Date: 4/24/25 7:26 pm From: Clayton Will <willcfish...> Subject: [ia-bird] Re: Excellent sheetwater holding many shorebirds in Hamilton Co.
[image: sheetwater shorebird flock Hawk scared up April 24 2025 209.JPG]
Here is the flock of shorebirds at one of the sheetwaters when a hawk flew
over and lifted them.
On Thu, Apr 24, 2025 at 8:15 PM Clayton Will <willcfish...> wrote:
> If you're going to Bjorkboda Marsh for the Virginia Rails and Sandhill
> Cranes a short loop North could be very productive with the additional rain
> coming in. I noticed the weather system training in that area last evening
> and was pleasantly surprised with what I found. There were several hundred
> shorebirds on two areas and less on at least three other smaller
> sheetwaters on farm fields. Two sheetwaters were in the 20 to 40 acre range
> and one stretched across the 1/4 mile section.
> I went North from Masterson wildlife area on Hammond Avenue to Highway 175
> where most of them were. Then went East a mile to Inkpaduta and back
> South toward Bjorkboda Marsh and there was a very good area.
> There was one on P- Ave (hard surface) where I found a
> Semi-Palmated Plover and three Wilson's Phalarope along with several
> hundred Yellowlegs, Dunlin and Sandpipers. There is one farm field lane
> across from this one so you can pull off the road to scope.
> All of these are correct locations on my eBird entries.
> The cranes have been seen on the Boone County side of the road anywhere
> from Bjorkboda to the West side of McHugh Wetland. Most the time eating
> night crawlers near the old west log Ranch Gate.
> The Virginia Rails are on the South side of the road from Bjorkboda. Park
> either side of the blue tile that is 10 yards off the road and has two
> steel fence posts with a section of hog fence. They are in that general
> area and sometimes right next to the road. Another place to look is on the
> corner at McHugh Wetland directly kitty corner from Masterson Wildlife
> Area. The ditch is flooded and the area is loaded with Sora.
> The Bald Eagles in the nest on private property a mile North of Bjorkboda
> are half grown. It's only two blocks of the road and an open view into it.
> I had lunch there today and was able to video the female bring in a bundle
> of haystraw and spread it around. Likely from a nearby round bale. Dad just
> sat in the tree above.
>
> Good Birding,
> Clayton Will
> Madrid
>
