[obol] Finley Black-bellied Plovers,etc

From: Pam Otley <pamo1954@xxxxxxxxx>
To: obol@xxxxxxxxxxxxx, birding@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Date: Sat, 19 Apr 2014 20:58:47 -0700

Hi all,

I stopped in at Finley Rd at 4:30 this afternoon with hopes of seeing the
Black-bellied
Plover reported by Will Wright. Nope, didn't see it but as I was enjoying a
quartet of Great Egrets in a field of grass and 5 Greater Yellowlegs in the
conservation wetland, a
flock of shorebirds circled over and headed east and landed. I drove to
take a look and in a wetland/puddle area and saw a flock of 42
Black-bellied Plovers! Many were in breeding plumage, some in transition,
some not yet started. With them were a couple of Least Sandpipers and a
couple of Dunlin. It was a pretty amazing sight. They only were there for
maybe 20 minutes and then flew off to the northwest.

As I drove east on Finley Rd, toward Hwy 99, I noticed a falcon sitting on
some irrigation equipment very close to the road, noticed it too late as I
drove by, making serious eye contact with a Prairie Falcon! It did not fly
but I had passed it and was attempting to back up  when an oncoming car
spooked it. I did get 3 pictures, but they are all from the back.

Bruce Rd scrape provided my FOY Yellow-headed Blackbirds, at least 5 males
were competing for best vocalist. There were 500 Cackling Geese just north
of the scrape. I heard a Sora close to the road but hidden in the marsh.


Here are some photos from Finley:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/orbirdsandtrails_160/sets/72157644165160285/


Happy birding,

Pam Otley

[obol] Finley Black-bellied Plovers,etc

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