I arrived at the Dexter rice field site at 11:30 a.m. today. I overshot
the turn in on the left. The crushed can was not evident. Found the
can totally crushed, placed the flattened bottom-only showing can back
in the track. Waited, watched 45 minutes. 5 planes, several trucks
(showed pic of ducks to one who stopped), no heads raised. Well, could
be they are inured to planes by now; could be nobody but red-wings in
the field.

Decided to go down the road to where I turned around--more activity
there. Had seen 6 Black-necked Stilts & several Killdeer.

At 12:35 p.m. (90 degrees F) one Fulvous Whistling-Duck head and neck
rose from the rice! I watched it at a distance of about 350 yards as it
walked about 50 yards before disappearing in the tall vegetation at the
CC roadside. In that distance, it raised its head 6 times (and was
visible only when the head was raised). On the 4th time it spotted me
and was more furtive, but still raised the head twice more. I did not
see more than the head, neck and very top of the back. May have seen
the top of the back of a second bird, but am not sure.

The field where the bird was seen today is beyond the turn-off in
previous messages. It is on the RIGHT (west) side of the road, just
where the double-poled power lines cross CC. A sign with a green circle
with white ziggy lines and words: M & A Electric Power Cooperative on a
pole is at the turn in. There is also a white "Prime Oil" jug beside a
burn pile at the turn off. This is the last field entry before the
"Jct. Hwy. A" sign. A bare field is across CC.

After watching and not seeing any more birds, I drove down CC and turned
right (west) onto A, then pulled into the first field entry on the right
to observe the same field from a different angle. One pair of stilts
was very upset at my presence--saw 3 fuzzy brown chicks.

I watched a few minutes, but did not want to disturb the stilts any more.

No more Fulvous Whistling-Duck sitings.

Edge Wade
Columbia, MO
[log in to unmask]

__________________________________________________
* Audubon Society of Missouri's *
* Wild Bird Discussion Forum *
*------------------------------------------------*
* To unsubscribe send the message *
* SIGNOFF MOBIRDS-L *
* to [log in to unmask] *
* To subscribe send the message *
* SUBSCRIBE MOBIRDS-L your name *
* to [log in to unmask] *
*------------------------------------------------*
* To access the list archives from July 2002 on: *
* http://po.missouri.edu/archives/mobirds-l.html *
##################################################