Wow! What a day! Still soggy down here in the Bootheel!
 
I began driving in the fog to Mac & Zelma Charmicheal SF and had my FOY (photographed) Scissor-tailed Flycatcher on Hwy. 51 about 1.5 miles North of Broseley (located southwest of Poplar Bluff). However, water over the road kept me from reaching the Carmicheal SF, and when I turned around to head to Otter Slough, I saw a Loggerhead Shrike on Hwy. HH.
 
I only had 2 hours to visit Otter Slough, and there were several FOY birds there - 69 species identified within that time frame. FOY included: Black-necked Stilt (3), Long-billed Dowitcher (23), Marsh Wren (1), Sora (1) & Lesser Yellowlegs (1). Other highlights were 3 Loggerhead Shrikes, several calling Pied-billed Grebes and an Imm. Bald Eagle. I was not able to make it to the southwest end of Otter Slough.
 
Later in the day as my wife and I were driving back from Cape Girardeau on Hwy. 74, we saw in the flooded farm field (to the south of 74 and west of 55) approximately 30 White Pelicans. As I pulled of the road into the driveway of the gravel company there, my wife says, "How did I know you were going to stop to look at those?" I told her that I thought and needed to confirm that they were White Pelicans as I had seen them landing in the shallows about 300 yards away from the road. "No way!" was her response, "They're supposed to be on the ocean." . . . After satisfying my curiousity, I let her have a look through the bins letting her see for herself.
 
At home, I stood outside the house listening for a spell. I kept hearing something foreign, something I had not heard in the wild (that I could remember anyway). Slowing seeping into my conscious thought was that I had head it before while listening to the bird songs CD's, and what I was hearing was a Wilson's Snipe calling from across the road at 5:45 pm. An awesome sound!
 
Nature was full of surprises today!
 
Heading to Mingo tomorrow with canoe to scope out the marsh (hopefully)!
 
Good Birding!
 
Chris Barrigar
 
http://community.webshots.com/user/photosbychris
 
 
 
http://community.webshots.com/user/photosbychris1
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