Purple gallinules have become a bit rare to find at Harns Marsh these days. Could be the resent drying down of the wetland or from competition from the rising numbers of Gray-headed Swamphens. Dave and Tammy McQuade had recently reported re-finding the gallinule at Harns Marsh as the worked hard on the their June Challenge counts.
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Purple gallinule at Harns Marsh
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So this morning I headed over to Harns, early to try and avoid the heat of day. A nice addition for the day was a Crested Caracara seen in Buckingham on my drove to Harns.
Arrived a bit past 7am, spending about an hour and a half, on a successful walk. Water levels had risen with the recent rains pushing out the larger numbers of the wading birds and limpkins had been congregating here.
Limpkins are still present, counted six and a few
Great Blue Herons, Great Egrets, Tricolored Herons and
Little Blue Herons. Nice to find a
Snail Kite working the marsh for breakfast as well as the
Purple Gallinule that was my target bird for the day. Other sightings included several
Sandhill Cranes, a lone
Swamphen, a
Northern Flicker and
Pileated Woodpeckers, a flock of
Black-belled Whistling Ducks flying past and a
Least Bittern was spotted in flight.
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Ghost Bulimulus snail
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Pileated Woodpeckers
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Those Ghost Bulimulus snails photographed last month were easily re-located today too.
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