I spent about 5 hours early this a.m. beginning just before 5 a.m. at Otter Slough in hopes of finding a rail other than Sora . . . truth be told . . . I didn't even get a Sora this morning! I did end up with 112 species in that 5 hour period and rounded the day with 119 total. I had three species after 9:25 tonight.
 
The Peregrine Falcon remains at Otter Slough. Water levels have dropped and most fields are now barely muddy if not already dry. A couple highlights were 5 Wilson's Phalarope in "Plover Pond" (the first pond on the left as you enter Otter Slough from the East entrance, and the fact that I primarily stood at the corner of Miller Woods (just as you enter the East side of Otter Slough) and reached 80 species by 8 a.m. with only predawn birding on the North end! Still seeing good numbers of Black-necked Stilts. Full report can be found here: 
 
http://mobirds.org/CACHE/viewData.asp?tripID=9454&locID=179
 
The last few weeks, I have been burning the candle at both ends trying to dig up other rails, but tonight all I needed to do was to sharpen my lawnmower blades to get my next rail.
 
I was in the process of carrying in a Black-widow Spider (to show the Mrs.) that I had just found in my shop in a small stack of wood. It was 9:25 pm when, at the edge of my consiousness I caught the trailing off of "Drr". Of course, I stopped to listen and was treated to the full call "Kee-kee-drr" then repeatedly. There is a huge field of standing wheat across the road from my house which is where the call was coming from.
 
I spent the next 15 minutes out there listening and was able to discern that there were at least two sets of calls from different areas of the field - also at least one Sora chimed in every now and again (another new Yard Bird).
 
When I finished sharpening the LM baldes at around 10:45 p.m., I went out to listen once more. As I approached the of my drive, I could here the Black Rails calling again off in the distance; however, I was jolted by the loud screech of an overhead Barn Owl. Once composed I could here a second Barn Owl respond farther out in the field.!
 
 
Good Birding!
 
Chris Barrigar
 
http://community.webshots.com/user/photosbychris
 
 
 
http://community.webshots.com/user/photosbychris1
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The Audubon Society of Missouri's Wild Bird Discussion Forum
ASM Spring Meeting ... May 2, 3, & 4, 2008 at Chillicothe, MO
More information: http://www.mobirds.org