Wolf Springs Road and Blue Sky Sod Farm

After not birding last weekend and knowing I wouldn't be birding next weekend I was in the hunt for a quick morning of birding. Shorebird migration is in full swing, and I am really lacking in the shorebird department because I am total garbage at identifying them. I won't have access to Southside for a few weeks, so the next best option in the area is Wolf Springs Road near Ferris. The main bird I wanted was Buff-breasted Sandpiper. I knew waking up it was not going to be extremely productive, the heat combined with the lack of rain meant that there would be little to no mud, and consequently little to no shorebird activity. 

Blue Sky Sod Farm at Wolf Springs

Of course, that was mostly the case compared to the last time I was there. Killdeer was the most abundant bird of the day, and with the recent plowing of the turf visibility was good. I was pretty much scanning with binoculars, hoping to see birds to scope in the distance. They were watering part of the field, and there was a stretch of dirt that looked like it had potential. The scope opened up what seemed like a whole new world. There were a lot of birds, they just were too far away to see with the naked eye. 

Killdeer

First to appear in the scope was a pair of Upland Sandpipers. I got outstanding looks at them, and I laughed to myself because it took me years to see one, and now I see them no problem, just like with Hooded Mergansers in 2019. The plowed field gave me near perfect scoping conditions. I could pretty much scope the whole field from 2 spots. A Pectoral Sandpiper, a county bird, appeared out of a clump of dirt and gave me great views. There was also a mystery sandpiper that will not be counted, but I am very sure it was a Baird's. It was at a distance, but it was unlike any other sandpiper I'd seen. If definitely was bigger than Western, but wasn't a Stilt or Pectoral. It absolutely was not Spotted. I have experience with every other shorebird that was possible and could easily rule them out, but it's since I'm 100% I can't count it in good faith. All while this was going on there was a massive flock of swallows whipping around, and I was able to pick out Barn, Cliff, and Northern Rough-winged.

Loggerhead Shrike

There was a bird that I was 100% certain about identifying. I got to the end of the field and was checking Killdeer to see if anything else was showing in when I saw 4 birds in the distance that kind of looked like Uplands but weren't. I had a feeling what they were but I didn't want to get my hopes up. 4 golden-brown birds with straight bills left no doubt: BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPER! After getting excellent views for a few minutes I began to feel the heat. I decided to see what else was out there and I drove further down the road. There were no shorebirds, but a White Ibis flew overhead, and then I got very cooperative Dickcissels and a Loggerhead Shrike. While I've heard them, I don't think I've seen a Dickcissel in 3 years and the shrike was a county bird for me. Satisfied, I made my way home to continue studying my shearwaters and albatrosses for September.

Dickcissel