Monday, April 5, 2010

Gorgeous Morning on the Chat Trail

Sunday I walked from the chat trail to Murphy's Mound and back. It was an absolutely gorgeous morning and being Easter, the trails were relatively empty.

I was hoping to see some yellow-headed blackbirds, as it is just getting into the time frame they migrate through our area. I was also hoping to see some warblers as well. We don't always get what we want, but that doesn't mean we don't have a great time. No blackbirds and only yellow-rumped warblers. I went by Murphy's Mound to see swallows as they were numerous in that area last year. However, no luck on Sunday morning.

It sounds horrible to say "only" yellow-rumped warblers when they are such pretty birds. And there were dozens of them along the chat trail. However, they have been common over the winter and I was hoping for different sorts of warblers migrating through.

There were still some winter ducks and some winter sparrows, while some summer birds have returned (scissor-tailed flycatchers).

It was also a very good morning for frogs. I heard several cricket frogs and scared two bullfrogs into the drainage ditch.

My birding morning included: mockingbird, cardinal, great-tailed grackle, yellow-rumped warbler, Robin, Carolina wren, blue jay, rock pigeon, house sparrow, European starling, mallard, Eurasian collared dove, white-winged dove, mourning dove, bufflehead, American coot, song sparrow, ruddy dick, Canada goose, killdeer, red-winged blackbird, pied-billed grebe, scissor-tailed flycatcher, northern shoveler, white-crowned sparrow, brown-headed cowbird, white pelican, northern harrier, turkey vulture, and double-crested cormorant.

Not a bad couple of hours.

Good birding!

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