Morning Birding | August 23, 2016

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Tuesday, August 23, 2016, 7:00AM – 10:00AM
Weather: mostly sunny, then mostly cloudy
Location: Hallam Lake and North Star Nature Preserve

Species Identified:
Canada Goose Spotted Sandpiper Eurasian Collared-dove Broad-tailed Hummingbird Belted Kingfisher Red-naped Sapsucker Downy Woodpecker Western Woodpeewee Black-billed Magpie  American Crow		Violet-green Swallow Mountain Chickadee House Wren American Robin Cedar Waxwing Yellow Warbler Song Sparrow Lincoln’s Sparrow Red-winged Blackbird (female pictured above)

Comments: This morning provided excellent opportunities to study adult and juvenile cedar waxwings, a juvenile red-naped sapsucker, and male/female/juvenile belted kingfishers. Birding becomes more challenging and interesting when juveniles are in the mix, and this time of year is prime for that type of rich learning. Our group had great discussions about various field marks, voice, and behavioral cues we observed in the field. We also studied mallards in eclipse plumage and practiced seeing the subtle field marks that distinguish males and females as well as juveniles. This morning’s mini-lesson covered molting, going into the reasons behind the process and the many different temporal patterns by which various species of birds go about their molting processes. We were able to notice a few birds in the field that seemed to be undergoing their molts as well. Join us for more great fall birding on Tuesday mornings! 

~ Rebecca Weiss, ACES Bird Guide