This weekend was so great for birding. I added four new lifers to my list, and there are some really unique ones added to the mix. We drove around quite a bit near Lake Bella, Lake Ocheda, and some around Sibley as well. The warmer temps have really brought in a lot of interesting water / wading type birds that I’ve never seen before. The first two lifers I found were right near each other on the shore, and in the water of Lake Bella. The American Avocet, and the American Pipit. I wasn’t really able to get close to the Avocet, so this will be a photo I’ll have to improve later on.
American Avocet, American Pipit
The next lifer I found I actually thought was a Song Sparrow, but ended up being a Vesper Sparrow. This bird had a really loud and beautiful sound and I was able to get a really awesome photo of it.
Fourth lifer of the weekend was a really unexpected find for me. I saw these birds and didn’t really know what they were at first and they ended up being a small flock of White-faced Ibis! The plumage on these birds is stunning and I was really excited to get some nice shots of these guys as well. The lighting wasn’t the best for these photos but I think they turned out amazing regardless.
White-faced Ibis
White-faced Ibis
I got some really beautiful shots of a lot of other birds this weekend, and I‘ll finish this post off with all the rest of these amazing photos. The male Ring-necked Pheasants and American Kestrels have really been out in force this spring and I’ve been absolutely loving it. These birds are notoriously difficult for me to get good photos of and I’ve had a great time getting them lately.
Ring-necked Pheasant, American Kestrel
Double-crested Cormorant, American White Pelican
Northern Shoveler
Brown Thrasher, Song Sparrow
