Morning Birding at Rock Bottom Ranch Species List April 2021

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Tuesday, April 20, 2021 8:00AM – 11:00AM
Weather:  Sunny
Location: Rock Bottom Ranch

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This morning we enjoyed fabulous observations of some species that are really fun to watch:  bald eagle, wild turkey, Lewis’s woodpecker, red-naped sapsucker, Wilson’s snipe, and killdeer.  The male turkeys were displaying with feathers fully fluffed, making them look larger than life in the distant green meadows where they were courting females.  Low water levels in the main pond area have created extensive mudflats which are ideal for shorebirds.  Here, we were able to watch two Wilson’s snipes and two killdeers at fairly close range.  Killdeers are not particularly secretive and their behaviors make them interesting and easy to watch; the snipes are usually very difficult to find and observe because of their cryptic behaviors and colors.  We learned a lot about these species’ life histories while watching them here and in other marsh and field habitat areas.  We may have found the Lewis’s woodpeckers’ nesting hole, where we watched one bird clinging to the tree and calling into the cavity opening.  And we also enjoyed exploring the new trail that was recently created for access into the marsh area in the western portion of the ranch property.  This area will be fun to get to know as the season progresses!  Migration is bringing more birds into the valley daily, and birds are busy as they refuel or begin to establish territories.  Join us on May 4th at Hallam Lake, and note the change of time (7am – 10am) as the days lengthen.

Species List:

Canada Goose
Mallard
Wild Turkey
Rock Pigeon
Killdeer
Wilson’s Snipe
Great Blue Heron
Turkey Vulture
Bald Eagle
Red-tailed Hawk
Belted Kingfisher
Lewis’s Woodpecker
Red-naped Sapsucker
Northern Flicker
American Kestrel
Balck-billed Mapie
American Crow
Black-capped Chickadee
Marsh Wren
American Robin
European Starling
Song Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
Red-winged Blackbird

 

~ Rebecca Weiss, ACES Bird Guide

Photo by Dale Armstrong