Robins and a Snipe

Yesterday I visited the Negri-Nepote grasslands for the second time in two weeks. This time the fields were a lot quieter, without the small flock of Tree Swallows that I had noted last time. What was notable was the number of American Robins, which were present in several large flocks. In the photo below, you can see 20 robins, and that was only a portion of their number.

Besides the robins, there were three American Kestrels, two Northern Harriers, and a Red-tailed Hawk patrolling the fields. A few Eastern Bluebirds seem to be setting up breeding territories in the fields. Beyond that, the preserve is still waiting for the influx of spring migrants and summer residents.

On Thursday, another birder found a Wilson's Snipe in Johnson Park, with further reports of the bird on Friday. So yesterday I went over to follow up since it would be a county bird for me. Sure enough, the snipe turned out to be easy to find, as it was hanging around the same drainage ditch where it was reported for the previous two days.

A couple of Mallards hanging around nearby provided a nice size comparison for the snipe.