by Darcy Thomas
Clear skies and cool air greeted a group of six in Kila the morning of September 16th. We got off to a shaky start with crows, starlings, house sparrows, coots, robins, magpies, and mallards on our list. It was worth a chuckle. We kept birding and were rewarded at the fishing access site with a family of six Trumpeter Swans including four cygnets, quite a few cormorants, Bald Eagle, Osprey, Red-necked and Pied-billed Grebe, Great Blue Heron and a smattering of ducks and a goose.
Two highlights were very good looks at a couple of Common Yellowthroats as they flurried around the cattails and watching a Red-throated Grebe catch a very large fish and swallow it. We all thought we might be called upon to swim out there and perform the Heimlich maneuver, but he managed to get the fish down his gullet and swim along.
We finished the morning with a drive over to West Valley Ponds Wildlife Viewing Area primarily to view the Sandhill Cranes. In all, we saw 32 taxa and had a lovely time.
You must be logged in to post a comment.