Green Heron
Recently Fledged Red-winged Blackbird
Eastern Kingbird
Hispid Cotton Rat (Sigmodon hispidis)
Great Blue Heron
Great Crested Flycatcher
Male Bell's Vireo
Green Heron
0650-1030 hrs./64-80 degrees F/partly cloudy/10 mph NNW winds
These shots were taken over the past couple of days, but I was unable to post them until today.
As of now, all photos are caught up and on line. The weather appears to be settling down, and
perhaps there will be more bird activity that I can record.
As a matter of record, the Neotropic Cormorants are still in the area and I finally observed a
Double-crested Cormorant after not seeing one for a good ten days. Also, a couple of male
Bell's Vireos have returned to the lake early last month, has been singing in search of a mate for
over 7 days, and I am pleased to report that he has a possible mate today. It was the first time that
I have seen her this year. The male birds are very aggressive, but the females are not as very passive birds. They are not dimorphic(unable to distinguish the sexes).
There are two singing males on the east side of the lake, #3 did not yet return this year. Male 2(M2) has the larger territory, approximately one acre, and will be observed going from the top of one
average sized tree to another.
There are now two Northern Flicker families on Boomer Creek, one still not yet fledged. The
recently fledglings have been out in the open and can be observed from the grassy field near the riparian forest edge.
After several tries, Lady Luck and the Great Crested Flycatcher permitted a photo shoot yesterday.
There are a couple of Yellow-billed Cuckoos (AKA rain crows or storm crows, as the Southern rumor is that their presence precedes rain), but neither has been too co-operative with pictures.
Today was the first day that I observed three Green Herons at the lake, and I have high hopes for
breeding again this year. We'll just have to see what nature holds.
There are at least one hundred assorted babies out and about this season, so do be wary and watch
where you step. They are still learning the ways of the world and don't pay much attention to people yet.
Today, a Sharp-shinned Hawk was driven out of the area by a raucous band of protection, that
included Scissor-tailed Flycatchers, Great-tailed Grackles, and Red-winged Blackbirds. It had
something in its clutches, possibly a bird, and if so, I am assuming that it could have been a baby
bird. The entourage flew right over my head before 0800, and I never saw any of those in pursuit
return. I was also told that the group flew at least as far as Boomer Creek, so it was a long distance chase. If anyone is aware of this, or saw any of it, contact me through this medium.
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