Wind, Water, and Welcome Faces: Kingston–Indianola CBC

Dressed to face a rainy, blustery day this year's CBC Kingston/Indianola team met at Arness Park on the shore of Appletree Cove and broke out in big smiles. The sun was out and the wind from the south was just strong enough to ripple water.  We welcomed three folks new to the CBC and got to counting. 

CBC Kingston/Indianola team - left to right: Joe, Dixie, Nancy, Cindi, Dirk, Chip , and August.

All in all it was a fairly quiet birding day with a welcome warmup break at Mary Gleysteen's house with its expansive view across the Cove.

Gulls were scarce--a scattering of Western/Glaucous-winged hybrids, some Shortbills, and a lone Heermann's resting on a piling at the marina entry close enough we could see its black-tipped red bill in the scope. 

Our Appletree Cove winter regulars were around though not in the large numbers we sometimes see: Bufflehead, Common and Barrow's Golden-eye, Red-headed Mergansers, Horned Grebes, and Killdeer. The exception was the eight Greater Yellowlegs working the shore near the marina boat ramp--usually we see less than four. 

Both sides of the Kingston Ferry Terminal held our interest with plenty of Surf Scoters, Double-crested and Pelagic Cormorants, and Horned Grebes. We also spotted a couple Red-necked Grebes.

Carpenter Lake, alive with birds during nesting season, had only a couple American Robins and Dark-eyed Juncos plus a seated Bald Eagle.

Indianola's Waterfront Preserve yielded our only American Wigeons of the day.

As we wrapped up around 3 pm the rain was back. 

The smiling host, Mary.

Lone Heermann's resting on a piling at the marina

Surveying the docks.