[Larry Lade]

I led a birding field trip this morning to Mark Youngdahl Urban Conservation Area, Saint Joseph, Missouri. It was threatening rain, but it held off until we concluded our walk. There were only seven (7) participants but we found some nice birds. I actually ended up with a new 2012 Missouri bird.

134. Brown Thrasher

Later, I drove around the oxbow lakes region south of Saint Joseph and added two more birds to my year list.

135. Willet, at Horseshoe Lake, Saint Joseph, Missouri

And the "frosting on the cake":
136. Piping Plover, Muskrat Lake, Saint Joseph, Missouri
This plover is an endangered and threated species here and I have only seen it several times over the last 30 years!

[jacana]

from the past few days:

12/04/12 Shottaton

168. Corn Bunting

13/04/12 Rhosllanerchrugog

169. Red-legged Partridge

15/04/12 Venus Pool

170. Yellow Wagtail
171. Redstart
172. House Martin

[Cheshire Birder]

up to 152 now must try harder!!

CB

[Peter C.]

Getting much more spring-like here in sourthern Ontario, and there are some new arrivals...

33) White-throated Sparrow
34) Chipping Sparrow

[Nightjar61]

It's been rather slow around here lately, mainly because of a cold spell (we had snow last week) and I'm trying to learn the good birding areas in my new state. Today was more springlike, and I did find one new bird for the year.

144. Forster's Tern

Dave

[JeffMoh]

South winds keep blowing birds right over us here, so hardly any fall-outs of migrants. The wind is supposed to switch to the north tomorrow but, of course, I'll be working and not able to drive down to the coast. Work - the curse of the birding classes!

Last year on April 17th I slipped in a quick trip to the coast and added 25 species.

One new bird yesterday near home:
210. Chimney Swift

Jeff

[Larry Lade]

Jeff, I usually get the first Chimney Swifts of the season here in Missouri during the last two weeks in April (beginning April 15th). I have gotten them on the 15th for several years:
2006, 2004, 2003, 1998, 1995, but have not gotten them yet this year! Maybe today or tomorrow!

[Bird_Bill]

Originally Posted by Larry Lade

Jeff, I usually get the first Chimney Swifts of the season here in Missouri during the last two weeks in April (beginning April 15th). I have gotten them on the 15th for several years:
2006, 2004, 2003, 1998, 1995, but have not gotten them yet this year! Maybe today or tomorrow!

Seen them over mississippi and missouri rivers this morning Larry.

[Nightjar61]

Funny that there's a discussion about Chimney Swifts, because I saw my first ones of the year today. I usually don't see them until late April or early May, but a warm front bringing hot weather seems to have brought the swifts as well. Now if only the warblers would arrive soon!

145. Chimney Swift

Dave

[Larry Lade]

137. Yellow-headed Blackbird, (x60) at Muskrat Lake, Saint Joseph, Missouri.
138. Lark Sparrow, (1) in the Lake Contrary area, Saint Joseph, Missouri.

I am heading for Chillicothe, Missouri in the morning and am hoping to pick up a few more FOS birds for Missouri.

[Peter C.]

35) Rock Pigeon

[JeffMoh]

Missed a spectacular (31 warbler species) day at High Island on Monday but got some good sightings yesterday. Spent too long watching bird behavior to get a good number of warblers but still added a few birds.
211. Cattle Egret
212. Common Nighthawk
213. Eastern Wood-Pewee
214. Wood Thrush
215. Common Yellowthroat
216. American Redstart
217. Scarlet Tanager
218. Rose-beasted Grosbeak
219. Blackburnian Warbler
220. Tennessee Warbler
221. Blue-winged Warbler
222. Prothonotary Warbler
223. Hooded Warbler

So just a handful of birds behind the same time last year, when I did a lot more birding.

Jeff

[Nightjar61]

A nice selection of migrants and returning summer residents today. Seven new species bring me up tp 152 for the year.

146. Yellow Warbler
147. Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
148. Common Yellowthroat
149. White-eyed Vireo
150. Yellow-throated Vireo
151. Greater Yellowlegs
152. Spotted Sandpiper

I also added nine species to my West Virginia year list, including six state lifers.

Dave

[Larry Lade]

April 17th:
139. Upland Sandpiper, Dunn Ranch/Nature Conservancy, Eagleville, Missouri
140. Chimney Swift, Chillicothe, Missouri (Jeff, I finally got this one!)
141. Henslow's Sparrow, Dunn Ranch/Nature Conservancy
142. Peregrine Falcon, Swan Lake National Wildlife Refuge, Sumner, Missouri

April 18th:
143. Ruby-crowned Kinglet, our yard in Saint Joseph, Missouri
144. Whimbrel, Muskrat Lake, Saint Joseph (* This is a rare species in Missouri!)
145. Hudsonian Godwit, Muskrat Lake, Saint Joseph, Missouri

[Bird_Bill]

04/18/2012
Snowy Egret (138) at confluence of Miss. & Mo. rivers.

Not a bird, But a Monarch butterfly fresh from some Oyamel fir trees in mexico.
Apologize for jurisdictional breech, can hardly contain myself.

[Nightjar61]

Just heard, then saw, a new year bird in my yard.

153. House Wren

Dave

[enviroko]

My 2012 birding list, like just about every year, is far too short. I have come to the conclusion that a 9-5 job is not for me. Actually I came to that conclusion a long time ago but I am finally taking steps to do something about it. If I were financially free I think I would spend about 1/2 of my free time traveling, camping and birding. After watching The Big Year recently I'm more stoked than ever to make it happen.

White-throated Sparrows singing in my back yard.

Kevin

[Peter C.]

Originally Posted by JeffMoh

Missed a spectacular (31 warbler species) day at High Island on Monday but got some good sightings yesterday.

----

211. Cattle Egret
212. Common Nighthawk
213. Eastern Wood-Pewee
214. Wood Thrush
215. Common Yellowthroat
216. American Redstart
217. Scarlet Tanager
218. Rose-beasted Grosbeak
219. Blackburnian Warbler
220. Tennessee Warbler
221. Blue-winged Warbler
222. Prothonotary Warbler
223. Hooded Warbler
Jeff

Wow, Jeff, if that's a slow day in Texas ... I'll take it!

Just seeing a list of what's on the way gives me hope...

PeteR

[Peter C.]

Twenty years ago, I had been birding for about three years, and had yet to see a Peregrine.

Ten years ago, I might go a whole season without seeing one, unless I made a special excursion to a nearby city (Toronto or Hamilton) where there were known nest sites that could be "staked out".

Today, I got into my running kit, and jogged down the street 500 m. to the nearest office tower in my small southern Ontario city; there, I looked up to see one of our local pair "kiting" on the updraft along on side of the tower.

What a recovery story.

36) Peregrine Falcon
37) Pied-billed Grebe
38) Yellow-rumped Warbler

P.S. And I haven't seen a Kestrel yet! What is wrong with this picture?

(I am stuck in town all the time, is what is wrong...)

[Larry Lade]

146. Semipalmated Sandpiper, Muskrat Lake, Saint Joseph, Missouri.
147. Orange-crowned Warbler, Lake Contrary, Saint Joseph, Missouri.

* the "butter-butts", aka. Yellow-rumped Warblers, were "dripping from the trees" today at Lake Contrary!

[JeffMoh]

Originally Posted by Peter C.

Wow, Jeff, if that's a slow day in Texas ... I'll take it!

Just seeing a list of what's on the way gives me hope...

PeteR

Another cold front passing through now on what traditionally is one of the best weekends of spring migration, so coastal sites should have big fallouts. Unfortunately, I'm working today and can't go far tomorrow! I may try to get to a nearby park in the morning, though.

Yesterday driving home:
224. Red-headed Woodpecker
Normally see these the first week of January and often thereafter. Amazing that it's taken so long this year.

Jeff

[Nightjar61]

Ten new birds this morning, so I'm now up to 163 for the year.

154. Wood Thrush
155. Eastern Warbling Vireo
156. Cerulean Warbler
157. American Redstart
158. Gray Catbird
159. Purple Martin
160. Blue-winged Warbler
161. Worm-eating Warbler
162. Black-and-white Warbler
163. Ovenbird

Of these, three were West Virginia state lifers (Eastern Warbling Vireo, Cerulean Warbler, and Purple Martin).

Dave

[Larry Lade]

This morning I birded Squaw Creek National Wildlife Refuge, Mound City, Missouri and recorded four new Missouri year birds.

148. Franklin's Gull
149. Buff-breasted Sandpiper
150. Baird's Sandpiper
151. Northern Bobwhite (l should of had this one earlier in the year, but somehow it evaded me!)

[Nightjar61]

Five new birds today, so I'm now at 168 for the year.

164. Solitary Sandpiper
165. Hooded Warbler
166. Kentucky Warbler
167. Lesser Yellowlegs
168. Indigo Bunting

Dave

[JeffMoh]

Unfortunately, the north winds went so far south that they stopped most birds from leaving Mexico over the weekend. Today - when I'm back at work, of course - there is a bit of a fallout. At the college this morning I added:
225. Nashville Warbler

Jeff