For months I’ve been planning a business trip to Cedar Rapids, IA to visit a new client. Of course I needed to consider the statebirding opportunities on the trip – and those opportunities were significant. Till now my birding time in IA had been limited to one Spring big day and a few hours on a second day in the southwest corner of the state back in 1993. So with a total of just 135 species on my IA list (my 4th lowest state total), I had lots of statebirding potential. March can be a great time for birding, with early spring migrants arriving and many wintering birds still present. But March weather on the plains can be iffy –cold and snowy weather can make for some difficult birding. So with fingers crossed that the weather would cooperate, and with a bunch of planning, including some excellent advice and directions from some local birders, I headed out to eastern IA.
The trip turned out to be excellent –with 109 species and 43 new ones for my Iowa state list. I had 90 species one day without really trying to do a big day. The wintering birds featured 3 rare Larids (one in both IA and IL!), and a flock of White-winged Crossbills. Migrants included Smith’s Longspurs which are rare local migrants, 6 species of blackbirds, 6 species of shorebirds, and high numbers of Fox Sparrows. A total of 27 species of waterfowl was pretty nice. And I also got 2 species that I’ve only seen once before – Eurasian Tree Sparrows, and Gray Partridge. And on the weather front - amazingly there was near-record heat with highs close to 80 each day – more like summer than the last few days of official winter. Certainly no need to worry about any snow.
My list is now at 178 – not bad for so little time birding in Iowa. But still 33 away from the ABA reportable threshold.
Highlights of my trip follow, with statebirds in bold –
Cone Marsh – Louisa County
Pre-dawn included calling Great Horned Owls, Woodcocks, Pheasants, Turkeys, and many geese (sounded like mostly White-fronts and Snows). But no luck with Short-eared Owls. Other notable birds were Trumpeter Swan, Ross’ Geese – several flyovers in with flocks of Snows, Greater Scaup pair in with several Lessers, and a Loggerhead Shrike (there had been a Northern Shrike reported in the area, but I only found this Loggerhead). I also had numerous Eurasian Tree Sparrows at several locations - only the second time I’ve seen this species (IL in 1981). My field guides don’t say anything about them being Iowa! (I had them at 3 other places on the trip as well)
Other State birds - Bald Eagle, Sandhill Cranes, Snipe, Pectoral Sandpiper, Greater Yellowlegs, Am. Pipit, American Tree Sparrow, Dark-eyed Junco (including one of the “Cassiar” form), and Rusty Blackbird
Lone Tree – Johnson County
2 Eurasian Collared Doves – my 32nd state for this species, and 4 Lapland Longspurs
Fairmount Cemetery – Scott County – Davenport
This old cemetery has numerous mature hemlocks, spruces, and cedars, and has had many finch sightings over the winter. And although the temperature was close to 80 degrees, the birds thought it was still winter -
White-winged Crossbills – great views of a flock of 11 as they fed on the ground a short distance away
Pine Siskins – likely close to 100 birds, including one gathering nesting material
Credit Island – Scott County
Statebirds - Cackling Goose, Golden-crowned Kinglet, Fox Sparrow (first of many I saw on the trip)
Davenport – Scott County - Lock and Dam 15 on the Mississippi River
A number of rare gulls have been reported at this site over the last couple months. But now that all the ice was gone, there was no need for the birds to concentrate in open water. Plus mid March was getting pretty late. But as I pulled up the very first bird I saw was a first year Great Black-backed Gull. This bird at times flew to the other side of the river, putting it into IL airspace – a new bird for me there too. A little later I spotted small group of roosting birds in the distance. It took a bit of a hike to get there but it was worth it as there was a first year Thayer’s Gull in the group along with my first of about 10 Herring Gulls. Back at the dam I picked out a first year Lesser Black-backed Gull. An amazing number of rarities with less than 200 gulls present. On the downside, I missed the resident Peregrines that are nearby.
Davenport – Scott County - Lock and Dam 14
1 “Krider’s” Red-tailed Hawk – very photogenic – phonescoped photo below
Hawkeye Wildlife Area – Johnson County
Statebirds - White-crowned Sparrow singing, Brown Creeper singing, and Harrier – my only one of the trip
Amana – Iowa County
All 3 swans had been reported in the Amana area for some time, and they cooperated during my brief stop there. At Lily Lake there were 7 Tundra Swans (“7 swans a swimming”) and 3 Trumpeter Swans, along with all 5 species of Geese. And there were 2 Mute Swans, and 1 Trumpeter Swan at the marsh West of Middle Amana.
Gravel Roads NE of Blairstown – Benton County
I got a tip from a local birder about a spot for Gray Partridge. Though he suggested early morning or evening may be the best time, I was passing through the area near noon and decided to stop anyway. No luck with the partridges, but as I was leaving I heard some unfamiliar call notes. I noticed 5 birds coming up out of a neighboring field, and was able to see them as they flew by – Smith’s Longspurs – a pretty rare local migrant. That evening I came through the area, and although it was almost dark, I decided to stop again. Once again I didn’t see any partridges, but then I decided to play some tape. In just a few minutes one responded, then at least 3 more. Only my second Gray Partridges – my others were in WY in 1986.
Otter Creek – West End – Tama County
As I got there in the early evening there were huge numbers of ducks and geese in the wetlands – at least 2,000 white geese and 500 White-fronts, and thousands of dabblers. Most of these waterfowl apparently roost elsewhere overnight because flocks of 50-200 birds were almost constantly rising out of the marsh and flying west. At the same time blackbirds were flying into the marsh for their evening roost. The blackbirds included at least 2 Brewer’s and numerous Rusty’s singing (my first experience with them in song). And pairs of Sandhill Cranes were frequently flying back and forth. There was also a Great-tailed Grackle singing in the marsh, though I had to wait for nearly an hour till it started to sing. What a tremendous experience! And rounding out the evening there was a fly-by Rough-legged Hawk (getting late) and a nearby “Harlan’s” Red-tailed Hawk.
Squaw Creek Park – Cedar Rapids – Linn County
Spent an early morning in some good woodland habitat and was rewarded with a Pileated Woodpecker, a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, and 2 single flyover Purple Finches at dawn. In a nearby field was an early singing Field Sparrow and another singing White-crowned Sparrow.
Lake Macbride and Coralville Reservoir – Johnson County
I headed to these reservoirs in hopes of getting some diving ducks and other waterfowl. Although waterfowl were limited, at least partially due to many people out on their boats fishing, I did find 5 Red-breasted Mergansers, 6 Common Mergansers, and a Horned Grebe in almost full alternate plumage. A very large flock of over 500 White Pelicans was remarkable. In the nearby woodlands I got a Sharp-shinned Hawk, 2 Pileateds, and a Barred Owl.
A number of my statebird maps (with states shaded where I’ve seen each species) are inserted below –
Ross’s Goose – my states are pretty representative of the birds in the Pacific and Central flyways as well as the increasing numbers though still a rarity in the east.
Lesser Black-backed Gull – IA is my 23rd state, with a number away from the typical East coast wintering areas
Great Black-backed Gull – with the bird both in IA and IL that expands my Midwest states for this expected vagrant, in addition to the east coast states
Eurasian Collared Dove – 32 states and counting
Great-Tailed Grackle - my states pretty closely match the typical range of this species
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