Sunday, December 29, 2019
Saturday, December 28, 2019
Sunday, December 22, 2019
Sunday, December 15, 2019
Sunday, December 8, 2019
Sunday, December 1, 2019
Wednesday, November 27, 2019
Sunday, November 24, 2019
Friday, November 22, 2019
Fall Migratory Movement Continues with Subtle Fare
Female Common Merganser
111619
0740-0829/40-44 F (35 wind chill)/clear/SE-8/67-60% RH/30.0 Hg and rising
It was a little cool that morning and we had a surprise or two, which always spurs one on for more.
Just off the Cove, we sported nine active Buffleheads, six Ruddy Ducks, a pair of American Coots,
a Pied-billed Grebe, with eleven Killdeer between Shorebird Jetty, the west side and the southeast lowland corner.
Four female Common Mergansers were the highlight quietly hiding off the west side of the Cove, as it is a reasonably untraveled area. It took a few moments for them to show their sides instead of their rumps, so this made an attractive shot about thirty feet away. Sadly, I didn't see them upon my approach, but now I'm paying more attention.
The American Crow was patrolling in search of trouble, while the Tufted Titmouse, Carolina Wren, Northern Flicker, Eastern Bluebird, American Goldfinch, and Dark-eyed Juncos made their presence known.
Winter has been moving in with summery twists and turns, rain, and good surprises if one keeps alert.
Male Song Sparrow
111719
0756-0851/partly cloudy/NNW-6/56-58% RH/29.89-29.88 Hg and steady
Pied-billed Grebes, Ruddy Ducks, and the normal gulls increased in numbers this morning, as did Dark-eyed Juncos and this beautiful singing male Song Sparrow.
These were the days of pre-cold snap and rain
Sunday, November 17, 2019
Sunday, November 10, 2019
Saturday, November 9, 2019
Water Birds On the Wing and on the Lake with White-tailed Deer Upon the Supple Land
Franklin's Gull
Juvenile Bald Eagle
Female Bufflehead
110319
0915-1033/50-58 F (wind chill 54)/clear/S-15/63-54% RH/30.0-29.99 Hg and falling
Today the Franklin's Gulls were at 480 strong, with 21 Ring-billed Gulls, and a single Herring Gull.
Five Killdeer flew from Shorebird Jetty and set up in the area of the lowlands on the southeast corner, never letting us forget who and where they were. A single Great Blue Heron croaked its location from where it was to where it was going until its engine purred in a more subdued manner.
The gulls few into the air several times, the only times being blamed upon the juvenile Bald Eagle, which was followed twenty minutes late by the adult Bald Eagle.
In the meantime, we enjoyed a lone Myrtle Yellow-rumped Warbler, Carolina Wren, American Goldfinch, red-winged Blackbird upon a light post, and Downy Woodpecker patrolling a snag.
Four Ruddy Ducks made appearances to prove that winter was really coming, while two Great-tailed Grackles were hard pressed to give up their summer residences.
Canada Goose
White-tailed Deer, View 1
White-tailed Deer, View 2
110519
0704-0818/43-48 (wind chill 39)/clear/NE-8/66% RH/30.13-30.17 Hg and rising
The wind chill was a little biting with the scant wind, but being greeted by Northern Shovelers, Ruddy Ducks, a Canvasback, and Buffleheads made it worthwhile. Southbound Double-crested Cormorants proved that fall was imminent, while 14 Killdeer showed that they were still southbound.
Canada Geese still flew our friendly skies while we looked on.
The House Finch and American Goldfinch were the final prizes of the day after two white-tailed deer came bounding through the southeast corner of the lake and stopped for a final still photo before continuing on. After the Blue Jays and American Crow made their locations known, the Carolina Wren uttered a final call before all was done.
American Goldfinch
Red-breasted Merganser, View 1
Red-breasted Merganser, View 2
110619
0710-0819/56-57 F clear/SSE-2/70-72% RH/30.03-30.08 Hg and steady
Water denizens, a Bald Eagle, and the Red-breasted Merganser who surveyed the center of the lake came within twenty feet of the privacy of the western end of Heron Cove in order to show itself off.
Chipping, White-crowned, and two Song Sparrows searched for the grass and fallen sunflower seeds at the Cove in the midst of all that was not lost.
The Northern Mockingbird and Eastern Meadowlark both announced themselves before going their own way, but not until the Pied-billed Grebes and American Coot directed themselves to their personal plans for the morning.
The Bald Eagle lazily made its way south while we drank in the beauty of the mildness of the day.
Wednesday, November 6, 2019
Migration of the Franklin's Gull
Franklin's Gull, View 1
Franklin's Gull, View 2
Franklin's Gull, View 3
Juvenile Pied-billed Grebe
Double-crested Cormorant
103119
1335-1459/46-48 F (wind chill 43)/clear/W-8/54-50% RH/30.28-30.24 H and steady
It's always a joy to see the fall natives and migrants arrive during this time of year. The frost is getting ready to be on the pumpkins first thing in the morning, likely within the next week. In the meantime, we're enjoying Buffleheads, Ruddy Ducks, Pied-billed Grebes, Double-crested Cormorants, Franklin's Gulls, and more. Here's to an eventful fall and plenty of apple cider and pumpkin pie to us all.
Franklin's Gulls
110219
0827-0910/39-41 F/clear/calm/72-70% RH/30.33 Hg and rising
Thousands of Franklin's Gulls have been passing through Payne County and resting upon Boomer Lake, along with Pied-billed Grebes, Double-crested Cormorants, Northern Shovelers, Canvasbacks, and many others, though not to the same degree.
Today we saw 370 Franklin's Gulls and the first Dark-eyed Junco of the season on Boomer Lake, in a tree, no less. It isn't cold enough yet for the snowbirds to be picking seeds off the ground, but that is just a matter of time. Within the sunflower and grass stalks, there are also Song and Field Sparrows, so before long there will be more than a few seeking grass seeds.
Sunday, November 3, 2019
Monday, October 28, 2019
Post-Rain Adventures still Continue with One Shorebird
Pine Siskin atop Bradford Pear
Yellow-rumped Warbler in Northern Catalpa
102619
0822-0929/48-50 F/clear/NW-7/87-86% RH/29.80-29.83 Hg and falling
After two solid days of rain, it was certainly necessary to get out for a while to look for birds, as I knew they would be out there. On the water we had both Pied-billed and Horned Grebes, the American Coot, Ring-billed Gulls, Ruddy Ducks, and a few Double-crested Cormorants with most of them heading south.
Songbirds comprised large numbers of Yellow-rumped Warblers, a half dozen Eastern Bluebirds, a few Pine Siskins with a couple of fall plumaged American Goldfinches, several Chipping Sparrows, and last but not least a Savannah and a White-crowned Sparrow. The Carolina Chickadees were there as a welcoming committee, but no unusuals were there...yet.
Greater Yellowlegs
102719
0815-0934/50-55 F/clear/SE-9/83-8-% RH/29.72 Hg and steady to 29.81 Hg and rising
Today there were both the Bewick's and Carolina Wrens, American Goldfinch, Western Meadowlark,
38 Yellow-rumped Warblers with most of them in the air, my first Dark-eyed Junco of the season staring me down in a tree, and the Greater Yellowlegs that I saw from Heron Cove. It was so far away, I thought that I had a yellowlegs or Solitary Sandpiper, so I had to go see for myself what was among the ten Killdeer.
Sunday, October 27, 2019
Friday, October 25, 2019
Boomer Migration Prior to Rains
Yellow-rumped Warbler, View 1
American Coots
Yellow-rumped Warbler, View 2
102219
0750-0853/45-47 F (wind chill 41)/clear/W-5/54% RH/30.06-30.09 Hg and rising
Just prior to this two day rain that began very early Wednesday October 23, birds were flying in an erratic manner and preparing by eating as much as they could.
There were a dozen or more migrant Killdeer between Shorebird Jetty and the most southwest jetty. I got the actual count when a man was walking his dog and drove them into the air and they went onto the secondary location. There were some Killdeer there, a smaller amount, but I was unable to get an exact count prior to the incident. There were at least six, but I used the dozen figure.
Since this was actually a minor seasonal cooldown, there were also a few ducks upon the water, which included eighteen Gadwall, a few Northern Shovelers (juveniles), and eight American Coots.
The coots didn't even notice me at Heron Cove, and just came nearer when the above shot was taken.
As many know, Ken Kaufman wrote a book on pishing, and gave many examples on the included CD, but I have developed many of my own calls over the years. One that I came upon was actually learned from a Palm Warbler that I once encountered at Boomer Lake. When the Palm Warbler moved out of my view, I used it to call it back last fall.
Several birds were in sycamores, western soapberry and even within the Bradford pear trees on the west side of The Cove. I'm being very conservative when I say that there were thirty-five Myrtle Yellow-rumped Warblers in the area, along with the Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Carolina Chickadee, Eastern Bluebird, American Pipit, Chipping Sparrow, and Belted Kingfisher. Of course, the pipit will never be located in a tree, yet it had been clearly observed in the lowland nearby.
The warblers, kinglet, sparrow, and kingfisher all responded nicely to my own pish, and I could have shown many more photos of the warblers. The kinglet also availed itself, but was on the move, so out of the several shots that I obtained, none of them were worthy to be posted here. The chippie also hung in the brambles, but writer managed to get a lot of good looks for an extended period of time and just might have come up with other birds.
Then the rain hit and my birding adventures were curtailed. Perhaps tomorrow...
For the Palm Warbler Sighting:
https://debhirt.blogspot.com/2018/10/oklahoma-migratory-species-profile-palm.html
Sunday, October 20, 2019
Hardcore Birding: The Birders--Northern Colombia
Colombia has the most bird species in the world. There are 2,000 species with more than 70 endemics or restricted to that area only. It also includes over 200 migrants with at least 160 hummingbirds, and the numbers increase on a yearly basis.
More animals shown are the Streak-capped Spinetail, White-lored Warbler, Blackburnian Warbler (neotropical migrant), Specious Tyrannulet, White-lined Tanager, Santa Marta Brushfinch, Tennessee Warbler (neotropical migrant), Black-and-white Warbler (neotropical migrant), Golden-olive Woodpecker, Baltimore Oriole (neotropical migrant), Burrowing Owl (neotropical migrant), Neotropic Cormorant (neotropical migrant), Scarlet-fronted Parakeet, Andean Pygmy-Owl, Golden-headed Quetzal, Santa Marta Antpitta, Masked Trogon, Groove-billed Toucanet, Whooping Motmot, Black-cheeked Mountain-Tanager, Russet-throated Puffbird, Black Skimmer (neotropical migrant), Royal Tern (neotropical migrant), Laughing Gull (neotropical migrant), Pearl Kite, Scaled Dove, Black-crested Antshrike, Double-striped Thick-knee, Slender-billed Tyrannulet, Tropical Mockingbird, Brown-crested Flycatcher (neotropical migrant), Great Kiskadee (neotropical migrant), Vermilion Flycatcher (neotropical migrant), Brown Pelican (neotropical migrant), Great Egret (neotropical migrant), Snowy Egret (neotropical migrant), Scarlet Ibis, White Ibis (neotropical migrant), Roseate Spoonbill (neotropical migrant), Least Grebe (neotropical migrant), Tricolored Heron (neotropical migrant), Black-crowned, Night-Heron (neotropical migrant), American Flamingo, Orinican Saltator, Gray Kingbird, Glaucous Tanager, Buffy Hummingbird, Trinidad Euphonia, American Kestrel (neotropical migrant), Crested Bobwhite, Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl (neotropical migrant), Ruby-topaz Hummingbird, Bicolored Wren, Blue-capped Tanager, Golden Grosbeak, Band-tailed Guan, White-tipped Quetzal, Santa Marta Bush-tyrant, Yellow-crowned Redstart, Blue-naped Chlorophonia, Flammulated Treehunter, Hermit Wood-Wren, Santa Marta Screech-Owl, Crowned Woodnymph, Lesser Violetear, Amethyst-throated Sunangel, Pale-bellied Hermit, Brown Violetear, Tyrean Metaltail, Sparkling, Violetear, Black-chested Jay, Thick-billed Euphonia, Summer Tanager (neotropical migrant), Red-crowned Woodpecker, Golden-faced Tyrannulet, Swallow Tanager, Crested Orendopola, Crimson-backed Tanager, Buff-throated Saltator, Bat Falcon, Pale-breasted Thrush, Collared Aracari, Sharp-shinned Hawk (neotropical migrant), Slaty Brushfinch, Southern Emerald-Toucanet, Lacrimose Mountain-Tanager, Black-chested Buzzard-Eagle, Andean Guan, Barred Becard, Buff-breasted Mountain-Tanager, Straight-billed Woodcreeper, Cottontop Tamarin and White-fronted Tamarin Monkeys.
Sunday, October 13, 2019
Birding On a Shoestring: Texas' Edwards Plateau and Area
Red Squirrel
Egyptian Geese Juveniles
Ditto, View 2
Muscovy Duck
100619
Johnson Park in Marble Falls, TX
Marble Falls has always been a good stopover point for an assortment of wildlife. Having first shot an award winning Great Horned owlet photo more than five years ago, this area has always had a soft spot in writer's heart. Suffering extensive flooding damage last year, this locale has seen great revitalization, and is unquestionably a birding hotspot in Burnet County. Egyptian Geese moved into this area this year and we experienced the young ones this spring when we came through the area enroute to Del Rio. You'll observe assorted raptors like the Red-tailed and Red-shouldered Hawks, ducks and waterbirds, both Turkey and Black Vultures, and many birds breed here, too.
This is a small sample of the wildlife available this fall, but there is much more. Experience the hospitality and friendliness of the area. You'll be glad that you shared the Marble Falls Experience.
Domestic Sheep
100719
Fredericksburg, Texas
This beautiful domestic sheep was in the vicinity of Enchanted Rock, and we came upon him as well as a few exotics while traveling to the park shortly after sunup. Many migrants were observed there including wrens, warblers, Blue Grosbeak, both Vultures, rock squirrel, and more. The greatest number of birds are near the creek as one gets ready to climb Enchanted Rock. The best birding trail is just to the right of the Rock Trail.
Bewick's Wren in Song
Bewick's Wren, View 2
Hutton's Vireo
100818
Hutton's Vireo was a target species on this trip, as were a few other birds that we were unable to
locate on this Audubon Certified Golf Course and residential location. Much of the habitat found here is natural and pesticide use was only on an as-needed basis.
Queen
Canyon Wren
Underwing Moth
100919
Private Exotic Species Ranch
Writer photographed many of the East Indian and African species, but managed to miss a few. One Plains Zebra was actually just a few feet from the car. My camera had a long range lens on it, rendering that photo impossible to make. However, my hunt was with the above photo of the oryx. about a mile or a little better on foot. By the time that they stopped, they were just as curious about me as I was of them.
Watusi (Exotic Cattle)
Aoudad (Exotics)
Oryx (Exotics)
Plains Zebra (Exotics)
Ostrich (Exotic)
Sitka (Exotic)
Red Deer (Exotic Elk)
Texas White-tailed Deer
Ribbon Snake
101019
These photos were taken in the heart of the Edwards Plateau or Texas Hill Country. Many private ranches were toured, which explains the exotic animals. At one ranch, we even sampled smoked meat from the axis deer. Some of the other ranches were also working ranches for white-tailed deer and Northern Bobwhite (quail), both native species.
There are many schools of thought on the exotic animals, some of which have managed to become escapees in the area. Most of the exotic ranchers are continuously going through their ranches to check fencing to ascertain the safety of the native species of the Edwards Plateau, a respected Texas ecosystem.
These are regions that also provide important habitat to the well being of the recently delisted Black-capped Vireo, as well as the Golden-cheeked Warbler, a Federally protected species.
Woodhouse's Scrub-Jay
101119
Pedernales River State Park in Johnson City, Texas (Blanco County)
This was one of the most exciting birds of the trip and is the first scrub-jay that I have ever photographed.
For additional information on Johnson Park:
https://debhirt.blogspot.com/2019/04/birding-on-shoestring-texas-hill.html
https://debhirt.blogspot.com/2014/04/johnson-park-in-marble-falls-texas.html
Monday, October 7, 2019
Monday, September 30, 2019
Migration Resurfaces In Higher Gear
Cattle, Egrets, View 1
Cattle Egrets, View 2
Yellow Warbler, View 1
Yellow Warbler, View 2
Yellow Warbler, View 3
092819
0726-0840/77-78 F/mostly cloudy/S-8/79% RH/29.77-29.80 Hg and rising
This was a higher migratory movement day. There were six Blue-winged Teal on the southeast corner lowlands, along with several Mallards, who were coming in the entire time there like a busy airport.
On the water, there were several Pied-billed Grebe and sixteen American Coot.
Observations were also made on a whopping forty-five Cattle Egrets, a few Snowy Egrets, the normal
six Great Egrets, and three Great Blue Herons.
Two non-breeding Forster's Terns were surveying the west side of the lake, and five Spotted Sandpipers were partaking of delectables on the shore of the southwest jetty, along with a Double-crested Cormorant on a snag not far from the jetty on the north side.
Overhead were a couple of southbound Barn Swallows over the water.
To make things interesting, the conservative number of ten Yellow Warblers are now classified as late arrivals by eBird. They were voraciously feeding between the Lakeview Road Bridge and the main path of Shorebird Jetty. There were no doubt more beyond that, as it is now a last minute dash for late birds to return south when they are in a state of Zugunruhe.
A Belted Kingfisher and a Cooper's Hawk also had words, and the size and speed of the kingfisher managed to speak volumes. The hawk had to carry on for breakfast, which was no doubt a young bird wasting time with a healthy kingfisher.
Ten Scissor-tailed Flycatchers were being sociable with each other, along with one that felt it was his duty to chase a Great Egret flying through the area several times. The flycatchers will be with us for another month or so, and if the males still have that much testosterone at this time of year, it could have something to do with all the singing males in flux like they seem to be now. The urge strikes, even though they are not quite ready to move south. It is an interesting concept.
Along with the normal birds for the season, there is no doubt that we are underway on our seasonal changes. There are still a few stragglers, like many warblers, and some likely have an added distance to deal with along with a first time journey. May they experience the best.
Sunday, September 29, 2019
Saturday, September 28, 2019
Migration From Medium to Lower Intensity Over Two Day Period
American Avocet, View 1
American Avocet, View 2
092319
0751-0909/69-72 F/partly cloudy/E-8/84-82% RH/30.01-30.03 Hg and rising
There were still well over four dozen Mallards settled into the low spots at the southeast corner of Boomer Lake. Twenty-Nine Turkey Vultures were riding the thermals over the Boomer Creek area, one Great Egret was at the water's edge wading, two Great Blue Herons were counted as flyovers, an American Coot was in the water, and a Killdeer was heard wailing in the distance.
At The Cove, we had a couple of Mourning Doves on the wing, a yellow-shafted Northern Flicker in the air, an Eastern Phoebe that sat upon a martin house until it tired of the view, a Blue Jay, Carolina Wrens, and a couple of the Northern Cardinal family hiding in the trees on the west side around the sycamores, western soapberry, Bradford pears, and others.
The dozen American Avocets flew up and down Boomer Lake the entire time that I was there, and these were the best shots of them. When they flew from north to south, their height increased, and they pulled closer together the higher that their trajectory became. Then the circling movement came into play and they slowly dropped until the reached about the center of the lake and repeated the process. Once they attempted to land for a moment in the water on the south side of Shorebird Jetty, but soon changed their minds. Perhaps the Great Blue Heron standing in the area on land thwarted their intentions.
An American Crow called from the dam area. and two dozen Double-crested Cormorants were southbound on high. They were likely not planning on resting for a while at the height that they passed through.
Yellow Warbler, View 1
Yellow Warbler, View 2
092419
0832-0923/76-77 F/variable clouds/S-5/86% RH/29.88-29.90 Hg and steady//.16" 24-hour rainfall shortly before dawn
There were slightly fewerMallards today around the lowlands on the southeast corner of the lake with a half dozen Blue-winged Teal in tow.
Two Barn Swallows made their way south, and on the water we had two Canada Geese, a Pied-billed Grebe, three Great Egrets, and a Great Blue Heron.
At The Cove a Nashville Warbler was in the company of eight Yellow Warblers, all partaking of sunflower seeds and insects, which by the way, over the past two weeks held up well with the onslaught.
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