Village Creek rarties

[Combatbirder]

A Purple Gallinule was found on Sat 5.11.9 on pond 24 along with a Common Moorhen. On Sun 5.12.9 a Purple Gallinule was found in pond 36. Could be same bird moving around
One breeding Plumeged Ruddy Turnstone was present on Sat 5.11.9 with a piping of White-rumped Sandpiper
2 Bobolinks were flushed from the west levee on Sun 5.11.9 they were not refound,
3 Neotopic Cormorants and 2 Anhingas were present at the swamp Tue 5.12.9
A Flight of Hudsonian Godwits was seen over the beds on Wen 5.13.9
One Caspian Tern was found on the sand bars in the forbbiden zone on Wen
5.13.9 along with a pair of Least Terns

[Administrator]

If anyone need a map of the beds visit http://www.fwas.org/showthread.php?t=6

[lulubelle]

I was at the beds yesterday and was able to find the Purple Gallinule in bed 36. I have better luck finding it if I park about mid-pond, putting the willows behind me, but allowing me to visualize the front of the trees as well. It has come out in the open several times, but is quick to go back in. There was a Common Moorhen in close proximity at the time - I almost thought I was unbelievably lucky that I might have gotten 2 of them in the same bed!! NOT! I did get some photos, but I don't know how well they will come out.:)

[Larry S]

I see a reference to the "forbidden zone" at VCDB - what is that please? I'm a novice birder and just went over there for the first time on Friday. I want to make sure I keep within the "rules", stated or otherwise, so I don't strain a welcome to a very nice resource.

[lulubelle]

It is actually River Legacy east! It used to be closed off to public access, but is now open. You can access it by going to the Collins entrance of River Legacy. Park and follow the trail going to the left and it will take you under Collins. You will see a big "wetlands" to the left and trees on the right. That is the "forbidden zone".That part of the trail is quite lengthy and you can get some interesting birds there. Pelicans like to hang out over there and Jim Sipiora found the 23 Hudsonian Godwits over there before they went to VCDB. He also found a Caspian Tern and 2 Least Terns in that area the other day. They were on a sandbar in the water. There is construction going on farther down the road, but it shouldn't affect the trail.

The only forbidden thing at VCDB is driving on the levee or berm as some call it.

[Administrator]

Also watch this area east of Collins in August. We have seen both Wood Storks and Roseate Spoonbills back in the marsh areas.

[Larry S]

Fantastic - thank you! I'm planning on going back over there Monday or Tuesday so I'll have to check this out. Since retiring I'm fortunate to have entire days at a time at my disposal, so this sounds like another all-dayer (and a burger for lunch at Al's to boot)! I think I'm in heaven.

[dpbronze]

Larry - Forbidden zone was a nickname given to the eastern section of the paved trail at RLP; since it was completed ( paved) long before the parking area on 157, or even the footbridge across the river between "f.z" & the rest of River Legacy. If you walked a bit from certain nearby business parking areas you had 4 miles one-way all to yourself. The area is still excellent despite the intensive construction prep work going on across the fence...in the first week of this month I walked the whole thing one day & saw 75 species.

To one & all - we may not call Bird's Fort a complete write-off just yet. Close to the trail it is barren now, but there are signs out there that this has all been done before .. fire hydrants literally in the middle of nowhere; giant concrete breather stacks from long-past underground water works; symmetrical size & shaped ponds, etc. There is still a very large cattail marsh way out there ( two American Bitterns), and at the Christmas count a Caracara was dogfighting a Black Vulture right in the middle of all the bulldozed area. Dp

[sipiora]

Least Terns were still present on Monday May 18 on the 'big lake' north of milepost 3. A bird was flying over the water but I could find no evidence of nesting after scanning the islands. Later saw a tern patrolling the river at milepost 6. This is one of the few vantage points where you get a good look at the river.
Unfortunately, for now milepost 6 is pretty much the end of the line as sewage pipes are being run between there and milepost 7. Work has been going on since January.

Jim Sipiora