Saturday, 10 October 2009.

4 birders met on a cold, crisp, cloudy, morning (after a little overnight snow) to do some birding at areas south and east of Sioux City. Temps were in the upper 20’s with a brisk wind but the skies cleared late morning and we had some very good birding. We made stops at Luton W.A. South, Dairy Ponds, Owego Wetlands, Table Marsh, had a nice lunch at the Sloan Café, and then birded Sandhill Lake, and Brown’s Lake before calling it a day around 1:30. We recorded a total of 68 species for the day.

Highlights included: two White-faced Ibis at Owego and five at Table Marsh, American Avocet, Black-crowned Night-Heron, a Merlin harassing shorebirds at Table Marsh, American White Pelicans, Northern Harrier, Red-headed Woodpecker, Great Egrets, and a Brown Thrasher. At Brown’s Lake we observed a Sharp-shinned Hawk make several pursuits after a Belted Kingfisher. The Kingfisher would return to its perch before being attacked again with dips and dives and loops over the water with the Sharpie in hot pursuit. When we left, the Kingfisher was still claiming its perch and maybe the Sharpie was thinking about finding some smaller prey!

Saturday, 12 September 2009.

Three birders met on a foggy, damp morning to do some birding at areas south and east of Sioux City. The fog lifted fairly quickly however, and most of the morning was dry until some light rain began to fall late morning. We made stops at New Lake, Brown’s Lake, Sandhill Lake, both dairy ponds, and Owego Wetlands before calling it a day around noon. We recorded a total of 69 species for the morning.

Highlights included a Cooper’s Hawk perched in a tree as we headed south on hwy. 75, 8 Eurasian Collared-Doves in Sgt. Bluff, Common Yellowthroats, Green Heron (in a tree), Eastern Screech-Owl, and Belted Kingfisher at Brown’s Lake, 41 Pied-billed Grebes, a lone White-faced Ibis, and several entertaining Marsh Wrens (right outside our car windows while we were viewing the Ibis) at Sandhill Lake, Northern Harrier, Great Horned Owl and Blue Grosbeak at Owego, and a White-fronted Goose at Sioux Jersey Ponds. Due to the low overcast skies, some light rain, and calm conditions, we did not see either a Red-tailed Hawk or Turkey Vulture.

9-12-2009 Birds--New Lake, Brown’s Lake, Sandhill Lake, both dairy ponds, and Owego Wetlands--69 species--Highlights In Red.