Visitors from the south

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MO_cows

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outside Kansas City MO
I always thought we were too far north for these guys, but apparently they don't read bird books. It has been a bad year for horseflies but this crew seems to be putting a dent in them. They will even get right on the cattle, who don't seem to mind. Appreciate the bug control but wish they would wait until they get off to poop! A couple of weeks ago there were just two but apparently they sent for the relatives and so far our high count has been 36.
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I saw a lot of them in Ks when I was out there a couple of weeks ago. They are pretty birds.

We get Ibis in the spring. They land in the fields that are being flood irrigated and pick worms and other insects.

They are ugly as sin but interesting to look at.
 
May just be my eyes but it sure looks like one of them has a tar ball on its back. If so, you may want to lawyer up. :lol2:
 
backhoeboogie":27co684z said:
Egrets are a good thing to have.
Till you get thousands of them setting up roost on a few acres...Gets nasty fast.

MO I guess they have gotten better travel agents that don't send them into the dry hot places year after year.
 
We'll se one or two every few years, haven;t seen any around here in about 4 years now
 
The far ridgeline you can see in the picture is on the south side of the Missouri River. Wondering if a major waterway like that is kind of like a highway for the egrets? It sure is for geese, and there is a duck hunting club a mile up the road from us, we are right on a major migration flyway.

I'm grateful to have them here, just wish they wouldn't poop all over the cattle. There is a large dead tree next to a pond on the (uninhabited) property next door and that is where they roost. Need to hike over there and take a picture some evening, it is very picturesque.
 
We have several hundred everyday. Thank goodness they don't roost here. But they will eat their weight in bugs, flies and grasshoppers daily. Even saw one a while bag gulp a mouse down.
 
LOVE to see the cowbirds! We've got a wounded egret that's been around the horse barn @ my parents' house for a month or so now. He's got a wing that's obviously been injured, so he just trots around the horses.
 
We started seeing them here about 3 years ago. My pasture has several daily. They love bugs and I love them. Yeah they sit on the cows back and leave droppings but I would rather see egret poop on a cows back than those dang horseflys.
 

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