Despite a week busy with hay and such, we saw some decent birds. One was lifer for me, a Louisiana Waterthrush, not a rare bird, but a kind of dull, secretive ground-dwelling warbler.
We went down to the river the other day. It was low and as in fall and spring I could walk right up the edge to the aqueduct. There, shuttling around in the phragmites, bobbing like a sandpiper was the waterthrush.
Just call me Mr. Blue Indigo Bunting |
I was quite thrilled. Yesterday rain once again shut down haying operations plus a spring broke on the baler. No parts on Sunday so we are going to give Montezuma a go today if everything works out all right. Fingers crossed.
One of August's most reliable singers.... |
What a great "pick up".
ReplyDeleteIf I live to be 100 I will never remember how to distinguish the Louisiana from the Northern.
I'm always watching them during the spring migration with the expert birders who point out the "why's and wherefore's" of thes skulking little creatures - and it just never sticks :)
Good job on your ID !
It's been raining here also...rained so much it got the hay. Not good for horse hay now, but still good for sheep, goats and cows. Still...Why does it always rain when the hay is down?
ReplyDeleteCathy, although my instant impression was Louisiana, I submitted my photos to "What's this bird" and it was argued over for about twenty comments worth. Not easy birds and if I see another I will more than likely do the same thing again. I guess the unstreaked throat of the L would be the best field mark for me...always provided you could see that. lol. Meanwhile I envy you expert birders. Things progress so slowly for me in the learning department because I am pretty much always on my own. Met a raptor guy at Montezuma NWR up on the tower and learned tons from him in about two minutes of chat.....
ReplyDeleteLinda, sorry for your hay. Same deal here. Alan and Amber came down for two days and of course it rained and re-rained, dagnabbit.