Day 6 Shelby Iowa Oct. 4, 2014 Back to DeSoto NWR for great birding!

 BIrds! Finally some birds!

   Yes, we really got to the birds this day. Even though the morning temperature was in the low 30’s (F) and sunny, we got started just after the NWR opened at DeSoto. We knew the drill as we had been there before and checked at the Visitor Center to see what birds had been seen. We wanted to find Wood Ducks especially as they are much rarer to find let alone to see. 

   So the day was sunny and it never reached any temperature over 50 F.  The wind, although still blowing at 15-20 mph, seemed much colder with the temps so low. We both had on sweaters and a zippered jacket.  Getting out of the truck in the open chilled the body in a hurry!

                                This is an indication of how secluded the Wood Ducks were . They are a difficult target. 

   In order to give you a good picture of what the Reserve is like I will post the birds and when appropriate describe the habitat they were found . That way you can paint your own mental picture and “ride along with us”. Here we go.


                                                                                Desoto National Wildlfe Refuge 

                              The "oxbow" was part of the Missouri River until it got "cut off",  then the wildlife really used it.

    In the truck, on the road, “if it moves” and we can ID it, it is include in the days count. Today they were:

Canada Geese, in a large green field; Common Grackles in a group of tall dead trees; Starlings (they’re all around getting ready to head south); Tree Swallows  and Barn Swallows, soaring near water but also over the fields of Jerusalem Artichokes looking for insects; American Goldfinches in small shrubs along side the road; Northern Harrier, seen a long ways off but it’s classic soaring and white tail patch is a giveaway; Eastern Meadowlark,  as we turned off into a viewing area it was on the Jerusalen Artichokes eating; Horned Larks, we had a good debate about these but the yellow and black was easily seen as they were feeding on the ground along the side of the road in the gravel; Wood Ducks seen in their usual habitat , a hidden  shallow pond surrounded by trees or brush making them difficult to see, watch for their movement; Shovelers, Pied Billed Grebe, all seen on a shallow pond again with growing grasses and reeds  and it took a while to ID the first two; a Cardinal flying across the road; an Alder Flycatcher flitting among the small trees catching insects and lighting on branches for  few seconds; many Yellow Rumped Warblers moving quickly on the same trees; a Bluebird in a small tree and moving to another; MOTION IS ONE OF THE KEY WAYS TO SPOT A BIRD. A Chipping sparrow, ran under the car when we stopped for a  “potty break”; We took a trail walk to the oxbow and saw the following in the woods…White Breasted Nuthatch, and Downy Woodpecker;  

    A car had parked up ahead and a man had his binoculars on something so we were alerted. We drove slowly and saw a large bird flying from tree to tree, after a final stop we were not able to ID it until it flew, seeing the red tail of the Red Tailed Hawk; a flock of 20 Northern Flickers we saw flying from the roadside to trees for cover; Mourning Dove on a wire; 

                           Four wild Turkeys were cavorting (feeding) as we came out of a side road to the main road.

four Wild Turkeys crossing the road; and as we drove on a gravel side road to the Oxbow slowly, a Great Blue Heron flew up from the water; using the binoculars as we always do in new spots we looked across the oxbow on an old pier post and saw a Double Crested Cormorant; a little further down this river side road we looked out to see a Common Loon, gliding along. It dove and we never saw it again; In a low wet area there were many small willows (6 feet high) and in among them (after many minutes of looking) we ID’d  a number of Green Winged Teals; back at the Visitor Center two days ago we had seen three Killdeer in the front space area, and we saw them again; walking through the Visitor Center into a viewing area in back, there were more of the Dickcissels at the Visitor Center feeders (outdoors) ; and finally on the way home on the road we observed a Rock Dove near a granary and a Kestral on a wire where they usually are seen. This was October in Iowa at 50 F.

                                    This is a blind in front of an oxbow and looking across at an
                                                  American Bald Eagles nest across the water.
                          It is especially used when the mgrating waterfowl come in by the 100,000's

   That’s it!  A rural road on the way home for a change (paved and gravel) gave us some variety and dust!  And, tomorrow we will do the Loess Hills National Scenic Byway Spine  (Road) . Ruth says there are a few “Old Fashion Ice Cream Parlors” on that road. We shall see. (PS I'll put pictures in at Des miones when te internet is more "citified".)