johnb_cole...> [albirds] <albirds-noreply...> Subject: [ALBIRDS] American White Pelicans at Claiborne Lock and Dam
This afternoon, my wife, Margaret, and I observed 27 American White Pelicans on the Alabama River below the Claiborne Lock and Dam which is in Monroe County near Monroeville. We observed the birds from the Claiborne Lake Dam East Park. The river was so elevated that it flowed over the top of the dam. The birds were in two groups. There were 11 birds swimming near the middle and west side of the dam in water that had flowed over the top of the dam. There were 16 birds swimming and resting on the west bank of the river about 300-400 yards farther downriver. The lady at the campground check-in station said that they had seen the pelicans and that they had pelicans there last year.
Report from the coast: I drove down to bird Baldwin and Mobile Counties on Saturday (Feb 16). I started at Mud Lakes. The number of waterbirds in the complex is really impressive this year. There was a huge congregation of shorebirds with a few ducks in the pond to the right as you come up from the north most access spot (behind the Barn Owl shed). Unfortunately viewing is partially blocked by tall reeds and there is no way to get past these birds without flushing them (at least I couldn’t, even though I tried to be stealthy). Still, views during the approach are not bad and I was able to pick out many Long-billed Dowitcher (by voice, by the 20% with very long bills, and then by plumage--gray chests with more barring than spotting on the flanks). There may have been short-bills mixed in, but I didn’t detect any. There were more than 200 dowitchers in this group with Stilt Sandpipers, Least Sandpipers, stilts and avocets. In the next pool, after the first right in the usual rectangular route, there were many more stilt sandpipers and more than 200 avocets. The shorebird habitat looks great and I am excited about what might turn up in the spring. I also heard several catbirds. Common Yellowthroats are singing.
I then went to look and listen for Inca Doves along Benton Road. No Inca Doves had been reported from that location in a year so I wasn’t all that confident. I stopped near the house where they had been two years ago and nothing. Midway down the road, nothing. I finally rolled to the end of the paved road (less than a mile from the start of the road) where it looks like going forward would be onto private property and two Inca Doves were loudly calling—“No Hope!”. They sang loudly and repeated for the five minutes I was there. It was 10am.
Next it was the Magnolia Springs Landfill. I didn’t know what to expect at 1030 on a Saturday, but as soon as I got to the main building complex I could see that they were bulldozing trash. There were a lot of gulls in the air. More-or-less following Greg Jackson’s description of getting around the trash area to the top of the hill, I just followed the signs toward “Garbage” and drove the dirt road past he bulldozers and right to the top of the hill. I have a little Kia Niro, the furthest thing from an off-road vehicle, and I made it to the spot with no problem. You go by the area where they are pushing trash but you don’t get that close and you certainly don’t get in their way. When I got to the top, there were more than a 1000 gulls on the hillside across from me and more than 1000 gulls flying around the garbage area. I got out, set up my scope and worked through them. Among the dozens of Herring Gulls, there were two, first year Lesser Black-backed Gulls, a little smaller than HEGU with lighter heads. I was able to follow one of the birds in flight and note a tail band. That was it for anything other than HEGU, RBGU, or LAGU. I’m confident there was no Great Black-backed Gull or Glaucous Gull on the site. If California Gull was present, I couldn’t find it. There are a lot of gulls using the site though, and it is worth checking if you are birding Baldwin County.
While I was scoping the gulls, I was hearing pipits down in the wet lot spot to my right and then I clearly heard the rattle of a longspur. I spent a few minutes scoping the pipits but I couldn’t locate the longspur (or most of the pipits). I’m sure that is what I heard, though.
I spent the end of the day walking out to the end of Pelican Island on Dauphin Island. Unlike my last visit, when there were almost no gulls present, this time there were hundreds of gulls. It was like an afternoon in San Francisco, though. A steady south wind pushed a heavy fog bank over the island. Visibility was low and all of my optics (including my eyeglasses) got repeatedly coated in mist. Despite the Bay-area conditions, I pretty easily found a Great Black-backed Gull in a big mixed flock of gulls. Otherwise, it was the same mix of birds that has been hanging around all winter. No Red Knots. No godwits. No oystercatcher.
Sunday, on my way back to Auburn, I did a morning in Conecuh County and cleaned up on scarce winter birds like White-eyed Vireo, Blue-headed Vireo, Rusty Blackbird, and Gray Catbird. I even found a peenting woodcock while I was owling. Geoff Hill
This morning, there was a Greater White-fronted Goose with 3 Canada Geese at the north pond in the Industrial park area of west Homewood, Jefferson County. Access: west Lakeshore Parkway to Sydney Drive, then left on Lucerne Lane. Very close to the road. A female Belted Kingfisher was also present at the far back of the pond. -Ken Archambault, Homewood, Alabama
Scott Weidensaul has a beautiful article in the March-April issue of Bird Watchers Digest. It is a tribute for our friend and former AOS president Bob Sargent. I laughed and shed a tear. He captured Bob and Martha perfectly.
Bob Reed Colonel, US Army, Retired 334 283 5886 Home 334 207 0985 Mobile
Ron spotted and we photographed 2 first winter white winged Scoters at Inverness Waste treatment plant.
The address is Afton Circle. You will need to contact the facility security but I believe you can do that from the gate.
I am not positive about the hours but I think 8am to 4pm is safe.
Its a pretty nice opportunity to see Scoters at a relatively close distance.A scope is certainly nice to have but binoculars should be good for Identification in this case. There are also some Lesser Scaup and Ring -necked Ducks some Pied -billed Grebes and Wood Ducks this morning.
My apologies, I thought I posted this Jan 31 but I checked and my email was to the wrong address. I don't know if the birds are still there but it may be worth a look.
I had a successful weekend birding at the Joe Wheeler Alabama State Park (AOS Winter Meeting) successful for me in that I had probably my personal high for species seen 74 total.No new birds for me, but fun all the same.Its gotten to the point that whenever Im able to see a shrike Im happy because that bird has become especially elusive to find.But, unfortunately, not this time.Meadowlarks, too, have become relatively rare.I suspect its all secondary to habitat changes and Im fearful that for the loggerhead shrike it may be doomed to extinction in the not too distant future.Those that went on the boat trip (I went several years ago and was so cold I swore never to go again) they saw a red-throated loon and that would have been a lifer for me.My two best birds were a pair of red-breasted mergansers and a hermit thrush.My life list doesnt begin to resemble those more expert and or more experienced than I, but I can say that Ive been quite fortunate in having seen birds on every continent and in many different countries on some of these continents.For example, there are birds in India not seen in Turkey.Ive seen all but the Emperor Penguin because Ive not been inland in Antarctica where they exist.But Ive seen additionally the Galapagos Penguin and the red and blue footed boobies.I suppose the weirdest looking bird Ive ever seen is the Hoatzin.Ecology in each continent is somewhat different than others and that in Antarctica is especially interesting and appealing.Everything is in shades of black and white and blue, landscape and wildlife included.The only blue one ever sees is the sky, if lucky enough to have a clear day, and in the ocean and in the ice.Ive been twice with Vantage Travel and should one ever go I strongly recommend this travel agency and particularly Patricio Thijssen as your tour director (AKA Patricio Argentina on Facebook) he is superb in this capacity lives in Buenos Aires where one flies to begin the trip.One then flies to Ushuaia in Tierra del Fuego where one boards a ship to Antarctica.That crossing can be interesting.Our first time over crossing the Drake Channel the seas were 25 and when in a trough, me on deck 4 of the ship, could see the crest of the next wave at eye level.So, take your Dramamine or scopolamine patch if you are prone to sea sickness.Pat was bedridden for the two days over, but the return trip was smooth, as were both crossings the second time.
I had a successful weekend birding at the Joe Wheeler Alabama State Park (AOS Winter Meeting) successful for me in that I had probably my personal high for species seen 74 total.No new birds for me, but fun all the same.Its gotten to the point that whenever Im able to see a shrike Im happy because that bird has become especially elusive to find.But, unfortunately, not this time.Meadowlarks, too, have become relatively rare.I suspect its all secondary to habitat changes and Im fearful that for the loggerhead shrike it may be doomed to extinction in the not too distant future.Those that went on the boat trip (I went several years ago and was so cold I swore never to go again) they saw a red-throated loon and that would have been a lifer for me.My two best birds were a pair of red-breasted mergansers and a hermit thrush.My life list doesnt begin to resemble those more expert and or more experienced than I, but I can say that Ive been quite fortunate in having seen birds on every continent and in many different countries on some of these continents.For example, there are birds in India not seen in Turkey.Ive seen all but the Emperor Penguin because Ive not been inland in Antarctica where they exist.But Ive seen additionally the Galapagos Penguin and the red and blue footed boobies.I suppose the weirdest looking bird Ive ever seen is the Hoatzin.Ecology in each continent is somewhat different than others and that in Antarctica is especially interesting and appealing.Everything is in shades of black and white and blue, landscape and wildlife included.The only blue one ever sees is the sky, if lucky enough to have a clear day, and in the ocean and in the ice.Ive been twice with Vantage Travel and should one ever go I strongly recommend this travel agency and particularly Patricio Thijssen as your tour director (AKA Patricio Argentina on Facebook) he is superb in this capacity lives in Buenos Aires where one flies to begin the trip.One then flies to Ushuaia in Tierra del Fuego where one boards a ship to Antarctica.That crossing can be interesting.Our first time over crossing the Drake Channel the seas were 25 and when in a trough, me on deck 4 of the ship, could see the crest of the next wave at eye level.So, take your Dramamine or scopolamine patch if you are prone to sea sickness.Pat was bedridden for the two days over, but the return trip was smooth, as were both crossings the second time.
And if you think that is unusual, follow tn-birds this past week. A Virginia's Warbler was located along the river in Kingsport, TN (a few miles south of the Virginia border in upper east Tennessee...it just missed, I guess). As birders flocked to see the first state record, other rarities were located. In the past week, eleven species of warblers have been found! The Virginia's, the four most likely candidates, Yellow-rumped, Pine, Orange-crowned and Palm, and the unexpected: Northern Parula, Cape May, Nashville, Common Yellowthroat, Prairie and American Redstart. Now that's an unusual winter!
Damien Simbeck
Killen AL
Sent from my smart phone. You can teach an old dog new tricks.
On Sunday, January 27, 2019 'Lucy and Bob Duncan' robertaduncan <robertaduncan...> wrote:
Hi all,
Most of you probably know by now this has been an unusual winter for birds and birding. Normally our neighborhood walk yields 15 – 25 spp in Dec & Jan, but this year Lucy and I have been getting 30 - 45 spp. The sheer volume of birds right now is remarkable, with hundreds of Robins and Waxwings present currently. And this, on a peninsula with limited biomass. Posts from the mainland indicate similar findings. Fall migration started off late, with a disappointing Oct, but Nov and Dec made up for it. Many late dates of departures were established for Neotropical migrants. And what can we think of Least Bitterns still present at impoundments and 3 Great Kiskadees and a Fort-tailed Flycatcher in SW LA (which we chased and found successfully). Feeding stations around the area are reporting large numbers of Goldfinches and some Purple Finches and Pine Siskins. This is not to mention Red-breasted Nuthatches constantly at our and others feeders. And what can we make of the presence for weeks now of Black Scoters in the bay and 300 reported twice flying west out in the Gulf! And over 20 Western Kingbirds reported in our 3 county area, with as many as 5 at a time in our neighborhood and at the Ft. Walton Spray Fields! That’s what’s great about birding, you never know what comes next!
Bob Duncan
Gulf Breeze in the w. Panhandle
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Twelve birders survived cold/cool temperatures (30-45) and enjoyed 6 hours aboard Nautical Wheeler today. We tallied about 30 species. Best birds included a Pacific Loon flying by the boat as we left the marina, a pair of Peregrine Falcons under the bridge at Wheeler Dam, a Red-throated Loon at Spring Creek, Spotted Sandpipers along the south shoreline near Wheeler Dam and near Dell Vista on the north, and a very white (leucistic?) merganser as we returned to the marina. Quick study of photos seems to indicate Common Merganser. Gull numbers were low everywhere. Maybe there was a shad-kill somewhere nearby that got the attention of the gulls to make them leave the dam. Due to barge traffic, we were not able to lock through, so we didn't get to watch waterfowl at The Point. It was a beautiful day (for winter) to be on the lake.
Damien Simbeck
Killen AL
Sent from my smart phone. You can teach an old dog new tricks.
We made it to 14 participants for the boat trip yesterday, but then had two people cancel. That leaves us with 12 folks and we need 14 (and the trip can hold 20, so lots of room available). If you are interested, please let me know as soon as possible so I finalize plans.
Date: 1/22/19 11:34 am From: 'Simbeck, Damien J' <djsimbeck...> [albirds] <albirds-noreply...> Subject: [ALBIRDS] Wheeler Boat Trip this weekend
The winter meeting of AOS is rapidly approaching (I'm still recovering from a long and enjoyable weekend with the Wings of Winter festival in Paris, TN). We currently have 13 people registered for the boat trip this Saturday and we need 14. If anyone is still trying to decide, let me know as soon as possible. Current weather forecast is calling for mostly sunny and a high of 45, winds SW at 5 mph. That would be a nice winter day on the lake. Current participants are Larry Gardella, Andrew Haffenden, Ken Hare, Geoff Hill, Phillip Jarnigan, Wes Jarnigan, Sue Moske, Brenda Ortiz, Don Self, Judy Self, Damien Simbeck, JoAnn Staples, Susie Russenberger.
