[Birdtalk] No Spoonbill Today

[kristinpurdy at comcast.net]

Steve Carr, Pomera Fronce, MarJean Muhlestein and I visited Farmington Bay this morning to watch for the Roseate Spoonbill reported by Matt Burton Tuesday. We did not see the bird. We scanned from Egg Island, along the west dike, from the west dike and Turpin Unit parking lots, along the Turpin Unit road, and from two of the walkways over the channel by the road in Turpin. Remember that Turpin is closed to motor vehicle traffic. 

Later, both Bill Fenimore and I talked to Matt and learned some additional information about his sighting. Matt was hunting north of Turpin Unit Tuesday. He launched a drift boat in the canal that extends north between the west dike and Turpin Unit parking lots. (The mouth of this canal along the road between the two parking areas usually has a bunch of Pied-billed Grebes in it.) He drifted about 1/4 mile north in the canal, through a constricted area where he described rapids and then into a small open bay area. The spoonbill flushed from the edge of the small bay area and flew over his head twice before it landed out of sight.

Matt described a tall pink bird with a 6- to 10-inch long hourglass shaped bill. He's familiar with Pink Floyd as he saw the flamingo years ago at Bear River MBR. In addition, Matt is a wildlife videographer. He just didn't happen to have his cameras with him on Tuesday. 

The canal is thickly lined with phragmites. It's like a canyon with phragmites walls. I considered slipping on my Wellies and walking along the channel to seek the edge of the water, but if I got lost in that phragmites, my body would never be discovered. 

So, all you birder/fishermen/fisherwomen/hunters who are equipped with drift boats and waders, it's your turn! Matt said the water level in the canal is only about a foot deep. 

Kris
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