Kiowa County (and thereabouts) Yesterday

[Steven Mlodinow]

Greetings All

I visited John Martin Reservoir and the reservoirs s. of Eads (including Thurston, in Prowers County)

John Martin: I thought about taking a pic of the Dam Closed sign. It was dam closed. Apparently, per what Duane had said, it was supposed to be open, but no one had "gotten around to it" as of 11 am. In any case, the large reservoir was pretty bereft of water birds, though a Northern Shrike (+ 3 Loggerheads) was nice. 

Thurston, Lower and Upper Queens, and Neenoshe Reservoirs were stuffed full of birds, 5000-10000 birds each... far more than a week or so ago when I last visited. My guess is that these birds had either moved back south due to the cold front, or had been grounded by the north wind associated with the cold front. American Coot, American Wigeon, Northern Pintail, Lesser Scaup, Redhead, and Northern Shoveler made up the vast majority of these birds. Bufflehead were in decent numbers. Common Goldeneye had pretty much departed as had geese, though a few were still about. 1000+ Sandhill Cranes were at Thurston

No Eurasian Wigeon alas, despite nearly 10000 total.

I had 1 Greater Scaup, 2 RB Mergs, 1 N Pintail x Gadwall as for waterfowl highlights. 

What is call Jett Reservoir (per eBird) but is not the real Jett Reservoir, but rather a portion of Nee So Pah Reservoir... is nearly dry but still had shorebirds: 80 or so Killdeer, 15 Baird's Sands, 1 Least Sand, 2 LB Dows, 1 Greater Yellowlegs.

A few CC Longs (and 2 McCowns) flew past me headed north at Lower Queens and at John Martin Res (no McCown's there)

A fun day.

Cheers

Steve Mlodinow