The first and second southward migration waves have passed through central Iowa. We are now on the last phase. Now present in big numbers are Yellow-rumped Warblers, and sparrows of various sorts. I was standing quietly in my back yard woods this morning when a Woodcock flushed about 30 feet from me, flew across the ravine and fluttered to a landing about 60 feet away, in plain view. It was a nice way to end an otherwise uneventful morning of birding my yard and surrounds. Juncos, White-throated Sparrows, one Orange-crowned warbler, and one Brown Creeper rounded out the morning. Of course, many of the usual customers were around, but I will not bother to list them.
Yesterday I drove to Rock Creek Park, about 45 miles from here, to try to locate the Red Phalarope reported on the Iowa Bird Line. It was easy. The Phalarope was very cooperative and in plain view all the time I was there. This was my new Iowa Life Bird for the fall: number 321, lifetime Iowa. I must confess that I prefer to see Red Phalaropes in breeding plumage, when their name is deserved. The “fall” or “basic” plumage of gray and white gives no clue that this is really a Red Phalarope. But, I’ll take it given that I have never seen one in Iowa in breeding plumage. Several other species were feeding on the mud flats north of F27 at Rock Creek, i.e.: 30 Kildeer, 15 Snipes, 12 American Pipits, one Greater Yellowlegs, one Pectoral Sandpiper and one Semi-palmated Sandpiper. Most of these were first of the year for me. The weather and the lighting were wonderful, so the trip was an unmitigated success.
