From: drintoul@matt.ksu.ksu.edu (David A Rintoul)
Newsgroups: rec.birds
Subject: Sept. Birding in KS
Date: 21 Aug 1992 09:10:34 -0500
Organization: Kansas State University
NNTP-Posting-Host: matt.ksu.ksu.edu

The following is a regular feature in the _Prairie Falcon_, the
monthly newsletter of the Northern Flint Hills Audubon Society in
Manhattan KS.  This feature will appear in the Sept. 92 edition.
Hope you enjoy it.

Dave Rintoul
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"So solicitous of each other are the male (mourning dove) and his mate
while mating, breeding, and caring for the young that observers have
been led to dislike these birds for the sheer inaneness of their
'billing and cooing.'  On the other hand, these activities might
highlight a moral precept which might prove a bitter potion for many a
human parent to be obliged to take." A.L. Goodrich, Jr., in Birds in
Kansas, Kansas Board of Agriculture, 1945.

	I'll bet you thought that "family values" such as these were
confined to groups of Quayles (aka the Southeast Asian Chicken,
Hoosieria potatoe).  Well, now you know that the mourning dove, which
will be as common as sound bites during the coming month in Kansas, is
also a role model for the human species.  Large flocks of these birds
will grace the thickets and fields of the state, but will disappear
mysteriously on the opening day of dove season. Judging from my
admittedly non-scientific roadside birding survey, it looks like these
birds had a productive summer, and should be plentiful this year.

	Other birds to watch for in September are the returning
migrant hummingbirds.  Some of these will be immatures, and these can
be very difficult to distinguish with regard to species.  Older males
are a bit easier, and you might be able to identify ruby-throated
hummingbird (a summer resident in eastern KS) in your back yard if you
put up a sugar water feeder this month.  The recommended recipe is one
part sugar per 4-5 parts water, dissolved completely, and replenished
at least every other day or so.  There is no need to put red color in
the water; if the feeder has any red on it at all, the birds will find
it.  Another trick is to tie colorful ribbons (red, orange or yellow)
to trees or shrubs in your yard.  The idea is that migrant hummers
will see these advertisements and come down to investigate.  I don't
know if this is really the case, but I can say that after hanging out
some ribbons last fall we had more hummers than ever before; one day
there were three in the yard at the same time!  Other possibilities
that might show up are rufous hummingbird, broad-tailed hummingbird,
and maybe even an Anna's hummingbird.  Most of these are probably more
likely in the western part of the state, but the sole record of Anna's
hummingbird for Kansas occurred in the south-central region.

	Among the migrant waterfowl that will grace the state this
month are American white pelicans, which occur in huge flocks on
reservoirs and refuges across the state.  Although most Kansans
associate pelicans with the oceans, these birds actually spend a
considerable amount of the year in the interior, nesting in the
Dakotas and other western states, and returning to the Gulf Coast in
the winter.  Early reports indicate that these birds did not have a
good year, reproductively, but if you look for them you will probably
find a few here and there.  In early August a brown pelican was found
by Ted Cable at the River Pond below Tuttle Creek Reservoir; this bird
represented only the 7th or 8th record for this normally marine
species within the state of Kansas.  Duck migration will occur later
in the fall, but significant numbers of blue-winged teal will be
running the gauntlet of early teal season during the upcoming month.
Most of these will be in the so-called "eclipse" plumage, in which it
is difficult to tell the males from the females, but a few males might
still retain the blue-gray head and white facial crescent that helps
to identify them during the rest of the year.  September is also a
good month for viewing members of the heron family.  Besides the
resident great blue herons and great egrets, you might expect to see
cattle egrets, snowy egrets, little blue herons, and both
black-crowned and yellow-crowned night herons.  A juvenile of the
latter species found its way to the KSU campus a few years ago, and
was initially identified as a "baby sandhill crane" by persons who
have since gone incognito.  These chunky birds actually don't resemble
cranes at all, and the look-alike juveniles of the two night heron
species can be distinguished by looking at their feet.  In flight, the
entire feet of the yellow-crowned night heron extend well beyond the
tail, whereas the legs of the black-crowned night heron (more common
here) are shorter; thus only the toes extend beyond the tail of a
flying bird.

	Passerine (perching bird) migrants will also keep birding
interesting during the coming months.  Although sparrow migration will
actually peak in October, it doesn't hurt to be on the lookout for
them this month as well.  Common sparrows in migration here are
white-throated, white-crowned, song, vesper and savannah sparrows.
Less likely, but sure to be out there if you look hard enough, are
Leconte's and sharp-tailed sparrow.  Another bird that most certainly
passes through Kansas but is almost never seen is Baird's sparrow.
Almost all fall records for this bird in the state are from dead birds
collected after they hit TV towers! Maybe you can see a live one, as
even the fall birds are quite handsome, with ochre stripes on the head
and an interesting scaly pattern on the back.

-- 
Dave Rintoul            Internet: drintoul@matt.ksu.ksu.edu
Biology Division - KSU     Latitude 39.18, Longitude -96.34
Manhattan KS 66506-4901                         TCN: id2418
(913)-532-5832 or 6663                  FAX: (913)-532-6653
Newsgroups: rec.birds