Hi, from AFlatFoot (1 Viewer)

[Owen Krout]

I will be returning to Kansas City KS beginning in May 2015 for 4-6 months (now in Panjin, Liaoning, China). I plan to take several trips to check out potential birding sites and take in some known good areas while I am there.

I only recently took up birding and photography seriously as a retirement hobby and will be starting a Kansas life list / Wyandotte County life list / USA life list to run alongside my newly started Liaoning Province life list.

Similar to what has been done elsewhere on birdforum for a general China site, I welcome all to post there experiences/tips and sightings from Kansas here in one central spot for any to easily find and see.

Share your experiences in birding Kansas. How today's outing went and your latest photos! You can start by letting me know where the hotspots should be when I return.

Who's out there from the Sunflower State?

 

[Larry Lade]

You might try this Kansas Birding information site as a starting point.

http://listserv.ksu.edu/archives/ksbird-l.html

Good Birding!
Larry Lade, just across the Missouri River in St. Joseph, Missouri

 

[Owen Krout]

May 5 - May 12 2015 Kansas City KS

I have been back in the USA for just over a week now and my first week of observations, without any travel outside of Wyandotte County has yielded more species than I scored in Panjin, Liaoning, China for two months.

Our yard feeders have been very busy and the Wyandotte County Lake has proven to be an enjoyable place to spend time working those perching birds out of the cover. No unusual finds, just several species of migrating sparrows showing up for one day at a time at the home feeders, but the House Sparrows aggressively chase them away. One trip to Kaw Point Park where the Kaw (Kansas) River empties into the Missouri River. I found it to be a very nice little park area with few people there. Not a lot of variety the day I was there though. I plan to check out the Baker Wetlands at Lawrence sometime soon if the rains let things dry out enough.

What I don't remember from previous years of not recording sightings, is that the Northern Cardinals are about as abundant as American Robins this year. We have seen as many as 8 Cardinals at one time at the feeders.

The Green Heron made a nice colorful picture despite being taken at a distance.
Also, I managed to catch a Cardinal enjoying the grape jelly that had been set out for the Baltimore Oriole that made one short appearance at the home feeders. Didn't manage a picture, but the Grey Catbird has also been eating from the jelly.

Wyandotte, Kansas Month List
1 Canada Goose - Branta canadensis Wyandotte County Lake US-KS 05 May 2015
2 Mallard - Anas platyrhynchos Wyandotte County Lake US-KS 05 May 2015
3 Blue-winged Teal - Anas discors Wyandotte County Lake US-KS 11 May 2015
4 Pied-billed Grebe - Podilymbus podiceps Wyandotte County Lake US-KS 11 May 2015
5 Great Blue Heron - Ardea herodias Wyandotte County Lake US-KS 05 May 2015
6 Green Heron - Butorides virescens Wyandotte County Lake US-KS 11 May 2015
7 Turkey Vulture - Cathartes aura Wyandotte County Lake US-KS 07 May 2015
8 Red-tailed Hawk - Buteo jamaicensis Home Yard KCK US-KS 05 May 2015
9 Mourning Dove - Zenaida macroura Home Yard KCK US-KS 03 May 2015
10 Belted Kingfisher - Megaceryle alcyon Wyandotte County Lake US-KS 07 May 2015
11 Red-bellied Woodpecker - Melanerpes carolinus Home Yard KCK US-KS 07 May 2015
12 Downy Woodpecker - Picoides pubescens Home Yard KCK US-KS 03 May 2015
13 Hairy Woodpecker - Picoides villosus Home Yard KCK US-KS 03 May 2015
14 Northern Flicker - Colaptes auratus Home Yard KCK US-KS 04 May 2015
15 Eastern Wood-Pewee - Contopus virens Wyandotte County Lake US-KS 09 May 2015
16 Eastern Kingbird - Tyrannus tyrannus Wyandotte County Lake US-KS 07 May 2015
17 Blue Jay - Cyanocitta cristata Home Yard KCK US-KS 03 May 2015
18 American Crow - Corvus brachyrhynchos Wyandotte County Lake US-KS 05 May 2015
19 Tree Swallow - Tachycineta bicolor Wyandotte County Lake US-KS 11 May 2015
20 Barn Swallow - Hirundo rustica Wyandotte County Lake US-KS 11 May 2015
21 Black-capped Chickadee - Poecile atricapillus Home Yard KCK US-KS 03 May 2015
22 Tufted Titmouse - Baeolophus bicolor Home Yard KCK US-KS 05 May 2015
23 White-breasted Nuthatch - Sitta carolinensis Home Yard KCK US-KS 03 May 2015
24 House Wren - Troglodytes aedon Home Yard KCK US-KS 06 May 2015
25 Carolina Wren - Thryothorus ludovicianus Home Yard KCK US-KS 10 May 2015
26 Blue-gray Gnatcatcher - Polioptila caerulea Wyandotte County Lake US-KS 07 May 2015
27 Eastern Bluebird - Sialia sialis Wyandotte County Lake US-KS 11 May 2015
28 Swainson's Thrush - Catharus ustulatus Wyandotte County Lake US-KS 11 May 2015
29 Wood Thrush - Hylocichla mustelina Kaw Point Riverfront Park US-KS 12 May 2015
30 American Robin - Turdus migratorius Home Yard KCK US-KS 03 May 2015
31 Gray Catbird - Dumetella carolinensis Home Yard KCK US-KS 07 May 2015
32 Northern Mockingbird - Mimus polyglottos Home Yard KCK US-KS 03 May 2015
33 European Starling - Sturnus vulgaris Home Yard KCK US-KS 03 May 2015
34 Cedar Waxwing - Bombycilla cedrorum Wyandotte County Lake US-KS 05 May 2015
35 Black-and-white Warbler - Mniotilta varia Wyandotte County Lake US-KS 11 May 2015
36 Yellow Warbler - Setophaga petechia Wyandotte County Lake US-KS 07 May 2015
37 Yellow-rumped Warbler - Setophaga coronata Wyandotte County Lake US-KS 11 May 2015
38 Clay-colored Sparrow - Spizella pallida Home Yard KCK US-KS 11 May 2015
39 Vesper Sparrow - Pooecetes gramineus Home Yard KCK US-KS 07 May 2015
40 Grasshopper Sparrow - Ammodramus savannarum Home Yard KCK US-KS 09 May 2015
41 White-crowned Sparrow - Zonotrichia leucophrys Home Yard KCK US-KS 04 May 2015
42 Northern Cardinal - Cardinalis cardinalis Home Yard KCK US-KS 03 May 2015
43 Red-winged Blackbird - Agelaius phoeniceus Wyandotte County Lake US-KS 11 May 2015
44 Common Grackle - Quiscalus quiscula Home Yard KCK US-KS 03 May 2015
45 Brown-headed Cowbird - Molothrus ater Home Yard KCK US-KS 05 May 2015
46 Baltimore Oriole - Icterus galbula Home Yard KCK US-KS 03 May 2015
47 House Finch - Haemorhous mexicanus Home Yard KCK US-KS 03 May 2015
48 American Goldfinch - Spinus tristis Home Yard KCK US-KS 03 May 2015
49 House Sparrow - Passer domesticus Home Yard KCK US-KS 03 May 2015

 

[Aflatfoot]

I have lurked on the forums for some time, but just registered to participate. I am in SW Kansas and go to KC quite often. So, I get the opportunity to drive by a number of great birding sites. If you want to explore a little I would highly recommend a spring or fall trip to Cheyenne Bottoms and / or Quivera NWR. Both are fantastic places to see many shorebirds and Whooping Cranes if your timing is right. Closer to KC, I have had good luck along the Kansas River in Lawrence near the Bowersock Energy Dam. The Konza Prairie gets good reviews too, but i haven't had a lot of opportunity to explore. Hopefully you are still around. If not, hopefully this will help plan your next return.

 

[KC Foggin]

Hi there and a warm welcome from the entire staff here at BirdForum. :t:

We're glad you found us and thanks for taking a moment to say hello and please join in wherever you like

 

[Chris G6 UXU]

Hello and welcome to the forum, enjoy and all the best.