Cathy Sphan's Photo Project: Year 3 - A Birder's Commitment to Seeing Something Special!

February has been a slow month for photos.  I have had a few outings, but not too many photos really stand out.  I did manage to search through this month’s photos and locate a few nice shots.  The first photo I have included is from very early in February 2014.  

Townsend’s Solitaire, Myadestes townsendi
Photo: Cathy Spahn

This first photo is a special bird.  I had the chance to see a Townsend’s Solitaire, Myadestes townsendi.  This bird was originally found by another birder in the Young’s Conservation Area in Eureka, MO.  A few days later I had a day off, and in the freezing cold and the snow I went for a walk, hoping to see the bird.  I followed the directions from the other birder and as I got closer to the area the bird was being seen I saw a grey bird fly across the field in front of me.  I started getting very nervous that this was the bird I was looking for, and then moments later it popped up in a brushy area in front of me.  I got my binoculars on the Solitaire and got very excited.  The bird flew back in the brush.  I changed spots and could still see the bird, then quickly pulled my camera out, and after some difficulties I managed to get a shot.  The photo was good enough to use as an id photo for bird records.  The Townsend’s Solitaire is normally found much further west in more mountainous areas.  They are not always easy to see and this is only the second ever Solitaire I have ever seen.  The last one was when I was in New Mexico in mid- 1980’s and very young, so I really have no memory of it.  For this reason I consider this Townsend’s Solitaire a new bird for me.  In Missouri this is only the 5^th sighting of this species.  This is a very nice find, even though the photo is not the greatest.

White Pelican
Photo: Cathy Spahn

The next two photos, of American White Pelicans, I took the week of February 17th.  I was out birding and there were lots of pelicans, ducks and geese moving around because SPRING IS COMING!  At one point I had over 500 American White Pelicans at Clarksville, Missouri, but unfortunately they were too far away for a good photo.  The two photos I have chosen were taken at Riverland’s area in West Alton, Missouri, near Lock and Dam 26 on the Mississippi River.  

White Pelican
Photo: Cathy Spahn

The pelicans were actively hunting for fish near the Lock and Dam.  It is so hard to choose only a few photos, but my favorite of these 2 is the pelican coming in for a landing on the water.  I got the bird as its feet were in the water and its wings up.  My second favorite is the other photo of a pelican in flight along the choppy waters. 

Signs of spring are coming, which means the chance for more photos increases.  I believe next month will be a better month for photos.

Submitted by:

Cathy Sphan, Naturalist, World Bird Sanctuary