Friday, December 9, 2016

Some Weekend Bird Events

Two things coming up this weekend.

Saturday, 10 December, 8 AM - 9:00 (or 9:30, if we're seeing good birds). Lake Arrowhead State Park Bird Walk. Park entry fees apply. Meet at the firewood shed/dump station in the first campground on your left. (Take second left, first right, on left--look for the black pick up). I suggest you dress warm.

Saturday, 10 December,  11:00 AM - 2:00 PM. Owl Be Home for Christmas. At Wild Birds Unlimited. Meet the some of the educational birds from Wild Bird Rescue. A $30 donation to Wild Bird Rescue will get you a $15 gift certificate to Wild Birds Unlimited. A win-win!

Just as a reminder, don't forget the Christmas Bird Count on December 17.

Good birding!

Monday, December 5, 2016

Great Fall Birding!

Fall colors at Lake Wichita Park
I decided to make a stop at the Chat Trail in Lake Wichita Park after my Sunday morning grocery run. Honestly, I wasn't in a good mood, and almost decided to go straight home. However, I had no freezer items, and I haven't been out in a while, so thought I would take a quick little walk and get a little exercise, at least. I am so glad I went! I came home in a much better frame of mind and saw some great birds too! I hope I can find many of these again on the Christmas Bird Count on December 17.

Fall has finally arrived in our area. The temperature was in the 40s and it was a little overcast, but no wind, so a great day to be outside birding. We have a little color in the trees now.

Common yellowthroat. Photo by M. Nazelrod. Retrieved from Wikimedia Commons
When I pulled into the park, hundreds of cormorants and white pelicans were making their pilgramage to the settling pond on Fairway--I am sure some of them proceeded on, but I didn't stick around to watch. One of the highlights this morning was the common yellowthroat. If I see one, it is almost always along the chat trail or in the reeds around the barrow pit. I don't see them often. When I do, it is just one. This morning, I saw five! Three males and two females.  They are such pretty little birds.

Anotther favorite was the marsh wren. It is not uncommon to have one in the winter. However, I was able to see a total of four, and I am pretty sure there were others in the reeds, because they were chattering up a storm.

A large raft of 20 pied-billed grebes was on the barrow pit. I don't usually see that many together. And a Wilson's snipe rounded out the day. There were a lot of sparrows in the brushy areas--I hope they all turn up again in a couple of weeks.

Here is a complete list from this morning:

White pelican
Double-crested cormorant
Ring-billed gull
Great blue heron
Northern shoveler
Bufflehead
Mallard
American coot
Pied-billed grebe
Wilson's snipe
Downy woodpecker
Red-bellied woodpecker
Cooper's hawk
Northern harrier
Eurasian collared dove
Belted kingfisher
Marsh wren
Blue jay
Northern cardinal
Northern mockingbird
Ruby-crowned kinglet
Common yellowthroat
Yellow-rumped warbler
Orange-crowned warbler
Eastern phoebe
White-crowned sparrow
Lincoln's sparrow
Song sparrow
Savannah sparrow
American goldfinch
House finch
Cedar waxwing
Red-winged blackbird
American robin

All-in-all, a great hour and a half on the Chat Trail.

Good birding!

Sunday, November 27, 2016

Christmas Bird Count Coming Up

The North Texas Bird and Wildlife Club will be hosting the annual Christmas Bird Count (CBC) on Saturday, December 17. As usual, we will be dividing the count circle up into thirds to ensure good coverage. Team leaders are Terry McKee (Wichita Falls proper), Me (Lake Wichita/Holliday), and Warren King (Iowa Park area).

The CBC is the longest running citizen science project in the U.S. The first was held on Christmas Day, 1900. You can read more about the history of the CBC and the many interesting things we have learned at the Audubon Society's website.

You are invited to join any of the teams for part or all of the count. Most of the teams start around first light (7:30ish) and finish up around 3 or 4. We meet up in the evening for the count supper--a potluck, after which the team compiler, Debra Halter, takes the information from all of the teams to prepare the final report on the count.

All of the counts teams will spend some time walking and some driving, with some stationary watching at better locations. People may also watch at their feeders, if in the count circle, and send their information to the compiler.

My section of the count usually is about 4 - 5 miles walking and a fair amount of driving. All of the terrain is fairly flat. If you are interested in participating in any part of the count, contact me (txbirds@gmail.com/940-867-9761) or Terry (dgm59@aol.com). I haven't talked to Warren to get his permission to share his email or phone, but Terry or I will be happy to connect you with him, if you would like to participate in that area.

If my math is right, this is the 43rd year the North Texas Bird and Wildlife Club has been conducting the count in our area--it has been a while. Feel free to take part in the count.

Good Birding!

Tuesday, November 15, 2016

November Bird Walk at Lake Arrowhead State Park

Flock of pied-billed grebes
Photo courtesy of Debra Halter

Closer photo of pied-billed grebes
Photo courtesy of Debra Halter
Last Saturday was the monthly bird walk at Lake Arrowhead State Park. We had a pretty good showing, with 6 people showing up, a couple of whom are new birders. It is nice to have new people because it helps me remember to enjoy the common birds that are not so common to the beginner. The walk doesn't get advertised very well, so it is unusual to have that many people come.

I'll lead with the good stuff. We had the largest flock of pied-billed grebes any of us had ever seen. I have seen as many as 5 or 6 at a time, but this group was more like 30 in number. Debra Halter was kind enough to take some pictures as I am sure there will be some push back from the eBird editor with a number that high.

The picture above is a good view of most of the flock (yes, the two birds in the foreground are coots, not grebes.) The picture to the right is a closer look at a few of the birds to show they are definitely pied-billed grebes. These are cute little birds--always nice to see them.

The weather Saturday was absolutely gorgeous, although a little more chilly than recent temperatures--upper 40's. The winter birds are definitely beginning to show up.

Here is a complete list of the birds we saw:

Great egret
Great blue heron
Double crested cormorant
Canada goose
American coot
Pied-billed grebe
Mallard
Gadwall
White pelican
Ring-billed gull
Tern species (we couldn't get a good enough look at them to positively identify, although best guess is Forster's)
Ladder-backed woodpecker
Red-bellied woodpecker
Yellow-shafted flicker
Red-tailed hawk
Turkey vulture
Mourning dove
Northern mockingbird
American robin
Northern cardinal
Bewick's wren
Cedar waxwing
Yellow-rumped warbler
Orange-crowned warbler
Ruby-crowned kinglet
Eastern phoebe
Harris' sparrow
White-crowned sparrow
Song sparrow
House finch
Great-tailed grackle
Meadowlark species (no song)

Driving home, still in Clay County, I had a very good view of a Swainson's hawk and a couple of American kestrels.

Why not join us in December? Our next walk is December 10 at 8 AM.

Good birding!

Tuesday, November 8, 2016

Project Feederwatch Starts This Weekend

Downy woodpecker.
Photo by Errol Taskin/Project Feederwatch
One of my favorite citizen science activities is Project Feederwatch. I have been participating for 18 seasons! Feederwatch is a good way to learn the common birds that regularly visit your backyard. It would be a great project to do with your kids or grandkids. I count birds every time I pass by my windows and keep a running tally for the two days. It only takes about 5 minutes to input the count data each week.

Although I feed birds all year, I put out additional feeders in the Feederwatch season. I started adding feeders last weekend and will have them all up by this weekend.

Project Feederwatch only costs $18 per year to participate ($15 if you are a member of the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology.) There is still time to sign up.

For more information about the program and what the data is used for, see the Project Feederwatch Project Overview.

You can watch the birds from the comfort of your warm, dry home; enjoy the birds; and contribute to our knowledge of these fascinating animals.

Good birding!

Friday, October 7, 2016

Birdy Weekend Coming Up!

It's October and a weather front passed through last night, so it should be an awesome weekend for birding. It's a happy coincidence there are multiple bird events happening.

The monthly bird walk at Lake Arrowhead State Park will be Saturday morning, October 8, starting  at 8:00 AM. We start at the firewood shed. Take the second left inside the park, then the first right. There is a firewood shed and dump station on your left. Look for a black pick up--that will be me. We usually take about an hour to an hour and a half walk. It is an easy, slow walk of about 1/2 mile total.

A line of pelicans flying over Lake Wichita during a previous
Big Sit (taken with my cell phone, so not a great picture.)
Another option this weekend is the Big Sit. On Sunday morning, beginning at sunrise, members of the local North Texas Bird and Wildlife Club will be hosting a sedentary bird watching event on Lake Wichita on the little area behind Wild Bird Rescue (4611 Lake Shore Dr.) You'll be able to see cars parked at the back side of the parking area. Dress in layers and bring a lawn chair. You may also want to bring something warm in a thermos. Generally, we bird until around 10:00 - 10:30, depending upon the birds and the weather. You don't have to stay for the entire event--it is come and go.

Both of these are fun for both new birdwatchers and experienced birders. I hope to see you at one or both of these activities.

Good birding!

Wednesday, August 17, 2016

Book Review: Bird Brain--An Exploration of Avian Intelligence

Princeton University Press sent me another winner for review.  Nathan Emery's Bird Brain: An Exploration of Avian Intelligence is thoroughly enjoyable throughout.

Historically, when someone calls us a "birdbrain," they are not being complimentary. We may need to rethink that, at least for some birds.

This book is a fascinating exploration of how birds learn, think and feel. The book looks at the structure of the avian brain and the abilities it provides to our feathered neighbors. It does this without being stuffy or beyond the reach of the general public with an interest in birds. Short essays on each topic allow a person to explore the book in snippets or to skip around the book to read whatever catches your eye.

For me, the geek, I really enjoyed reading how the experiments were structured to give us insight on how birds "think." I might have liked a little more detail on that, but I can always look that up. For most people, what is presented is enough. Beautiful photography and interesting illustrations add to the overall appeal of the book.

Any bird lover would love to have this book in his/her library. $29.95 from Princeton University Press or $23.32 on Amazon.

Sunday, May 1, 2016

Wichita Wingmen Take Flight May 2

L to R: Chuck and Dianne Theuson, Penny Miller, Sue and Warren King
The Wichita Wingmen will take flight on Monday, May 2, competing in the Great Texas Birding Classic. This competitive event raises money for Texas Parks and Wildlife Conservation Grants.

It's probably fairly obvious where the name came from. We wanted to acknowledge both Wichita Falls and Sheppard AFB, while sounding "birdy." Since this is a Texas event, we don't have to worry about people confusing us for Wichita, Kansas. I am not sure why the locals call Wichita Falls, "Wichita," but they do.

Here we are, at the Wichita Falls Regional Airport, in front of the Jenny. We also had a photo in front of the trainer aircraft from Sheppard AFB.

The area we are competing in is the Prairie and Pineywoods West. We have 24 hours to locate as many species of birds as possible, from midnight to midnight, May 2. We cannot possibly cover this entire region (bordered by Wilbarger county to the west, Grayson to the east and Fayette to the south) thoroughly in this 24 hours, so we have chosen some specific areas with a few alternates that we feel we can do in that time. We have tried to choose different habitat types in the attempt to get as many birds as possible. We'll be sticking primarily to the northern half of our region.

I'll be tweeting throughout the day. You can follow at @birdwithpenny or watch the Twitter feed on this blog. Posts will also filter to my personal Facebook page for those who are connected. If you want to get updates on all of the teams, search for #GTBC16 on Twitter. The competition runs a month. As always, our goal is 100 species. If the weather cooperates, we may be able to hit that number. It is migration season and since we are including Hagerman NWR in our day, there are some distinctly different species there than here. We're hoping for little to no wind, which is an iffy proposition in our area. But if the weather forecast holds, we should have a great day.

Good birding!

Thursday, March 24, 2016

Help Out New Birdwatchers

The Rolling Plains Chapter Texas Master Naturalist is holding its spring training for new wannabe Master Naturalists or for those who just want to learn more about nature and the environment in our area. I have the opportunity to teach the class on birds and we also have a field trip to teach the fundamentals of bird identification and get to know some of the common birds in our area. This year, the field trip was held at Lake Arrowhead State Park. Terry McKee and Debra Halter also helped the class members identify birds. It's always good to have more eyes and more knowledge when trying to explain, "Why did you say that bird is a .....?"

We didn't have any exciting birds, but we had several of the common ones for our new birdwatchers to cut their teeth. Birds found Saturday morning included: American coot, pied-billed grebe, gadwall, green-winged teal, blue-winged teal, Canada goose, killdeer, least sandpiper, ring-billed gull, ladder-backed woodpecker, barn swallow, Bewick's wren, northern mockingbird, northern cardinal. eastern phoebe, Carolina chickadee, savannah sparrow, song sparrow, white-crowned sparrow, dark-eyed junco, brown-headed cowbird, red-winged blackbird, common grackle, great-tailed grackle, European starling, and house sparrow.

I enjoy working with new birdwatchers. It helps keep the fun in finding a common bird, but seeing it through the eyes of someone who never recognized the birds before.

Good birding!

Monday, March 21, 2016

Birding at 75+

I've been a road warrior for work lately. I've spent way too much time in the truck. As much as I like what I do, the miles on the road sometimes get to be a bit much.

When my husband is driving, it isn't too bad. He doesn't mind driving and I can look around. However, as a rule, he doesn't come with me on work trips, so I have to drive. My husband teases me when we are traveling together because I always have my binoculars at the ready and have my little notebook to record any birds I see while we are flying down the road. But he has gotten pretty good about paying attention and letting me know if we pass a county line. He thinks I am crazy to record birds by county and at high speeds, you can't really get a good look at the birds.

It was hard enough at 70 mph. Since Texas raised the speed limit to 75 (and in some places, 80 or 85), it is even more difficult, especially if you are the one driving. Nonetheless, I do try to keep an eye out for birds, while trying to be safe. I must admit my scribbles are nearly indecipherable, as I have to try to write without actually looking at my note pad.

Over the past few weeks I have put around 2000 miles on my truck, with more than that still to come over the next two weeks. I always say I am going to take time on these work trips to do a little recreational birding, but it never seems to happen that way. I am either driving there, doing my work, or driving back. I was in McAllen a couple of weeks ago and didn't bird at all--that is really sad. I have been in 28 counties over the past two weeks and expect to be several more before I wrap up at the beginning of April.

Open area and wooded lot behind the hotel in Conroe
When you are birding at a high rate of speed, you really only see the birds that are very big, very conspicuous or very common and sitting right in front of your face. If you compared my lists from one county to the next, certain birds would be on more than not. I don't think I have a single county without a turkey vulture, for example. American kestrels and mockingbirds are also on most county lists. Unfortunately, so are starlings.

Good spot for a ruby-crowned kinglet
Why keep lists by county? First, because it is a fairly small area when trying to determine a bird's range. So when you put your counts into eBird, it helps create the range maps all of us rely on. Also, the Texas Ornithological Society created the Texas Century Club some years ago to encourage people to bird some of the more remote counties and find out more about the birds found in our state. The idea was to challenge birders to find 100 birds in 100 different counties. There are some people who have managed to do that. They are more focused than I. I probably have birds in 100 counties, but no where near 100 in many of them. But I am inching my way along-it's a target to work on, but I am not competitive enough in my birding to push for it. I'll get there eventually.

Tonight I am in Conroe, TX, near the beautiful Sam Houston National Forest. I did manage a short walk near the hotel this evening, as much to stretch my legs as to look for birds, but I can multitask. The best bird was probably some eastern bluebirds, although the ruby-crowned kinglet was nice as well. I've put a couple of cell phone pictures in this post. Construction crews are busily cutting down the trees and clearing the lands for stores and hotels, so most of this will likely be gone by next year.

It just goes to show, you can enjoy birds anywhere!

Good birding!

Wednesday, March 16, 2016

Are Your Purple Martin Houses Ready for Occupancy?

Purple martin pair.
 Photo courtesy of Dori on Wikimedia Commons
Purple martins are back in Wichita Falls! If you haven't done so already, it is time to open up your martin houses. If you left them open over the winter, it is time to evict the starlings and house sparrows to make way for the martins.

From experience, you may have to evict the starlings and house sparrows more than once before the martins move in. It is amazing how quickly house sparrows can stuff a space full of grass for their nests.

Once pairs are setting up house, I don't bother the martin house any more. True, some starlings and sparrows will move back in, but the martins seem to do a decent job of protecting their apartments, once they claim them.

We've had enough rain that it should be a pretty good year for these noisy little birds.

Good birding!

Tuesday, March 8, 2016

Big Day for Wild Bird Rescue Wrap-Up

Sitting Ducks and Raven Lunatics run into one another at
the Chat Trail and compare notes.
Photo courtesy of Elizabeth Hawley.
L to R: Joy, Penny, Chuck, Warren, Sue, and Janet.
Not pictured: Katherine and Elizabeth
Sunday, March 6 was the Big Day for Wild Bird Rescue. Three teams covered Wichita, Archer and Clay counties to find the highest numbers of species of birds for the day.

It's not just about the birds. Beautiful giant swallowtail seen
on the Chat Trail in Lake Wichita Park.
It started out a beautiful morning, but about 10 AM a front moved in with high winds, greatly increasing the difficulty of the task. However, in spite of that, we had a good day. This year, the Sitting Ducks took bragging rights with 75 species for the day. The Raven Lunatics had 74 and the Chickadees, 67 species. The combined total of species was 97.  We still can't quite break that 100 species total. It's possible, but not easy.

Many thanks to Dianne and Chuck Thueson for hosting a post-count dinner at their home so the teams could compare lists and relate the day's happenings. Our team, the Raven Lunatics, logged over 150 miles driving and over 20,000 steps walking. Good exercise, birding.

I haven't heard the final fundraising totals. It isn't too late to donate--the baby birds will be coming into Wild Bird Rescue all too soon, so your support is important. You can mail a contribution to them at 4611 Lake Shore Drive, Wichita Falls, TX 76310 (be sure to put "Big Day" on the memo line.) You can also donate on line at their website. Again, please put "Big Day" in the comments. If you really want to make my day, you can add: "Raven Lunatics." But in the end, the important thing is the donation. All of the teams worked hard.

Here is a consolidated list of birds from all three teams.

American coot
American goldfinch
American kestrel
American robin
Bald eagle
Belted kingfisher
Bewick's wren
Black vulture
Blue jay
Blue gray gnatcatcher
Blue-winged teal
Bonaparte's gull
Brewer’s blackbird
Brown thrasher
Brown-headed cowbird
Bufflehead
Canada goose
Canvasback
Carolina chickadee
Carolina wren
Cedar waxwing
Chipping sparrow
Clay-colored sparrow
Common grackle
Dark-eyed junco
Double-crested cormorant
Downy woodpecker
Eastern bluebird
Eastern meadowlark
Eastern phoebe
Eurasian collared dove
European starling
Ferruginous hawk
Field sparrow
Gadwall
Golden-fronted woodpecker
Great blue heron
Great egret
Great horned owl
Greater scaup
Greater roadrunner
Greater yellowlegs
Greater white-fronted goose
Great-tailed grackle
Green-winged teal
Harris' sparrow
Herring gull
Hooded merganser
House finch
House sparrow
Inca dove
Killdeer
Ladder-backed woodpecker
Least sandpiper
Lesser scaup
Lesser yellowlegs
Lincoln's sparrow
Loggerhead shrike
Mallard
Mourning dove
Northern cardinal
Northern flicker
Northern harrier
Northern mockingbird
Northern shoveler
Orange-crowned warbler
Pied-billed grebe
Pine siskin
Purple martin
Red-bellied woodpecker
Redhead
Red-shouldered hawk
Red-tailed hawk
Red-winged blackbird
Ring-billed gull
Ring-necked duck
Rock pigeon
Ruby-crowned kinglet
Ruddy duck
Sandhill crane
Savannah sparrow
Sharp-shinned hawk
Song sparrow
Spotted towhee
Swainson’s hawk
Tufted titmouse
Turkey vulture
Vesper sparrow
Western meadowlark
White pelican
White-crowned sparrow
White-faced ibis
White-winged dove
Wild turkey
Wilson's snipe
Yellow-rumped warbler
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All I have to say it, "Wait Until Next Year!"

Good Birding!

Monday, February 15, 2016

Great Backyard Bird Count Was "Great!"

The Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC) was Feb 12 - 15. I have finished updating my checklists, so thought I would give you a summary of four great mornings of birding. Four days worth of birding makes for a long post, but some good birds.

I am not going to provide the number of each species as those are in the eBird checklists I turned in. You can either pull them from eBird or email me at txbirds@gmail.com and I can forward them to you.

Fires in Lucy Park
On Friday, I started the GBBC in Lucy Park. It just makes me want to cry to go to Lucy Park any more. On the advice of hydrological engineers, the city of Wichita Falls has been cutting down many of the old trees in the park, clearing all of the understory and clearing and burning pretty much all of the branches and leaves on the ground. This is intended to reduce the potential for flooding. I know the City Council isn't going to weigh bird habitat heavily against potential property loss among their constituents, but it still makes my heart hurt. This used to be a premier place to bird. Lucy Park still has relatively decent birding, at least for woodpeckers, as there are still many old trees with cavities still in the park. However, as the understory is removed, the habitat is likely to be more favorable to starlings. The birding has steadily declined over the past 2 years. I don't know if Lucy Park will be worth the effort next year. I was joined on this count by Ray and Sharon, fellow Texas Master Naturalist.

We had a pretty decent morning with the following species seen: turkey vulture (unusual for this time of year), red-tailed hawk, Cooper's hawk, mallard, Canada goose, Eurasian collared dove, white-winged dove, mourning dove, northern flicker, downy woodpecker, red-bellied woodpecker, ladder-backed woodpecker, tufted titmouse, American robin, Carolina chickadee, northern cardinal, blue jay, ruby-crowned kinglet, cedar waxwing, northern mockingbird, song sparrow, white-crowned sparrow, dark-eyed junco, great-tailed grackle, red-winged blackbird, rusty blackbird, house finch, American goldfinch, yellow-rumped warbler, and European starling,

Saturday was the regular bird walk at Lake Arrowhead State Park, which we also did as a GBBC count. Mike and June, two regulars for the Saturday walks, came.  For me, the highlight was the yellow-bellied sapsucker, a pretty winter visitor to our area. Our species for the morning included: double-crested cormorant, Canada goose, American coot, pied-billed grebe, mallard, gadwall, white pelican. ring-billed gull, red-bellied woodpecker, yellow-bellied sapsucker, mourning dove, white-winged dove, Eurasian collard dove, eastern bluebird, eastern phoebe, northern mockingbird, northern cardinal, blue jay, ruby-crowned kinglet, Bewick's wren, American pipit, eastern meadowlark, dark-eyed junco, white-crowned sparrow, Harris's sparrow, common grackle, great-tailed grackle, loggerhead shrike, orange-crowned warbler, and house sparrow. On my way home (still in Clay County) I saw a great blue heron, a couple of American kestrels, and a red-tailed hawk. A Cooper's hawk was sitting on a pole on Sisk Road (Archer County.) Altogether a nice outing.

Sunrise on Lake Wichita
Debra, Terry and James at the GBBC count behind Wild
Bird Rescue
People wonder why I like birding. One of the big reasons is that it is so quiet. Look at this picture of Lake Wichita at sunrise. Even with a cell phone photo, you can see just how peaceful it looks. It helps that this time of year, sunrise comes at a very reasonable 7:20 or so. This was right around 7:30. Several Texas Master Naturalist came out for this count--Terry, Debra, James, Tami. Katherine from Wild Birds Unlimited also came out. Both James and Katherine scored a lifer with the yellow-rumped warblers (Myrtle).  We had some momentary excitement when we heard a barred owl calling, but then we remembered where we were--Lindsay, one of the education birds at Wild Bird Rescue was the culprit.

This count was a stationary count behind Wild Bird Rescue, where we also host the Big Sit. Species seen included: white pelican, pied-billed grebe, mallard, northern pintail, gadwall, redhead, American coot, northern shoveler, bufflehead, Canada goose, double-crested cormorant, greater yellowlegs, killdeer, great blue heron, ring-billed gull, Eurasian collared dove, white-winged dove, yellow-shafted flicker, ladder-backed woodpecker. northern mockingbird, northern cardinal, blue jay, cedar waxwing, great-tailed grackle, red-winged blackbird, American robin, western meadowlark, American crow, European starling, song sparrow, dark-eyed junco, American goldfinch, yellow-rumped warbler (Myrtle's), orange-crowned warbler, house finch, and house sparrow.

Monday I was the lone birder for Lake Wichita Park. I limited the walk to the chat trail and the barrow pit--unfortunately, I do have to work sometime as I like to eat. The first bird I heard/saw when I got out of my truck in the parking lot was a belted kingfisher, one of my favorites. I had 11 species of birds before I got out of the parking lot, which boded well for the morning. But then, I came across this mess--can you believe the nerve of people?

Dumped trash at Lake Wichita Park
 Fortunately, some good birds helped my temper. Birds seen this morning included: Canada goose, white-fronted goose, mallard, norhtern shoverler, bufflehead, redhead, ruddy duck, American coot, gadwall, pied-billed grebe, northern pintail, ring-billed gulls (hundreds circling the water treatment pond), killdeer, Eurasian collared dove, white-winged dove, great horned owl,  great blue heron, belted kingfisher, northern flicker, red-bellied woodpecker, northern cardinal, blue jay, eastern bluebird, eastern phoebe, yellow-rumped warbler, Carolina chickadee, Bewick's wren, cedar waxwing, northern mockingbird, white-crowned sparrow, song sparrow, field sparrow, white-crowned sparrow, fox sparrow, great-tailed grackle, European starling, American robin, and American goldfinch.

 Overall, a great GBBC.

Good birding!

Thursday, February 11, 2016

Big Day Team One Has a Name!

Chihuahuan Raven
For the past few years, a group of birders has been doing the Big Day for Wild Bird Rescue. Since originally there was only one team, we didn't have  a name. Last year, we had three teams. Two of the teams came up with names--my team was just called Team One because we were the first team. That was a little blah, but we just didn't take the time to come to an agreement on a name.

This year, it appears we will have four teams. Team One decided to take the plunge and come up with our own name. So we will be the Raven Lunatics. Suits us, I think.

Two of the other teams are the Sitting Ducks and the Chickadees. No idea yet what the fourth team will call themselves.

So when you send in your donation to Wild Bird Rescue, be sure to put "Big Day--Raven Lunatics" on the memo line. You can also donate online. Again, be sure to put the same memo in the comments section in PayPal. And of course, I will be happy to pick up any donations from you. Just email me at txbirds@gmail.com.

Good Birding!

Tuesday, February 9, 2016

Big Day for Wild Bird Rescue is March 6

The Big Day for Wild Bird Rescue will be held on Sunday, March 6. This is a fundraiser for Wild Bird Rescue.

Currently we have 3 teams lined up to participate. The Big Day is a marathon 12-hour competitive birding event. The goal is to find as many species of birds in the allotted 12 hours as possible. We have yet to have a single team make 100 species, although that is possible. We made a combined total of 106 species between the 3 teams last year, but no single team has been able to break the 100 bird barrier. My team has been in the 90+-species range every year, but just can't quite get over the hurdle of 100. The teams may go anywhere they wish during the 12-hour period. Last year, the team I was on drove over 400 miles and walked several more.

Teams compete to find the highest number of species and to collect the highest contribution total. Teams are looking for sponsors. Individuals and companies may pledge a lump sum amount or may pledge per species.

Want to take part? No problem! You can join one of the three teams already made up or you can put together a team of your own. You do not have to be an experienced birder (although it helps.) Someone needs to drive, keep records and help spot birds, so don't think you cannot take part because you don't have a lot of knowledge.

If you have questions, would like to take part or to pledge, feel free to contact me at txbirds@gmail.com. Put Big Day for WBR in the Subject line, so I won't think your email is spam.

Good birding!

Monday, February 8, 2016

Additional Public GBBC Count

In my last post, I mentioned I did not know if the Rolling Plains Chapter Texas Master Naturalist were planning their usual public Great Backyard Bird Count. The answer is, yes, they are.

For those who may want to hone their skills in a group setting or don't want to walk, the Master Naturalists will be hosting a GBBC public event on Sunday, February 14 from sun up to around 10:00 AM behind Wild Bird Rescue at 4611 Lake Shore Dr, Wichita Falls, TX.  Anyone is welcome for part or all of the time.

You don't need to RSVP, just show up. You may want to bring a lawn chair if you would like to sit. I would suggest layers as the wind coming off the lake makes it feel colder.

Now you have 4 possible days and times to participate in the GBBC, if you want to take part with someone else.

Good birding!

Friday, February 5, 2016

Great Backyard Bird Count

One of my favorite events of each winter is the Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC), held mid February of each year. The GBBC is a joint effort of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the Audubon Society. It is a global event, with people in many countries sending information on the birds they see during their backyard count. Last year participants submitted over 147,000 checklists, counting over 5,000 species of birds.

I have blocked out the mornings of the next 4-day count, February 12 - 15, in order to participate.

You do not have to be a great birder to take part. In fact this is an excellent way to introduce new people to birdwatching, so it is perfectly fine if you are new to the hobby. Nor do you have to spend a lot of time (unless you want to.) How do you take part?

  • Choose a nearby location (your backyard is fine.)
  • Find at least 15 minutes to watch birds
  • Count every individual bird you can identify
  • Submit your counts (you may have to set up an account if you are not already registered with eBird or one of the Cornell Lab citizen science projects.)
This is a great project to do with your children or grandchildren, since it doesn't require a long attention span. It could also be a great introduction to birds for home schoolers, classrooms and scout troops.

One of the GBBC counts will be the monthly bird walk at Lake Arrowhead State Park on Saturday, February 13. It will start at the firewood shed (1st camping area to your left after you enter the park) at 8:00 AM. The entry fee to the park does apply.

Usually there is a group Rolling Plains Texas Master Naturalist count on Sunday. I haven't heard if that is happening and it isn't on the chapter calendar. I am keeping that date open, just in case.

I will be doing a count at Lucy Park on Friday, beginning at 8:00 AM. If anyone is interested in taking part, just meet at the first parking area on the left after entering the park on Sunset Street (the entrance adjacent to River Bend Nature Center and behind the Sanitation Department.) 

I will also be doing a count at Lake Wichita Park beginning at the head of the Chat Trail beginning at 8:00 AM on Monday, February 15.

Anyone who wants to take part is welcome to come along. If you need more information, send me an email at txbirds@gmail.com. Be sure to put GBBC in the Subject line so I don't think your email is spam.

Good birding!


Sunday, January 31, 2016

Beautiful Morning at Lake Wichita Park

Lake Wichita Park is very close to my house, so I often bird there, especially since Lucy Park has been cleared out in the hopes of better flood control.

This morning dawned bright and sunny, although with a chilly bite once the wind came up. I headed out to the Chat Trail, past the barrow pit and then over to Murphy's Mound and back. A pretty good morning. 

A couple of highlights:
Common yellowthroat male,
Matt Tillet, Wikimedia Commons
  - A male common yellowthroat in the reeds in the marshy area at the corner of the Chat Trail and the Circle Trail. I have seen common yellowthroats in this area before, but not since before the drought. I always look for them there. They sound a little like wrens when they are rummaging in the reeds, so do a little extra looking if that is the case. In spite of the "common" in the name, they are not so common here. 
  - One of the great horned owls was perched in his usual spot along the Chat Trail. A lot of trees have fallen down in the that area--I hope that doesn't run the owls off. 
  - As I was heading back to the car, a flock of some 21 cedar waxwings flew into the tree next to the trail. There is a shallow place in the ditch where they were flying down with the robins to take a nice bath. They didn't seem to be overly concerned with me--I was pretty close to them.

The ducks seem to be pairing up before heading back north. There were a few dozen northern shovelers on the barrow pit. Almost all of them were a male/female pair with a few lone males interspersed.
View from the overlook

Now that the lake is full again, the wildlife viewing overlook once again provides good views over the water toward the dam and Pelican's Point. It is has been nothing but weeds for some years with the drought, but a nice area now. I did see several ducks this morning.

I didn't see any pelicans on the lake this morning--there were some good-sized flocks circling yesterday. I am trying to remember when they will be leaving.

When I got home, I had a beautiful little male ladderbacked woodpecker in the pecan tree out front and a orange-crowned warbler looking for insects in the hackberry tree next to the feeders out back. Neither counts for Project Feederwatch, but good birds in my yard. I have had a paucity of good birds in my yard since we moved to this house, so I am happy to see some showing up. Hopefully that means my efforts to make the yard more bird friendly are beginning to pay off.

Birds seen/heard in Lake Wichita Park this morning: Canada goose, mallard, ruddy duck, bufflehead, gadwall, northern shoveler, pied-billed grebe, American coot, great blue heron, ring-billed gull, Eurasian collared dove, mourning dove, great horned owl, red-bellied woodpecker, yellow-shafted flicker,  belted kingfisher, blue jay, cardinal, American robin, northern mockingbird, ruby-crowned kinglet, common yellowthroat, house finch, goldfinch, spotted towhee, song sparrow, white-crowned sparrow, cedar waxwing, and European starling.

Wonderful start to Sunday--unfortunately, housework calls......

Good birding!

Sunday, January 10, 2016

Not-So-Fair-Weather Birding

Saturday, Jan 9, was the monthly bird walk at Lake Arrowhead State Park (2nd Saturday of each month.) The forecast was for a mixture of rain and snow with little or no accumulation and this time, the weather forecast was spot on. However, the further out of Wichita Falls I drove, the more rain and less snow. As you can see by the photo to the right, there wasn't much accumulation at 8AM when the walk started, and what little there was, was gone by the end of the walk at 9:30.

Although I had posted on Facebook that the walk was a go, I thought it unlikely anyone but me would show, and I was right. Texans are definitely fair weather birders. All I have to say is, "You snooze, you lose." It was a pretty good morning with some decent birds. On the drive out to the park, I saw a flock of wild turkeys in someone's front yard on FM 1954 (Archer Co.)

Overall, I saw the usual birds, although there were some special moments. Dozens of white pelicans were following one another over the lake--there was a large pod of white pelicans and cormorants fishing. Periodically, a group of  pelicans would take off for another part of the lake, flying low over the water.

Marsh wren, Wikimedia Commons, Allan Vernon
I had a close-up view of a Loggerhead shrike. There were several ruby-crowned kinglets--these little inquisitive birds would alight on branches right in front of my face, making sure I got a clear look. A marsh wren was also checking me out, so I had the chance to get a very good look. There were two birds I wasn't able to identify because I caught only fleeting glimpses--one was a warbler (not a yellow-rumped or orange-crowned) and the other was a larger bird flying through the trees.

Birds seen: double-crested cormorant, white pelican, Canada goose, gadwall, American coot, mallard, pied-billed grebe, great blue heron, killdeer, ring-billed gull, red-tailed hawk, red-bellied woodpecker, northern flicker, mourning dove, Bewick's wren, marsh wren, northern cardinal, dark-eyed junco, European starling, meadowlark, Loggerhead shrike, northern mockingbird, eastern phoebe, American goldfinch, ruby-crowned kinglet, American crow, song sparrow, and white-crowned sparrow.

On the way home, I made a quick drive past Stone Lake, just to check for ducks. In addition to more mallards and coots, there was a lone male shoveler and some lesser scaup.

Overall a good morning.

Good birding!

Tuesday, January 5, 2016

Happy National Bird Day!

Blue Jay
Who knew?

I didn't realize there was a National Bird Day. In reading through the website, you can see that it seems devoted to better treatment of pet birds, although it is obvious their thoughts are that birds are not pets and should live life "outside the cage." Their focus is on the conservation of birds that are used in pet trade.

However, I am not one to quibble. I am just happy that there is any effort to show people how intriguing and how important birds are in our ecosystem. But, as far as I am concerned, every day is Bird Day!

Why not celebrate Bird Day with a donation to some bird-related cause? Some local 501(c) options:

  - Wild Bird Rescue rehabilitates wild birds and returns them to the wild for all of us to enjoy. They are hosting 11 barn owls right now in addition to some other birds--these are very expensive to feed and house to release.
  - River Bend Nature Center, which does not focus on birds, but does help our community better understand the ecosystem as a whole.
  - Texas Master Naturalist, Rolling Plains Chapter, which trains volunteers to help others learn more about the environment. The group does many projects gathering and reporting information useful to learning more about the birds in our area as well as providing programs and events to connect people with our local plants and animals.

Two other options for you out-of-towners:

  - Texas Ornithological Society
  - Cornell Lab of Ornithology

Even better, watch the birds in your backyard, on the Circle Trail or at one of our local parks.

Good birding!

Sunday, January 3, 2016

"First Day" Birding

On January 1, Texas parks host a "First Day Hike." Lake Arrowhead had a morning hike along the Onion Trail and a short nature hike on the nature trail in the afternoon. The Rolling Plains chapter Texas Master Naturalist members were on hand to assist Ranger Joe.

I attended the morning hike. Some parts of the trail were closed due to flooding and pretty much the entire trail was soggy, but several people met up at 8:30 to hike about 4.5 - 5 miles on the Onion Creek Trail. It was good to see that there was water once again flowing over the dam. I brought my binoculars to get in a little birdwatching. We didn't see a large number of birds, but we had some pretty good ones--it was a very good morning for sparrows.

Birds heard/seen during the hike included: American Coot, Canada goose, northern shoveler, gadwall, mallard (I didn't see these--Mike and I were hanging back looking at some sparrows when the leading group flushed a group of ducks), Wilson's snipe, great blue heron, belted kingfisher, double crested cormorant, Inca dove, downy woodpecker, Bewick's wren, northern cardinal, blue jay, eastern phoebe, northern mockingbird, ruby-crowned kinglet, European starling, eastern meadowlark, dark-eyed junco, white-crowned sparrow, fox sparrow, Harris's sparrow, chipping sparrow, and song sparrow.

We had plenty of other water birds, but the sun was behind the birds, instead of behind us, so we couldn't identify many of them. At the conclusion of the hike, I took a quick driving pass along the swim beach area in hopes of more ducks. but other than a lot more coots, the only additional bird was a pied-billed grebe.  Driving home along FM 1954, I picked up a couple of kestrels and a red-tailed hawk.

A nice start to 2016.

Good birding!