Drought offers pros, cons to birders

Drought offers pros, cons to birders.
Good for the birders, because the birds had no severe weather to fight through to get to their breeding grounds up north.
It was bad for birders because many of their favorite species did not make an appearance for them to check off their lists.
Some precipitation totals are a third of normal for this time of year.
July is the season for shorebirds.
The vibrant colors of spring have faded away to shades of brown, and the feathers are rejuvenating before fall.
This makes identifying waterfowl quick difficult.
We fortunately had an American black duck flush and fly by us at one point, an unusual bird for North Dakota, which is on the west edge of their occurrence.
In the coming days, a few more species will make their appearances, such as the buff-breasted sandpiper, which normally is seen here only in fall.
I for one will be looking throughout these dog days of summer.

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