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Daily Bucket - Exotic visitors to Sardis, Enid and Grenada Lakes in Mississippi [1]

['This Content Is Not Subject To Review Daily Kos Staff Prior To Publication.']

Date: 2023-11-21  

According to the map provided by Cornell University, it is unlikely that Black-necked Stilts would be in my area. So you can imagine the surprise and thrill to photograph a small group of 6 Stilts feeding at Sardis Lake last April. More after the page break.

Range map of Black-necked Stilt (Audubon and Cornell web site maps)

I found these odd little birds so interesting and knew immediately that they were special. The group stayed only the one day and moved on. Here is a moment of action I was glad to have captured.

There have been several interesting visitors to my area during 2023. Here are the most unusual ones I recorded (including the range maps where they are usually found). Like the Spoonbill and Stork below, the Limpkin stayed in the area for a month or so before migrating south to the Gulf of Mexico.

The Red dot on each map is my location.

Speckled Limpkin — Aramus guarauna and range map

I was surprised there were no migration shading for the Willet. This bird may not be as unusual as I thought it was. Mississippi’s larger lakes are great stop-over sites for migrants.

Willet — Tringa semipalmata

The next two birds have been seen across vast parts of the nation to the delight of birders where these species have not been seen in decades.

Roseate Spoonbill — Platalea ajaja

I was happy to hear that so many people got to enjoy these animals. Wood Stork — Mycteria americana All coastal birders know this animal and are glad to see it making a comeback. Coming inland seems natural to me because of all the White Pelicans I see each year on Mississippi lakes. I hope this becomes a trend of climate change. Brown Pelican — Pelecanus occidentalis I am sure everyone has a special visitor they remember. I believe that the birds (all animals in fact) will be relocating to adjust to the climate changes we face. My Bug of the Day is a member of the Assassin bug family (Reduviidae) genus Zelus. A dark red tint to the body. This little fellow is 1 inch long and has a voracious appetite.

The Daily Bucket is a nature refuge. We amicably discuss animals, weather, climate, soil, plants, waters and note life’s patterns. We invite you to note what you are seeing around you in your own part of the world, and to share your observations in the comments below. Each note is a record that we can refer to in the future as we try to understand the phenological patterns that are quietly unwinding around us. To have the Daily Bucket in your Activity Stream,visit Backyard Science’s profile page and click on follow. I hope you will consider this an open thread as well as bring your own experiences of exotic visitors to show.

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