[birdky] Ballard Report
- From: "Scott and Glenda Record" <sgrecord@xxxxxxxx>
- To: <birdky@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Mon, 30 Apr 2007 15:22:27 -0500
Migrant songbirds numbers were very low this morning at Ballard. After an hour
or so I switched gears and decided to look for shorebirds and grassland
species. The highlight of the day was the previously mentioned Black-n stilts
at Cook Slough. These birds were located about 400 yards from the North end
of Cook Slough. Using the terrain I was able to stalk to within about 75
yards of the birds. From there they allowed me to crawl to within 20 yards for
some photos. These birds are absolutely gorgeous in the morning sun and
photographs don't really capture how regal they appear picking food from the
water surface. This pool is the best shorebird habitat I found today. As I
was leaving this area the Stilts picked up and settled in at Burnt Slough. I
didn't want to push them so I didn't try to relocate them. I do not believe
they left the area. Mitchell, Beaver Dam Slough, Burnt Slough and Happy Hollow
all have water up in the grass. There is a little habitat on the South side of
Mitchell lake levee. Better habitat exists for grassland bird viewing as a lot
of winter wheat in the area has been sprayed or turned over and planted in
corn. Many acres on and off the refuge have decent habitat for pipits, horned
larks, savannah sp etc. The other highlight for me was up close looks at a
singing grasshopper sparrow and multiple singing Bobolinks in the alfalfa
fields on Smokey Road. Some birds seen include:
Snow goose 5
Canada geese
Wood duck
Gadwall 1
Mallard 4
Blue-w teal 15 +
Cormorant 12
Great egret 5
Miss. Kite 1
Bald Eagle 2
Cooper's h.
Red-sh h.
Broad-w h
Red-t h
Killdeer 30
Black-n stilt 4
Gr yel-lgs 2
Lesser yel-lgs 12 +
Solitary sp 20 +
Least sp 5
Pectoral sp 15 +
Snipe 5 +
Fish crows - numerous
Horned lark
Swainson's thrush 1
American Pipit 10 +
Nashville w 3
No Parula 1
Yellow w 2
yel-rump w 10
Palm w 20 +
Proth w 5
La. waterthrush 1
Com Yellow throat 3
Yel-br chat
Sav sp 10 +
Grasshopper sp 2
Bobolink 10 +
Baltimore oriole 1
Also with all the posts on Rose-br grosbeaks I decided to put my feeders back
out yesterday. Within an hour there were several white-crowns, house finches
and goldfinches enjoying the seed. At dawn there was a (new farm bird) male
Rose-breasted grosbeak on the feeder. He was still here when I got back and
allowed me some more photos. That will teach me to take my feeders down. LOL
Good birding
Scott Record
Ragland KY
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