Fern Ridge / Meadowlark Prairie / Finley Refuge

An awesome trip through and through, although the weather couldn't have been more bi-polar.  I always imagine Spring birding to be this very wonderful, picture-esq event.  In reality, Winter birding is much more tolerable.  We experienced frigid temperatures, down pours, sunshine, hail, strange dark/bright skies; all at once at times.  We even saw a fair share of "sucker holes", this is what my cousin calls it when the sky looks stormy and there is one chunk of clear, sunny skies, trying to trick you into thinking nice weather is coming.  Not the case at all.  Despite the weather, the birding was quite excellent. 


Furn Ridge

• Turkey Vultures - my first of the season!
• American Kestrels
• Acorn Woodpecker*
• Northern Flickers
• Red-Winged Blackbird
• Canada Geese
• Tree Swallows
• Violet-Green Swallows
• Yellow-Rumped Warbler
• Song Sparrows
• Mallards
• American Coots
• Marsh Wren
• Ringed-Necked Ducks
• Golden-Crowned Sparrow
• American White Pelicans*
• Canvasback - male
• Pied-Billed Grebe
• Bufflehead - male
• Great Blue Heron
• Cackling Geese
• Savannah Sparrow 

*Lifers!

American White Pelicans

Crazy skies

Meadowlark Prairie 

• Green-Winged Teals
• Cinnamon Teal
• Northern Shovelers
• Northern Pintails
• Western Bluebirds
• Northern Harriers
• Great Blue Heron

Finley Refuge

• American Robins
• Northern Flickers
• Tree Swallows
• Violet-Green Swallows
• Great Blue Heron
• Northern Harriers - male and females
• Yellow-Rumped Warbler - male
• Western Meadowlarks
• Common Yellowthroat - male
• Spotted Towhee
• Golden-Crowned Sparrows
• Green-Winged Teals
• Mallards
• Red-Winged Blackbird - male
• Ring-Necked Ducks
• Osprey - my first of the season!
• Cinnamon Teals
• Song Sparrow
• Black-Capped Chickadee
• Turkey Vultures
• Belted Kingfisher
• Bewick's Wren
• Greater Yellowlegs
• American Wigeons
• European Starlings
• Sanderlings
• Savannah Sparrows
• Red-Tailed Hawks

Western Meadowlark - male

Common Yellowthroat - male

Osprey

One last drench followed by large hail as we head back to the car.