Bird by Birds Kansas City Birding Meetup

The Missouri side of the metro area is a bit lacking for good shorebird habitat. But Kendzora is an often-overlooked bit of a gem (despite being a part of the Great Missouri Birding Trail).

The area includes a trail that winds around a fishing lake through hardwood forest, but we'll be focusing on this visit to the ponds and levees west of Union Mill Road. Hopefully, we can find some Semi-palmated Plovers or even a Piping Plover out of the cover, and Least, Pectoral and Solitary Sandpipers might also be possible.

Trails here are usually well mowed, but will be on grass and possibly muddy. Sun and bug protection could be needed, depending on the weather of the day. This is a little more difficult shorebirding than KCP&L as there are more places for them to hide in Kendzora, but should be a good time!

On the eve of the unofficial start of peak migration, let's take an after work visit to Founder's Park in Corporate Woods. The Great Blue Heron rookery should still be in operation, and we can also check to see if Prothonotary Warblers have yet arrived to take up residence in their nesting boxes in the area. Other possible warblers include Louisiana and Northern Watherthrushes, Northern Parula, Palm Warbler, and Yellow-throated Warbler. The ubiquitous Yellow-rumped Warbles should also all have molted into their more striking breeding plumages, and preparing to head further north. Finally, as night approaches, we may also see the Barred Owls that have nested in the park in the past.

ADDED DETAILS: We'll meet at Heritage Park in Olathe, in the parking lot by the softball fields, and bird along Heritage Trail. and depending on conditions, maybe a long the adjoining Coffee Creek Streamway.

The official end time is 11, but feel free to come out for as long or as short as you'd like. Or keep birding on your end until dusk and make it an official Big Day!

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Rise and shine, campers! Global Big Day is May 11th, let's get up EARLY and do our part for citizen science! May means PEAK warblers and 30 minutes after sunrise, we can expect them to be at their most warblery! Let's meet at 6:30am. Bring water, caffeine if you need it, bug spray, and binocs. Doggos must stay home, sorry (I love mine too, but they scare the birds).