042920 Lincoln's Sparrow
Neotropic Cormorants
043020 Forster's Tern
Least Sandpiper
Female Yellow-headed Blackbird
Clay-colored Sparrow
American Bullfrog
04-30-20
The Barn and Cliff Swallows have been building more nests under the Lakeview Rd. Bridge. There were seven swallows observed today, and several more nests. Some of the nests are the standard mud cup nests with grasses that are for Barn Swallows. Cliff Swallows make nests that are also cup shaped, but they look like they are constructed with mud pellets and are not smooth structures. Swallows can be found collecting their mud on the higher ground by Heron Cove and have all the grass removed from the ground, as well as mud puddles and along stream and river banks. Since many of the banks on Boomer Lake have concrete, that's why the swallows here create their own source.
Yellow Warblers are arriving slowly, but numbers are increasing. I listed seven today, but that was on the conservative side. Today seemed like there were less Yellow-rumped Warblers, most of them hidden within tree leaves.
An Eastern Bluebird was on the short powerlines as writer rounded the bend enroute to Shorebird Jetty. A lone Chimney Swift was overhead, my good luck sign for the day.
Our usual three Savannah Sparrows were found on Shorebird Jetty, as well as three Spotted Sandpipers. A couple of Scissor-tailed Flycatchers were discovered noisily hanging around the east side of the middle portion of the scrubs. Toward the west side of the jetty, two Least Sandpipers held over from yesterday, and a female Yellow-headed Blackbird allowed photos in the same area. The Forster's Tern that had been sitting on the west side snag by the southwest jetty became mobile, and the photo here was taken on the west side of the jetty. Five Blue-winged Teal flew in from the north while I was in the area and parked themselves off the stretch where the Brown Thrasher nest was recently build on the west side of the bald cypress trees by the east side sidewalk.
A Baltimore Oriole was seen and heard in one of the trees along the sidewalk just south of the east side restrooms. I haven't discovered a females yet, or she is silently in a nest, but both usually forage. I think I saw a female Orchard Oriole in the large oak north of the restrooms. They were only twenty feet from the water, so I thought they were coming to spend some time, but they didn't. However, there were five Turkey Vultures riding the thermals skyward. Western and Eastern Kingbirds paid tribute to their own business after that, with one Western Kingbird in a tree branch. I double-checked just to make certain that it wasn't a Couch's (with the white border on both sides of the tail), but it wasn't. These days, it is necessary to check with temperature anomalies.
More Yellow Warblers were found between Finch Corner and Memorial Jetty, as well as an Eastern Kingbird.
A group of four Clay-colored Sparrows were foraging on the scrub stretch across from Kicker, which is where the above photo was made. Yellow Warblers, an Orchard Oriole and Scissor-tailed Flycatchers were also seen here.
There was only one Neotropic Cormorant when I went by the usual snag off the northwest jetty, and there were five Blue-winged Teal off Goose Island.
There is still no sign of the male Bell's Vireo that has been settling the area south of the last Purple Martin House. There are some at Couch Park, but ours are usually here at Boomer around now. Disruption will force them to move on, so I am hoping for the best, even with the loss of the sixty foot tree that was across from the sheltered and treed area on the north Kicker field. A new metal telephone poles took some habitat out of the area that was critical habitat.
Twenty-seven Purple Martins were on this side of the lake today, which tends to vary on a daily basis. Peering north from the high point across from the north end of Goose Island, a Red-shouldered Hawk was sitting on a snag at Boomer Creek. Down below in the marsh grass was a Common Yellowthroat male, though not the same one from the marsh woods up ahead.
The Marsh was a lot more productive than yesterday with Northern Cardinals, a Brown Thrasher, a couple of Swainson's Thrushes, Prothonotary and Yellow Warblers, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Eastern Towhee (calling "drink your teaaaa!" This bird has been heard here more than once and is likely waiting for the mulberries to ripen before it moves on. Once nesting happens, it won't have many opportunities to get any of those and there may not be any where it nests north of here. There was even a Savannah Sparrow in a small red cedar in these woods today, and a Great Crested Flycatcher also vocalized from the area, too. There was also a White-eyed Vireo, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, and a social Ruby-crowned Kinglet within the mostly riparian wooded region with second story trees and leaf litter in parts. This is likely going to be ideal for the Kentucky Warbler and Ovenbird before much more time passes.
I startled the leopard frog from its perch in the creek and it grunted in exasperation, but gave me this shot for being in the right place at the right time. Even though there is not break in the marsh grass, I heard a Virginia Rail, but was unable to see it. That is not unusual though, as most rails are very secretive. Oddly enough, there was a Clapper Rail in Texas that I encountered several years ago off High Island somewhere. A tip was given to my birding pal that the rail met everyone in the dirt parking lot for potential snacks. Imagine that! I also got lucky with a King Rail maybe four years ago at Red Slough that would sit out in the open. Some birds are so much more tolerant.
Today I only stayed for forty-five minutes or so and cut through the former construction area that still has what may be a generator for lighting to find my Northern Mockingbird for the day. Fifty-eight species were listed for the day.
There were a conservative five Great Blue Herons for the day, but the two Green Herons were missing today as well as yesterday. I even stood on the bank to see at least if I could hear them. Nothing. Hopefully, they are not pulling out of the area, too.
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