Quick Fall Migration Update: We're still alive!

Hi there,
We have indeed been birding the last few weeks, but what with school starting and all we haven't had much time to post. This post will hopefully bring you up to date on our recent birding adventures

First off, this hummingbird visited my feeder briefly back on August 14. It was only there for a few minutes and I never got great pictures, but it appears to be a Black-chinned Hummingbird. The blunt rounded primary tips are fairly diagnostic for this species and the long bill (visible in other photos) also supports this ID. Perhaps we shouldn't have been surprised, as this was only the next day after the pewee/goldfinch craziness.

Painted Crescent

Moving on, Anthony, Andrew and I visited Quivira NWR on Aug 21. Birding wasn't phenomenal, but we did happen onto a large population of Painted Crescents. Going from never having seen one to suddenly seeing literally dozens was a bit of a shock.

Painted Crescent

Also that weekend, a juvenile Red-shouldered Hawk showed up in my neighborhood and remained for a couple weeks. Central Kansas seems like an odd choice to spend its summer.

Red-shouldered Hawk

Passerine migration finally came to life during the first week of September with a sudden influx of warblers and flycatchers. One particularly good Saturday morning brought a half-dozen species of warblers and a Yellow-bellied Flycatcher to the area.

Black-throated Green Warbler

The flycatcher is moderately rare here, rare enough to be a Kansas Bird Records Committee review species, but not anything you'd drive very far for. Empidonax species can be pretty tricky to ID, but thankfully this one was calling, so we were able to identify it with reasonable certainty.You can listen to my recording of the bird here.

Yellow-bellied Flycatcher. Photo by Andrew

We'll hopefully be birding more regularly in the coming weeks as migration ramps up, so stay tuned for more of our reports from the plains.


Joseph

Rufous Delight

I must admit I was a bit doubtful one evening last week when my sister hollered that there was a Rufous Hummingbird at the feeder, but a quick dive to the window confirmed her suspicions. It was indeed an immature male Rufous! I made another dive for the camera, but by the time I was back at the window it had left. I waited patiently and it soon appeared at our other feeder, where I was able to get some decent pics. Yes! A quality year-bird and only the second ever for my yard!

To be honest,  I couldn't confidently eliminate Allen's Hummingbird with these views, but with one previous state record what are the odds?

To my great surprise an adult male Ruby-throated Hummingbird soon joined the Rufous. I have only had three or four Rubies at my feeder this fall so far, so this was a pleasant sight. It was also the first time I have ever had two species of hummers at once!

Andrew and Anthony soon showed up to see their third Reno Co hummer of the fall. (The third was Bryant and Andrew's Black-chinned a couple weeks ago). Luckily for them it was still sitting in the tree when they arrived. Surprisingly, the male Ruby right next to it didn't seem bothered by the Rufous casually sitting a few inches away. More typically, the adult male would have bullied the immature away from the feeder. Perhaps it was just too tired from a long flight. Who knows?

Joseph

Black-chinned Hummingbird

I had an interesting female Archilochus hummingbird start coming to my feeder about a week ago and since they are very tricky to identify, I asked hummingbird expert Sheri Williamson what she thought.  I was elated when she emailed back and said that it was a Black-chinned, since there are under twenty state records. (And nearly all of the other records have been from far western Kansas.)

Black-chinned Hummingbird (left)

Black-chinned Hummingbird.  Notice the "clubbed" look to the wing that separates it from the more common Ruby-throated.

Migration is finally starting to pick up again, and I am very ready for it!  I saw at least two, probably more, Alder Flycatchers near here the other morning.  I had never seen an Alder before this year, and now I have seen five!

Alder Flycatcher

Several weeks ago I saw this Oriole that definitely at least has some Bullock's influence.

Oriole

I have also managed to get a few butterfly pictures, although there haven't many around of late.

Delaware Skipper

Pearl Crescent

Southern Cloudywing

I'll finish with this Dickcissel picture.

Dickcissel

Andrew