Showing posts with label Grasshopper Sparrow. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Grasshopper Sparrow. Show all posts
Saturday, May 10, 2025
Saturday, May 11, 2024
Saturday, March 2, 2024
Saturday, July 23, 2022
Sunday, April 24, 2022
Sunday, March 13, 2022
Monday, November 8, 2021
Saturday, November 14, 2020
Monday, June 8, 2020
Sunday, May 3, 2020
Tuesday, April 21, 2020
042120 Here We Are At Migrant Central
041920 Bonaparte's Gulls
042020 Orchard Oriole
First day at the lake. Baltimore Orioles were right behind, one of which was here near my residence before this oriole.
042120 Blue-winged Teal
There was a total of eleven of these at Boomer this morning.
Savannah Sparrow
There were three on Shorebird Jetty alone. There were five or six spotted.
Least Sandpiper
Two on Shorebird Jetty. Migration is quite active active with a lot to offer today.
Yellow-headed Blackbird
Six were fueling up on Shorebird Jetty, while these three took their time.
Lesser Scaup
Still coming through the area. The scaup were not far off the point of Shorebird Jetty when they took to the air. They preferred settling on the east side of the jetty and were much closer by choice.
American Avocet
This group of 35 arrived shortly before 0800 and as is their habit they made around six passes over the lake. They were flushed a few times, by both a Bald Eagle and an Osprey, which you'll see shortly.
Lesser Scaup
As can be seen, their plumage is very striking. They were only twelve feet from the shore.
Mallard Ducklings
First of the Year
This is the first group that we've observe this year, obviously some were adopted. There were eleven. Mother and father are not far.
Mallard Ducklings
View 2
Grasshopper Sparrow
It was surprising to see this sparrow up in a cottonwood tree near the water, a typical riparian area.
It must have been desperate for a rest and sustenance.
Great Blue Heron (Rear)
Double-crested Cormorants (Front)
Writer considered this a striking pose, something not seen every day. The Great Blue Heron is a second year individual.
Osprey
Pretty close, eh? This raptor was in the area the entire morning. It was spotted on the return trip.
Green Heron
"The Patriarch"
Before we called it a day, it was in order to check The Cove to see if Green Heron was here yet. It was not disappointing. Also made a swing by to see if the Summer Tanager arrived, but not quite yet.
The mulberry bush near here has berries just starting that were pollinated over the past ten days or so.
Overall this was an excellent birding day with 56 species in a four hour day.
Sunday, September 15, 2019
Sunday, August 4, 2019
Birding On a Shoestring: Cheyenne Bottoms Preserve
Female Dickcissel
Male Dickcissel
Bank Swallows
Grasshopper Sparrow 1
Grasshopper Sparrow 2
072819 early to late morning
The following morning we took a jaunt to the Nature Conservancy's Cheyenne Bottoms Preserve, which was a prelude to Cheyenne Bottoms.
The Preserve includes 7700 acres, which has some shallow marshes less than a foot deep, deeper marshes up to several feet, and some priceless tall grass habitat.
Many of the birds observed were the Red-winged Blackbird, Dickcissel, Western Meadowlark, Blue-winged Teal, Red-tailed Hawk, and the ubiquitous White-faced Ibis. Around the reservoir were large numbers of Bank Swallows and Great-tailed Grackles, all seeking insects.
Many areas like these are usually closed to the public, so this wonderful find was a treasure to traverse for the morning.
for more on the adventure:
https://debhirt.blogspot.com/2019/08/birding-on-shoestring-quivira-national.html
https://debhirt.blogspot.com/2019/08/birding-on-shoestring-cheyenne-bottoms_5.html
Wednesday, May 1, 2019
Birding On a Shoestring: Upper Rio Grande Valley in Texas
Female Lesser Goldfinch
Male Lesser Goldfinch, Breeding Plumage
Grasshopper Sparrow
Jack Rabbit
Swainson's Hawk
Juvenile Northern Mockingbird
Spadefoot Toad
The top two photos were taken at what might be San Felipe Creek, a small riparian area with native plantings. Living space was across the creek, including non-native plants and an orange tree in one back yard. All three kingfishers would travel up and down the creek, which also extended to another area that included both Neotropic and Double-crested Cormorants, assorted doves, kingbirds, a Yellow-crowned Night-Heron and a Spotted Sandpiper.
The Grasshopper Sparrow photos are followed by a Jackrabbit, which was actually a party of three Jackrabbits at one point and a lovely Swainson's Hawk. It threatened rain that entire day, but we missed the brunt of it, which moved off elsewhere.
The juvenile Northern Mockingbird and Spadefoot toad came from a couple of retired ranches that were saved for their intrinsic natural life and native plant and tree growth. Fortunately ranchers are responsible for a lot of native plantings that are reintroduced on their property to make the area better for the land, animals being raised there, and the natural life that it supports through the love of wildlife.
Thanks to all the ranchers that made and continue to make all of this possible by refraining from invasive growth.
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