JUNE CHALLENGES TO LOCATE THE BREEDERS

Wow, apparently I'm getting very lazy about posting blogs here as it has been almost a full month since my last one.  Sheesh.  Since I've finally been more evenly splitting my work time between the field and office, it has given me the opportunity to catch up on atlasing my quad for the Breeding Bird Atlas II project.  Interestingly it has coincided with the 2013 June Challenge.  However, as much fun as it is to participate in the JC, the atlasing definitely takes precedence over the JC endeavors.  However, one is allowed to assist others with their quads, right?  With that mindset I decided it wouldn't hurt to participate in this year's JC as much as possible (I missed a full week being out of state for work), while atlasing and hopefully collecting some extensive breeding data for not only my quad, but others' as well.

I was lucky enough to be present for the first 2 days of the challenge, which thankfully fell on a Saturday and Sunday this year.  Before meeting the Audubon-led trip at Longleaf Flatwoods Reserve (LFR), I decided to check out Fish Camp Road (which is about a 1/4 mile south of LFR) for lingering chuck-will's-widow and maybe a barred owl.  All I had to do was turn down the dirt road and I heard my first chuck calling.  However, this being the JC, I had to see the bird as well.  I just drove a short distance and saw one flying overhead, then another, and finally one other.  Difficult bird to see #1 - check!

After not hearing or seeing any owl species, I noticed it was time to head over and meet everyone at LFR.  About 35 other intrepid JC'ers showed up to kick off the JC in appropriate fashion.  Although there were no yellow-crowned night herons observed flying overhead like last year, we did manage to get sightings of bachman's sparrow, common nighthawks, red-headed woodpeckers, and both american white pelican and black-bellied whistling ducks flying overhead.  It was a solid start to the morning for everyone.

Red-headed Woodpecker

Another birder and I decided to stay behind to look for the hairy woodpeckers which had been seen by many in late winter.  We searched for quite a bit, but were only lucky to encounter a downy woodpecker.  We then left to re-join the group over at Newnan's Lake.  However, we went to the wrong boat ramp and figured everyone had already left for the prairie, but decided to stay and see what was present.  Boy, did we a pay a price for going to the wrong boat ramp.  Even though we got great looks at green heron, osprey, and a few other wading birds, the rest of the group were treated to great looks at limpkin and laughing gulls at the other boat ramp.  D'oh!

Immature King Rail

We ended up joining the group at Paynes Prairie to finish out the morning as they were getting ready to hit the trails.  As always, the avian diversity along the La Chua trail was impressive.  Most everyone was fortunate to set their eyes on purple gallinule, whooping cranes, roseate spoonbills, blue-winged teal, blue grosbeak, indigo bunting, white morph great blue heron (not that subspecies count for the JC), northern rough-winged swallow, least bittern (difficult bird to see #2-check!), and king rail (difficult bird to see #3-check!).  As the morning was turning into a hot early afternoon, some of us decided to linger along Sweetwater Dike and Sparrow Alley, while most of the group disbanded and headed home.  Those of us who stayed were treated to looks at orchard oriole, yellow-billed cuckoo, ground dove, and bobwhite (difficult bird to see #4-check!).  When all was said and done, there was an impressive tally for the first day.

Purple Gallinule in field of Hyacinth

The second day I took it easy and only went out in the late afternoon to bird.  I went back to La Chua in search of the yellow-breasted chat we dipped on the prior day.  It was an excellent decision.  I ended up finally hearing a male singing just west of the transmission line, and was able to get a brief glimpse of it in a nearby persimmon clump.  After this great addition to my JC list, I headed to Cellon Creek Blvd. to see what was out there.  Lucky for me several species which can sometimes be difficult to find (especially in one spot), were present and drying out from the downpour which had just passed through.  Species such as eastern kingbird, loggerhead shrike, eurasian collared dove, purple martin, and easern meadowlark were out and about.  I didn't see any southeastern american kestrels there, but I figured there had to be one or two nesting a short distance away at the entrance to San Felasco via the Progress Center.  All I had to do was drive up and an adult male was perched on one of the overhead power lines.  It capped off a great beginning to the 2013 JC, especially since TS Andrea came through while I was away and brought species like caspian and least tern for only a day or so.  Ah well, it's probably a good thing, seeing as I have lots of atlasing to catch up on still and only so many opportunities to verify breeding status in my quad.

Wood Stork soaring overhead the La Chua trail