Monday, September 19, 2011

Local Birding Yesterday

I went for a long drive-around yesterday to see what was going on in the local fields & sloughs. 

Sandhill Cranes were flying overhead in small flocks (10-20 birds) from time to time - also today.  Ten cranes, 7 adults & 3 juveniles, were at a large slough near Torquay.   12-13 Greater White-fronted Geese were also at this location, along with 75 Am. White Pelicans, 60+ American Avocets and 2 Greater Yellowlegs.

Most of the adult Eared and Pied-billed Grebes have gone elsewhere.  There are a lot of young to very young grebes left to fend for themselves, such as this baby Pied-billed Grebe below.  No adult was around.


This badger was slinking along a road.  It wasn't very big, so perhaps a young one.


When a flock of Sandhill Cranes spiralled over my yard this afternoon, I noticed a raptor of some sort very high above them, heading south.  Amazingly, I did not have any binoculars at hand, however I am pretty sure it was a Red-tailed.

2 comments:

  1. Neat badger. I have never ever seen one in the wild. I did see huge flocks of White Pelicans, on the Mississippi yesterday, wending their way South.

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  2. I seem to come across badgers a lot; pretty sparse human population here where I live.

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