tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-75204079388649891082024-03-11T19:44:58.293-05:00A Charm of FinchesA blog about birding in Texas. Includes information about birds, little known birding places, and the daily joys and disappointments of a birder. Occasional information about other nature-related topics and events.Penny Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15382323638623048385noreply@blogger.comBlogger670125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7520407938864989108.post-20751188023149328042024-03-11T19:43:00.004-05:002024-03-11T19:44:12.699-05:00March Birding at Lake Arrowhead State Park<p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBxkp6eCFZIrQwVPFa90kAJICQGK2wJN7CjBWgwex2xY00-4-JcbYquDvPVcqlg_xJ4jEZf2pN_orUU7k2h4sOhyphenhyphenpNSs-veAE9mook8M6agcofGON2CWDvuseeBRdtZCnL470M2iUuH0BCxAaOcadjy9Cow-LYI6_MSMM9hzZ58SV7_Zdwm3HPKcOnR5N5/s6000/raymond-eichelberger--Aw_rITwbcQ-unsplash.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="6000" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBxkp6eCFZIrQwVPFa90kAJICQGK2wJN7CjBWgwex2xY00-4-JcbYquDvPVcqlg_xJ4jEZf2pN_orUU7k2h4sOhyphenhyphenpNSs-veAE9mook8M6agcofGON2CWDvuseeBRdtZCnL470M2iUuH0BCxAaOcadjy9Cow-LYI6_MSMM9hzZ58SV7_Zdwm3HPKcOnR5N5/s320/raymond-eichelberger--Aw_rITwbcQ-unsplash.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><div style="text-align: center;">Snow geese</div><div style="text-align: center;">Photo by Raymond Eichelberger on Unsplash</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span face="-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "San Francisco", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Ubuntu, Roboto, Noto, "Segoe UI", Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #111111; font-size: 13px; text-wrap: nowrap;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face="-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "San Francisco", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Ubuntu, Roboto, Noto, "Segoe UI", Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #111111; font-size: 13px; text-wrap: nowrap;">Saturday was the monthly bird outing at <a href="https://tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/lake-arrowhead" target="_blank">Lake Arrowhead State Park</a>. The morning was beautiful. However, a</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face="-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "San Francisco", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Ubuntu, Roboto, Noto, "Segoe UI", Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #111111; font-size: 13px; text-wrap: nowrap;">brisk wind, combined with 40 - 45 degree weather meant it was a little nippy to start. We had a new birder with </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face="-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "San Francisco", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Ubuntu, Roboto, Noto, "Segoe UI", Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #111111; font-size: 13px; text-wrap: nowrap;">us this month. She said birding was on her retirement bucket list. I can't imagine anything better.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face="-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "San Francisco", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Ubuntu, Roboto, Noto, "Segoe UI", Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #111111; font-size: 13px; text-wrap: nowrap;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face="-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "San Francisco", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Ubuntu, Roboto, Noto, "Segoe UI", Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #111111; font-size: 13px; text-wrap: nowrap;">This time of year is the beginning of the spring migration (although April should be even better). Purple Martins</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face="-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "San Francisco", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Ubuntu, Roboto, Noto, "Segoe UI", Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #111111; font-size: 13px; text-wrap: nowrap;">are back, and our winter birds are still here. There have been reports of some summer birds showing up very early</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face="-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "San Francisco", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Ubuntu, Roboto, Noto, "Segoe UI", Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #111111; font-size: 13px; text-wrap: nowrap;">(a summer tanager, for example). The highlight of my morning was a small flock of <a href="https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Snow_Goose/id#" target="_blank">snow geese</a> that flew over</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face="-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "San Francisco", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Ubuntu, Roboto, Noto, "Segoe UI", Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #111111; font-size: 13px; text-wrap: nowrap;">our heads. A <a href="https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Neotropic_Cormorant/overview#" target="_blank">neotropic cormorant </a>was also a good sighting. We also saw a beaver, and I saw some white-tailed deer.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face="-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "San Francisco", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Ubuntu, Roboto, Noto, "Segoe UI", Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #111111; font-size: 13px; text-wrap: nowrap;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face="-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "San Francisco", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Ubuntu, Roboto, Noto, "Segoe UI", Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #111111; font-size: 13px; text-wrap: nowrap;">I got to the park a little early and also birded West Arrowhead Rd that runs just outside the park boundary for a </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face="-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "San Francisco", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Ubuntu, Roboto, Noto, "Segoe UI", Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #111111; font-size: 13px; text-wrap: nowrap;">short time after we broke up, so my list includes those birds.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face="-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "San Francisco", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Ubuntu, Roboto, Noto, "Segoe UI", Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #111111; font-size: 13px; text-wrap: nowrap;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face="-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "San Francisco", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Ubuntu, Roboto, Noto, "Segoe UI", Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #111111; font-size: 13px; text-wrap: nowrap;">The birds I saw/heard included:</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face="-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "San Francisco", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Ubuntu, Roboto, Noto, "Segoe UI", Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #111111; font-size: 13px; text-wrap: nowrap;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face="-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "San Francisco", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Ubuntu, Roboto, Noto, "Segoe UI", Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #111111; font-size: 13px; text-wrap: nowrap;">Canada goose</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face="-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "San Francisco", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Ubuntu, Roboto, Noto, "Segoe UI", Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #111111; font-size: 13px; text-wrap: nowrap;">Snow goose</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face="-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "San Francisco", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Ubuntu, Roboto, Noto, "Segoe UI", Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #111111; font-size: 13px; text-wrap: nowrap;">White pelican</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face="-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "San Francisco", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Ubuntu, Roboto, Noto, "Segoe UI", Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #111111; font-size: 13px; text-wrap: nowrap;">Double-crested cormorant</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face="-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "San Francisco", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Ubuntu, Roboto, Noto, "Segoe UI", Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #111111; font-size: 13px; text-wrap: nowrap;">Neotropic cormorant</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face="-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "San Francisco", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Ubuntu, Roboto, Noto, "Segoe UI", Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #111111; font-size: 13px; text-wrap: nowrap;">Great blue heron</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face="-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "San Francisco", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Ubuntu, Roboto, Noto, "Segoe UI", Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #111111; font-size: 13px; text-wrap: nowrap;">Ring-billed gull</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face="-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "San Francisco", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Ubuntu, Roboto, Noto, "Segoe UI", Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #111111; font-size: 13px; text-wrap: nowrap;">Killdeer</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face="-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "San Francisco", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Ubuntu, Roboto, Noto, "Segoe UI", Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #111111; font-size: 13px; text-wrap: nowrap;">Least sandpiper</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face="-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, San Francisco, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Ubuntu, Roboto, Noto, Segoe UI, Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #111111;"><span style="font-size: 13px; text-wrap: nowrap;">Gadwall</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face="-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, San Francisco, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Ubuntu, Roboto, Noto, Segoe UI, Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #111111;"><span style="font-size: 13px; text-wrap: nowrap;">Mallard</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face="-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, San Francisco, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Ubuntu, Roboto, Noto, Segoe UI, Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #111111;"><span style="font-size: 13px; text-wrap: nowrap;">American Coot</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face="-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, San Francisco, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Ubuntu, Roboto, Noto, Segoe UI, Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #111111;"><span style="font-size: 13px; text-wrap: nowrap;">Black vulture</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face="-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, San Francisco, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Ubuntu, Roboto, Noto, Segoe UI, Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #111111;"><span style="font-size: 13px; text-wrap: nowrap;">Turkey vulture</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face="-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, San Francisco, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Ubuntu, Roboto, Noto, Segoe UI, Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #111111;"><span style="font-size: 13px; text-wrap: nowrap;">Eastern phoebe</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face="-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, San Francisco, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Ubuntu, Roboto, Noto, Segoe UI, Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #111111;"><span style="font-size: 13px; text-wrap: nowrap;">Ruby-crowned kinglet</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face="-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, San Francisco, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Ubuntu, Roboto, Noto, Segoe UI, Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #111111;"><span style="font-size: 13px; text-wrap: nowrap;">Northern cardinal</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face="-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, San Francisco, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Ubuntu, Roboto, Noto, Segoe UI, Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #111111;"><span style="font-size: 13px; text-wrap: nowrap;">Northern mockingbird</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face="-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, San Francisco, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Ubuntu, Roboto, Noto, Segoe UI, Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #111111;"><span style="font-size: 13px; text-wrap: nowrap;">Carolina Chickadee</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face="-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, San Francisco, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Ubuntu, Roboto, Noto, Segoe UI, Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #111111;"><span style="font-size: 13px; text-wrap: nowrap;">Eastern bluebird</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face="-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, San Francisco, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Ubuntu, Roboto, Noto, Segoe UI, Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #111111;"><span style="font-size: 13px; text-wrap: nowrap;">Dark-eyed junco</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face="-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, San Francisco, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Ubuntu, Roboto, Noto, Segoe UI, Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #111111;"><span style="font-size: 13px; text-wrap: nowrap;">Harris's sparrow</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face="-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, San Francisco, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Ubuntu, Roboto, Noto, Segoe UI, Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #111111;"><span style="font-size: 13px; text-wrap: nowrap;">White-crowned sparrow</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face="-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, San Francisco, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Ubuntu, Roboto, Noto, Segoe UI, Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #111111;"><span style="font-size: 13px; text-wrap: nowrap;">Field sparrow</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face="-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, San Francisco, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Ubuntu, Roboto, Noto, Segoe UI, Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #111111;"><span style="font-size: 13px; text-wrap: nowrap;">Brown-headed cowbird</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face="-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, San Francisco, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Ubuntu, Roboto, Noto, Segoe UI, Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #111111;"><span style="font-size: 13px; text-wrap: nowrap;">Great-tailed grackle</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face="-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, San Francisco, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Ubuntu, Roboto, Noto, Segoe UI, Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #111111;"><span style="font-size: 13px; text-wrap: nowrap;">Red-winged blackbird</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face="-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, San Francisco, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Ubuntu, Roboto, Noto, Segoe UI, Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #111111;"><span style="font-size: 13px; text-wrap: nowrap;">European starling</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face="-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, San Francisco, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Ubuntu, Roboto, Noto, Segoe UI, Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #111111;"><span style="font-size: 13px; text-wrap: nowrap;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face="-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, San Francisco, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Ubuntu, Roboto, Noto, Segoe UI, Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #111111;"><span style="font-size: 13px; text-wrap: nowrap;">Overall, a very good morning. You're invited to come bird with us on the second Saturday of each</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face="-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, San Francisco, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Ubuntu, Roboto, Noto, Segoe UI, Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #111111;"><span style="font-size: 13px; text-wrap: nowrap;">month. We start at 8:00 AM in the parking lot near the fishing pier. Beginners and kids welcome. We look</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face="-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, San Francisco, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Ubuntu, Roboto, Noto, Segoe UI, Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #111111;"><span style="font-size: 13px; text-wrap: nowrap;">at more than just birds--plants, bugs, etc. This is a leisurely stroll of about 1 to 1.5 miles.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face="-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, San Francisco, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Ubuntu, Roboto, Noto, Segoe UI, Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #111111;"><span style="font-size: 13px; text-wrap: nowrap;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face="-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, San Francisco, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Ubuntu, Roboto, Noto, Segoe UI, Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #111111;"><span style="font-size: 13px; text-wrap: nowrap;">Good birding!</span></span></div><p></p>Penny Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15382323638623048385noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7520407938864989108.post-19354714216380501432024-03-11T19:10:00.001-05:002024-03-11T19:10:51.877-05:00Birding is Good for You!<p> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgljBGJGxYSTZ58BmpVdaqh21ZRuEZdGaQRUbUiELxnYqps0frc6523awHI7OzXEv-DSqN2uA5Nh4eSiClIgS-iiTVACzu2ujr5VJLVkFyvxtoQpOCC395IyQwIiBZAvj_lm4Xtr2hyNrfGvtDRRaVJOp3byCSP-sirsCNz_NUBgq2VzyZM3I-oZ-7uIhCd/s1024/Penny%20and%20Bluebird%20Box.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgljBGJGxYSTZ58BmpVdaqh21ZRuEZdGaQRUbUiELxnYqps0frc6523awHI7OzXEv-DSqN2uA5Nh4eSiClIgS-iiTVACzu2ujr5VJLVkFyvxtoQpOCC395IyQwIiBZAvj_lm4Xtr2hyNrfGvtDRRaVJOp3byCSP-sirsCNz_NUBgq2VzyZM3I-oZ-7uIhCd/w200-h150/Penny%20and%20Bluebird%20Box.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me birding at Lake Arrowhead <br />State Park (several years ago)</td></tr></tbody></table><br />I was reading an article in the March 2024 <a href="https://www.aba.org/" target="_blank">American Birding Association </a>magazine, <i>Birding</i>, titled, "The Birding Prescription." Although the ABA posts its magazines online, the March issue isn't posted yet, and it will be in a members only area of the website. I am fairly certain this isn't a magazine carried by the <a href="https://wfpl.net/" target="_blank">Wichita Falls Public Library</a>, although I haven't looked at their magazine selection for some time.</p><p>I know I always feel better after being outside birdwatching (or watching birds through the window on days I can't/don't want to go anywhere). However, this article outlines the author's anecdotal experience with birding (or ornitherapy, as she calls it) when she was fighting breast cancer. After this, she summarizes results from multiple studies which indicate birdwatching has many positive affects on people. Here is a summary of the main points:</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Listening to bird song for 6 minutes can reduce anxiety and irrational thinking for up to 8 hours</li><li>Although not necessarily birdwatching, 20 minutes of exposure to green spaces lowers cortisol (stress hormone)</li><li>Participation in citizen science activities improves well-being (that's part of the reason members of our local <a href="https://txmn.org/rollingplains/" target="_blank">Texas Master Naturalist chapter</a> are such a positive group!)</li><li>People who live in areas with higher bird diversity experience fewer hospital admissions for mood and anxiety disorders</li><li>Birding can help restore attentiveness, reversing attention drain (attention restoration therapy)</li><li>Offer social connections. Feelings of isolation and loneliness and lack of connections may increase the risk of premature death.</li></ul><div>The author provides a list of references to the various studies she cites, so if you want to do more study on your own, you can do so.</div><div><br /></div><div>Whether you agree with all of the assertions in her article or not, it doesn't cost anything to watch the birds. Try it our for yourself. I know some time birdwatching is always a pick me up for me.</div><div><br /></div><div>Good birding!<br /></div><p></p>Penny Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15382323638623048385noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7520407938864989108.post-54235568678258537712024-02-09T13:33:00.000-06:002024-02-09T13:33:01.690-06:00Purple Martins Arriving Soon!<p> <br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv2O6sJgolB1TVpT1PPQYFfDX4u3C6OQqKvzSoSUEiQxaDGAJqiXevp0-UHe2OyZvPX-ip7rjwIv0Fy-HqoXgNDdivEB8cplQBxBxheyC8rgbLqkJGsNvVExSMfU9U24zOGxZI-LzGF1Z5YHbEWi05Ehzm9wwesvUtTIRFG4sx9MBxCBH3oh68_sjLwBdQ/s1600/017.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv2O6sJgolB1TVpT1PPQYFfDX4u3C6OQqKvzSoSUEiQxaDGAJqiXevp0-UHe2OyZvPX-ip7rjwIv0Fy-HqoXgNDdivEB8cplQBxBxheyC8rgbLqkJGsNvVExSMfU9U24zOGxZI-LzGF1Z5YHbEWi05Ehzm9wwesvUtTIRFG4sx9MBxCBH3oh68_sjLwBdQ/s320/017.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Purple martin house at Wild Bird Rescue</td></tr></tbody></table><br />I have not personally seen any purple martin scouts yet, but there have been <a href="https://www.purplemartin.org/research/8/scout-arrival-study/" target="_blank">reports in our area</a> and it is about time for them to show up. If you have a martin house, it's time to ensure it is clean and ready for this year's nesting season. Clean up the house and block the entrance until you see scouts. Otherwise, you will have a house full of starlings and house sparrows.</p>Penny Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15382323638623048385noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7520407938864989108.post-49945818165176093062024-02-09T13:23:00.006-06:002024-02-09T13:23:48.974-06:00Lake Arrowhead SP Birding<p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicYoGbsIlab5kbB_yIZhGW9uscR_omPCBKtbMcY_arbyYWEI1geW-rE4tBIoEsT27EtIak8g0pK9hfEah2ZSXr6mDxLN6fZ0vpKuDNe8Ls4prykmaQpdFAzhooz1_F2L50it-8-SrJf1o7CuBzlIElHtciaEjkK2as6XksOgaYUWnaAU70u0LIPWRsET0o/s4032/20210612_082829.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="1908" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicYoGbsIlab5kbB_yIZhGW9uscR_omPCBKtbMcY_arbyYWEI1geW-rE4tBIoEsT27EtIak8g0pK9hfEah2ZSXr6mDxLN6fZ0vpKuDNe8Ls4prykmaQpdFAzhooz1_F2L50it-8-SrJf1o7CuBzlIElHtciaEjkK2as6XksOgaYUWnaAU70u0LIPWRsET0o/s320/20210612_082829.jpg" width="151" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Painted bunting at Lake <br />Arrowhead SP</td></tr></tbody></table><br />Every second Saturday there is a bird outing at <a href="https://tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/lake-arrowhead" target="_blank">Lake Arrowhead State Park</a>. We wander about a mile over an hour or two (depending on the birds we see). Debra Halter and I, from the <a href="https://txmn.org/rollingplains/" target="_blank">Rolling Plains Texas Master Naturalist </a>chapter, lead the walk. </p><p>Don't know the birds? No worries--you learn by going out with others. Bring the kids! We love to introduce kids to the natural world. Interests expand beyond birds? No problem. Master Naturalists are into everything and we often stop to look at plants, and spiders, and mussels, and bugs, and deer, and more. Mobility issues? We can easily stay on paved surfaces.</p><p>The bird in the photo top the left is a painted bunting. We won't see one this month, but it won't be long until they are back for the summer. (Of course, I say that and June McKee had a summer tanager at her feeder this week and posted a photo on Facebook. So, one never knows!)</p><p>The walk starts at 8 AM at the admin building parking lot (between the swim beach and the fishing pier). Just look for a small group with binoculars and cameras. Park entry fees apply ($4 per person). The park office doesn't open until 8:00, so give yourself a little extra time to stop at the self-pay table just inside the entrance.</p><p><br /></p><p>Happy birding!</p>Penny Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15382323638623048385noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7520407938864989108.post-52531405621580767372024-02-04T12:22:00.000-06:002024-02-04T12:22:01.496-06:00Great Backyard Bird Count Coming Up!<p>One of my favorite birding events is coming up February 16 - 19. The <a href="https://www.birdcount.org/" target="_blank">Great Backyard Bird Count </a>is a joint citizen science project of the <a href="https://www.birds.cornell.edu/home/" target="_blank">Cornell Lab of Ornithology</a>, <a href="https://www.audubon.org/" target="_blank">National Audubon Society</a>, and <a href="https://www.birdscanada.org/" target="_blank">Birds Canada</a>. It has found its way worldwide since tallies are now submitted through <a href="https://ebird.org/home" target="_blank">eBird</a>.</p><p>The idea is to watch birds at home, your local parks, or wherever you happen to be for 15 minutes (or more) and submit your checklists through eBird. I usually try to hit up several local parks since I do Project Feederwatch in my yard every week. I might change my mind, but right now, I am thinking I will bird Lake Wichita Park on Friday, Lake Arrowhead SP on Saturday, Wichita Bluff Park on Sunday, and Lucy Park on Monday. I might throw in some short times at Williams Park and the Circle Trail at a couple of spots that are sometimes good birding.</p><p>This is a great project for kids. Since you only need to spend 15 minutes, even the little ones can stay focused. This would also be a good project for homeschoolers.</p><p>Good birding!</p>Penny Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15382323638623048385noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7520407938864989108.post-35729716640181183532024-02-04T11:21:00.002-06:002024-02-04T11:21:33.616-06:00Just Ducky!<p> </p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-DK9dT6QHgDNObhBRMLnrPDrS7huWuueB_m2jXAIjfU8QXaH4Y20dbkla2ANRRJk-vyeipTD7OB4gXEQYpeOugzCFCHbuiWYo0IRCZChbMjIygRco15NDj1pIymlHZA53GxMldY4MEJddfmM3rYUGE_e0eVGP5jqeEu5hL5wOW2ZF9XegbBF_ts-5MSxx/s3175/Northern_pintail_at_Taudaha_Kathmandu%20Prasan%20Shrestha,%20CC%20BY-SA%204.0,%20via%20Wikimedia%20Commons.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2117" data-original-width="3175" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-DK9dT6QHgDNObhBRMLnrPDrS7huWuueB_m2jXAIjfU8QXaH4Y20dbkla2ANRRJk-vyeipTD7OB4gXEQYpeOugzCFCHbuiWYo0IRCZChbMjIygRco15NDj1pIymlHZA53GxMldY4MEJddfmM3rYUGE_e0eVGP5jqeEu5hL5wOW2ZF9XegbBF_ts-5MSxx/s320/Northern_pintail_at_Taudaha_Kathmandu%20Prasan%20Shrestha,%20CC%20BY-SA%204.0,%20via%20Wikimedia%20Commons.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Northern_pintail_at_Taudaha_Kathmandu.jpg" style="background: none rgb(242, 245, 247); color: rgb(6, 69, 173) !important; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 10.24px; text-decoration-line: none;">Prasan Shrestha</a><span style="background-color: #f2f5f7; color: #362b36; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 10.24px;">, </span><a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0" style="background: none rgb(242, 245, 247); color: rgb(6, 69, 173) !important; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 10.24px; text-decoration-line: none;">CC BY-SA 4.0</a><span style="background-color: #f2f5f7; color: #362b36; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 10.24px;">, via Wikimedia Commons<br /><br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table>We've had a couple of decent rains lately so I decided this morning I would go out looking for ducks. With the lack of water, I haven't had much luck recently.<div><br /></div><div>As it turned out, it was a good morning. I have a number of chores that need to get done today, so I didn't take a lot of time. I started at the Lake Wichita spillway. The lake is still far from full, but it is coming up some. There were lots of ruddy ducks, some buffleheads, coots, gadwalls, mallard, Canada geese, and a lone northern shoveler.</div><div><br /></div><div>Then I went down to the boat ramp and picked up some green-winged teal.</div><div><br /></div><div>I took a run down W. Rathgeber Rd to get to Crestview cemetery. Although this road is a dump for glass bottles, there are a few small tanks along that road and the largest one had several ring-necked ducks. At Crestview I saw my favorite duck, the <a href="https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Northern_Pintail/overview#" target="_blank">northern pintail </a>(see the photo). They are such an elegant looking bird. Unfortunately, there was only the one, but I was happy to see him. That's the first one I have seen this winter.</div><div><br /></div><div>Then I took a quick swing by Stone Lake. Not much going on there this morning, but I did add pied-billed grebes. Overall, a good morning.</div><div><br /></div><div>Good birding!<br /><p><br /></p></div>Penny Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15382323638623048385noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7520407938864989108.post-47869109831637819962024-01-24T14:20:00.004-06:002024-01-24T14:20:51.387-06:00Williams Park Surprise<p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgnibS5pZqOWB6H7v1r-61H3W9JH95xoGn1brFnuLv0R5IjZdFCj-MTP2wWf9atNxWjFMDSdabcvuB2pXV_-3vaLEQQq7HRckIL8INaO3yKtTp3qCk9TcPhYirLWzJ4vD8VkMY_6Oyeatc4yn6NnQmDCo03ZhK7VdwuchqntqPSjW8_2bB9NyC-3H6cmYX/s4147/mathew-schwartz-NEvS5lHyrlk-unsplash.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2765" data-original-width="4147" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgnibS5pZqOWB6H7v1r-61H3W9JH95xoGn1brFnuLv0R5IjZdFCj-MTP2wWf9atNxWjFMDSdabcvuB2pXV_-3vaLEQQq7HRckIL8INaO3yKtTp3qCk9TcPhYirLWzJ4vD8VkMY_6Oyeatc4yn6NnQmDCo03ZhK7VdwuchqntqPSjW8_2bB9NyC-3H6cmYX/w200-h133/mathew-schwartz-NEvS5lHyrlk-unsplash.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: #f1f1f1; color: #111111; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "San Francisco", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Ubuntu, Roboto, Noto, "Segoe UI", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: start; text-wrap: nowrap;">Photo by </span><a href="https://unsplash.com/@cadop?utm_content=creditCopyText&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=unsplash" style="background-color: #f1f1f1; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "San Francisco", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Ubuntu, Roboto, Noto, "Segoe UI", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: start; text-decoration-skip-ink: auto; text-wrap: nowrap; transition: color 0.1s ease-in-out 0s, opacity 0.1s ease-in-out 0s;">Mathew Schwartz</a><span style="background-color: #f1f1f1; color: #111111; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "San Francisco", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Ubuntu, Roboto, Noto, "Segoe UI", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: start; text-wrap: nowrap;"> on </span><a href="https://unsplash.com/photos/white-and-brown-bald-eagle-NEvS5lHyrlk?utm_content=creditCopyText&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=unsplash" style="background-color: #f1f1f1; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "San Francisco", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Ubuntu, Roboto, Noto, "Segoe UI", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: start; text-decoration-skip-ink: auto; text-wrap: nowrap; transition: color 0.1s ease-in-out 0s, opacity 0.1s ease-in-out 0s;">Unsplash</a></td></tr></tbody></table>I went over to <a href="https://btw.wfisd.net/" target="_blank">Booker T. Washington elementary school </a>this morning to meet with my <a href="https://www.wfisd.net/departments/community-partnerships/partners-in-education/read-2-learn" target="_blank">Read 2 Learn</a> 1st grader. Unfortunately, he wasn't at school today. Since I had some extra time, I went to Williams Park, which is just across Holliday Creek from the school.</p><p>Williams Park is not very big, but it has good understory for little dickey birds, and that was my focus for a quick stop. I was heading over to a brushy area near the Circle Trail. I had my eyes down, looking for little birds in the brush, and out of the corner of my eye, I say a large bird flush from a tree right on the trail. Initially, I thought it was probably a great horned owl as they are common in our area and it isn't uncommon to flush one out. It's a good thing I looked up, because it wasn't an owl, it was a mature bald eagle. We do get bald eagles here in the winter, although not in large numbers. I see them at <a href="https://tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/lake-arrowhead" target="_blank">Lake Arrowhead State Park </a>most often, but I have seen one flying over SW Parkway, so you can observe them most anywhere.</p><p>Unfortunately, I wasn't prepared for this bird and he flew down the creek too quickly for me to get a picture with my cell phone. I did walk a ways down the trail in the direction he flew, but he apparently did not alight nearby. I did look at eBird and there is a record last year (with pictures) of a bald eagle in Williams Park.</p><p>I was at the park for 30 minutes. In addition to the eagle there was a Carolina chickadee, some dark-eyed juncos, blue jays, cardinals, great-tailed grackles, a savannah sparrow, white-winged dove, and a mourning dove.</p><p>I picked up more litter than saw birds. The main portion of the park looks good, but the edges are full of trash. I forgot to pull one of the trash bags I keep in the car to pick up litter on walks since I didn't plan to be there long, but easily picked up enough trash to fill at least one bag. There is still plenty of trash there is someone has some spare time.</p><p>BONUS: Like to draw? The <a href="https://www.birds.cornell.edu/home/" target="_blank">Cornell University Lab of Ornithology</a> had a webinar this week on drawing birds. I am totally incompetent when it comes to anything more complicated than a stick figure, but for those with a modicum more talent, you can see the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AlXKQ4dz76Y" target="_blank">recorded webinar here</a>.</p><p>Good birding!</p>Penny Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15382323638623048385noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7520407938864989108.post-55390446546270221752024-01-10T16:49:00.001-06:002024-01-10T16:49:43.327-06:00Feast or Famine<p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHoqwGirT1hTPHdcDrsvy4Vz8V7_3Is4A1P28CaMgbf6qW7v4DP8N6fyx5kmyCzU-1q8Q6iix2K0bFceOWb9bWJY6oBBWRqYBX5BQZ4u0tFEOvylXCJeNDFyRD2et2EAlp470GGuNym-uhwOVNJozuuN3l5RuSDzJIcAFrziZlO0TPztia89wlT904kJGO/s4000/20240106_115513%20(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHoqwGirT1hTPHdcDrsvy4Vz8V7_3Is4A1P28CaMgbf6qW7v4DP8N6fyx5kmyCzU-1q8Q6iix2K0bFceOWb9bWJY6oBBWRqYBX5BQZ4u0tFEOvylXCJeNDFyRD2et2EAlp470GGuNym-uhwOVNJozuuN3l5RuSDzJIcAFrziZlO0TPztia89wlT904kJGO/s320/20240106_115513%20(1).jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chat Trail</td></tr></tbody></table>The objective of birding is to see birds, but some days you have better luck than others. You can bird an area one day and see birds everywhere and the next, you get skunked. On Saturday, the 6th, I went out to the chat trail in <a href="https://www.wichitafallstx.gov/70/Lake-Wichita-Park" target="_blank">Lake Wichita Park</a>. As a rule, the chat trail is one of the best locations to see a variety of birds in Wichita Falls. Not on Saturday. Winter is close and as you can see, there are few leaves on the trees. However, I didn't see much when I was there, partly because I went later than usual (11 AM - Noon). In the hour I was walking the trail, I saw: mallard ducks, Canada geese, rock pigeons, a red-tailed hawk, a northern flicker, northern cardinals, a blue jay, a house finch, a Lincoln's sparrow, white-crowned sparrows, and Harris's sparrows. Not the longest list, but I was happy with the exceptionally good look at the Lincoln's sparrow.</p><p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizHtlokvWRMzT230YsOuNJZSSQnTBUCsSuZPGMGlaDW_uGiGNUL5DPvYmVeTydlpDbn5llgXu-O9gMymv8d9RIvrIEgBw3bUZDNL6nurSqAQ6081eg3x6gRxA5CS8GxTbi5-5j6gy96jD_zC9ySHHKTXYtXolmo5A8t7bPFDx7MmVsNVG3iq1vDLiZ1veB/s4000/20240107_104810.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizHtlokvWRMzT230YsOuNJZSSQnTBUCsSuZPGMGlaDW_uGiGNUL5DPvYmVeTydlpDbn5llgXu-O9gMymv8d9RIvrIEgBw3bUZDNL6nurSqAQ6081eg3x6gRxA5CS8GxTbi5-5j6gy96jD_zC9ySHHKTXYtXolmo5A8t7bPFDx7MmVsNVG3iq1vDLiZ1veB/s320/20240107_104810.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Circle Trail in Lucy Park</td></tr></tbody></table>The next day, I decided to try <a href="https://www.wichitafallstx.gov/69/Lucy-Park" target="_blank">Lucy Park</a>. This used to be my favorite place to bird before the city tried to control flooding by denuding the park several years ago. I won't say I don't see some good birds on occasion, but it is no comparison to what it used to be. The loss of almost all of the understory and many of the older trees greatly impacted the bird habitat. But it is worth a walk now and again. The best areas now are the 3rd Street entrance to the falls and the fence line between the park and <a href="https://riverbendnaturecenter.org/" target="_blank">River Bend Nature Center</a>. I turned in the other direction, toward the log cabin. Again, I was there later than my usual time (10:40 - 11:40) and saw just a few birds: a northern cardinal, a couple of blue jays, some Carolina chickadees, robins, dark-eyed juncos, a great-tailed grackle (yes, just one) and a solitary cedar waxwing. Initially, when I saw the waxwing in the cedar tree, I thought it was a titmouse, but once I got my binoculars on it, it was definitely a waxwing. I listened and looked around for more, but didn't see or hear any.<br /><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3je2nUVI_9rQ7Vq0EimFk8QxdT8GNI0IIPUaB5XngOQbxS44Y8bk-6A0w3Qr9FR_-vxrPYQ8-DNZ9nhdsGmeYElmqdl_DODq1bm-nKQmBTP9dk3kirgX2Qxggg85gnHZcenLMWhIuFlNpOoWa1jhHKyuKqPm8rdjU57QjfMyWB8CvTyVEXuRQteo1YRkx/s4000/20240109_154353.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3je2nUVI_9rQ7Vq0EimFk8QxdT8GNI0IIPUaB5XngOQbxS44Y8bk-6A0w3Qr9FR_-vxrPYQ8-DNZ9nhdsGmeYElmqdl_DODq1bm-nKQmBTP9dk3kirgX2Qxggg85gnHZcenLMWhIuFlNpOoWa1jhHKyuKqPm8rdjU57QjfMyWB8CvTyVEXuRQteo1YRkx/s320/20240109_154353.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Standing water in the barrow pit</td></tr></tbody></table>I skipped Monday, as it was raining (hurray!), but walked the chat trail again Tuesday. Work sucked up my morning, so since I didn't get to the park until around 3 PM, I decided just to walk and if I saw any birds, great. Since I decided to try the <a href="https://www.theconqueror.events/?gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQiAnfmsBhDfARIsAM7MKi3GdCQH0X7EHY2UdIT0LG05Qn4yx0EETUUCToCigvlUPaIZ2j0W0vsaAjsAEALw_wcB" target="_blank">Conqueror Challenge</a> for 2024 (365 miles), I focused on walking, but did see some incidental birds. And with the decent rain on Monday, there was a pool of water in the barrow pit--I haven't seen any standing water in there for months. Proof is in the picture to the left. A northern harrier was hawking around the pit, looking for a snack. There was a group of northern flickers hanging around also--both yellow-shafted and red-shafted. Besides those birds, there were several Eurasian collared doves, some white-winged doves, some robins and a cardinal. </p><p>All-in-all, this week has been a bird famine, but it's still better than working.</p><p>Good birding!<br /> </p>Penny Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15382323638623048385noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7520407938864989108.post-16112152442868990572024-01-06T13:34:00.001-06:002024-01-06T13:34:24.262-06:00ABA's Bird of the Year<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLvXnNwdJYnmgdTrv1-WJUVD08_jOwWdUxuwWyIEdXyAH05lrKBO0ScogKrF-3YH2oZWagh68Z6KNMwI-rcKWzvPfhH1GGh4n-DrmQl18SA3x1Mi9y5PjcBT8ZZj9Y4Opzkl0T5uU1hHCgmYhQ9Q0xWBQbYb8T7my2Krpd0QLBGiHsebPbVIto1w4zkto_/s4369/Golden-winged_Warbler_(29517233081).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3215" data-original-width="4369" height="235" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLvXnNwdJYnmgdTrv1-WJUVD08_jOwWdUxuwWyIEdXyAH05lrKBO0ScogKrF-3YH2oZWagh68Z6KNMwI-rcKWzvPfhH1GGh4n-DrmQl18SA3x1Mi9y5PjcBT8ZZj9Y4Opzkl0T5uU1hHCgmYhQ9Q0xWBQbYb8T7my2Krpd0QLBGiHsebPbVIto1w4zkto_/s320/Golden-winged_Warbler_(29517233081).jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">By Andy Reago &amp; Chrissy McClarren - Golden-winged Warbler, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=63976506<br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>The <a href="https://www.aba.org/" target="_blank">American Birding Association (ABA) </a>names a Bird of the Year every January. This year's bird is the <a href="https://www.aba.org/boy2024/" target="_blank">Golden-winged Warbler</a>. A pretty bird, although not one that hangs out in our area. But that's ok. The bird does range through much of the eastern part of the country, to include <a href="https://www.texasbirds.org/lets-go-birding/tos-sanctuaries/sabine-woods/" target="_blank">Sabine Woods</a>, a <a href="https://www.texasbirds.org/" target="_blank">Texas Ornithological Society</a> sanctuary in east Texas. <div><br /></div><div>I bring this up to highlight the ABA. I am a member because they do a lot of bird conservation. The magazine is beautiful and interesting, although it tends to be more technical than many other birding magazines. ABA also has an interesting bird podcast. I try not to read the book reviews--I would have to get another job to support my bird book habit. And more shelf space.</div></div><div><br /></div><div>Warblers are challenging birds to identify, mostly because they are constantly on the move. I have a hard enough time catching a glimpse of them, let alone identify or take a picture of one. I used to go birding with a lady named Dorothy when I lived in Virginia. She could see a warbler for a second and tell you what it was, but she had spent decades banding birds and had written a book about warblers, so there was a good reason for that. We were out one day and I asked her the identity of a duck out on the lake. She said, "It's a duck." She said she hadn't spent much time working on her identification skills with ducks, so she had a difficult time identifying them. I can honestly say, I do reasonably well with ducks, but other than a few very distinctive species, warblers stump me much of the time. But I enjoy watching them anyway.</div><div><br /></div><div>Good birding!</div>Penny Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15382323638623048385noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7520407938864989108.post-30142908238012551752023-12-30T09:01:00.000-06:002023-12-30T09:02:38.181-06:00It's Project Feederwatch Time!<p>The <a href="https://www.birds.cornell.edu/home/" target="_blank">Cornell Lab of Ornithology</a> has several citizen science projects. <a href="https://feederwatch.org/" target="_blank">Project Feederwatch</a> is one of them. I have been participating for 26 years. It doesn't cost much to take part, it doesn't require a lot of time, and anyone can take part, regardless of mobility. It's a fun activity to do with kids as well.</p><p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5NekAqVqgG2gEM6ZBZu5SpuU9R_1_6F5rm3C1TMf6E21ENIp3Qp2Ywx5pI0aeJlj3cvJQtJTSG9s_YTYR_R7gKRZVdufUBan5QXBnwzC5Rvqw1S48C-b4dLwfM9hSl4SR_mMMTabL-d8dJssQkGqd8nv8HpoCmERcQvGovDDORPbk1vflFZ_wjbJE7r5b/s4000/20231230_081119.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5NekAqVqgG2gEM6ZBZu5SpuU9R_1_6F5rm3C1TMf6E21ENIp3Qp2Ywx5pI0aeJlj3cvJQtJTSG9s_YTYR_R7gKRZVdufUBan5QXBnwzC5Rvqw1S48C-b4dLwfM9hSl4SR_mMMTabL-d8dJssQkGqd8nv8HpoCmERcQvGovDDORPbk1vflFZ_wjbJE7r5b/w150-h200/20231230_081119.jpg" width="150" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Loki's "Time to feed the birds" stare</i></td></tr></tbody></table>My dogs, Loki and Sirius, love to feed the birds. I'd say it's their favorite activity outside of breakfast and dinner. I usually go out to feed the birds after breakfast. If I don't, the boys will stare at me. If that doesn't work they will start nudging me or climbing up in my lap to remind me the birds are starving.<br /></p><p>They could care less about the birds eating. They love eating the bird seed themselves. Since I ground feed as well as put food in the feeders, they graze on the food on the ground. I try to scatter it all over the yard so they don't eat it all. I don't buy cheap bird food.</p><p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIVHZVWMZIBTNN5vufLb5KA7tkNZMEqpcqoHQtA95cqXywAdtYqoR57dk_G7g4ARaq29j1_pcT8RYi-15Lh4zE2_7_teq_sVrEv1Ro5aGmzVxlrPcrSX5y4HEHbP4HimMofvsBJcY2uiCgqfbPYCIl5Bcks_tKyaU6-JWS0wiI-zFGbTzYpBGB4iqrlKoj/s4000/20231230_075520.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIVHZVWMZIBTNN5vufLb5KA7tkNZMEqpcqoHQtA95cqXywAdtYqoR57dk_G7g4ARaq29j1_pcT8RYi-15Lh4zE2_7_teq_sVrEv1Ro5aGmzVxlrPcrSX5y4HEHbP4HimMofvsBJcY2uiCgqfbPYCIl5Bcks_tKyaU6-JWS0wiI-zFGbTzYpBGB4iqrlKoj/w200-h150/20231230_075520.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The boys grazing on bird food</i></td></tr></tbody></table>Last year, I carried a 20-lb bag of black oil sunflower seed out back to put in the bin and discovered I didn't have my scissors to open it, so I set the bag on the deck to go back in the house to get them. Once I got in the kitchen to get my scissors, I got distracted (the story of my life), so it was a good half hour before I remembered I still needed to put the food in the bin. When I went out, one of the dogs (probably Loki) had ripped open the bag and eaten a couple of cups of sunflower seed. Fortunately, sunflower seeds are not bad for dogs (although Loki is part goat and eats anything he can get into his mouth).<br /></p><p>Project Feederwatch runs November through April. Although it is underway for this year, it isn't too late to sign up. You still have some months to enjoy the birds in your yard and contribute to our knowledge of birds.</p><p>Good birding!</p>Penny Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15382323638623048385noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7520407938864989108.post-6645909176818045372023-12-27T15:35:00.000-06:002023-12-27T15:36:30.611-06:00Long Time, No "See"!<p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrEh1cM9NLOMfdCyhMdkaVuDWhzrSJi9CkV9u-w3GHMsxxWvGj1nLJqNX5OL356Q_8omR3MVaAifl7VVepzg_3Vj8THAV79N3Qv9pEP04MDxtdLPK02D4vpHhzvW3qd7vpnKmMn3LfhEB7-8imxw6fgToVbIU0FxSCIu2k9gXqCRoL5iSCqr_2gjroCsux/s4000/20231227_092215.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrEh1cM9NLOMfdCyhMdkaVuDWhzrSJi9CkV9u-w3GHMsxxWvGj1nLJqNX5OL356Q_8omR3MVaAifl7VVepzg_3Vj8THAV79N3Qv9pEP04MDxtdLPK02D4vpHhzvW3qd7vpnKmMn3LfhEB7-8imxw6fgToVbIU0FxSCIu2k9gXqCRoL5iSCqr_2gjroCsux/w150-h200/20231227_092215.jpg" width="150" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Washed out sign</td></tr></tbody></table><br />It has been quite a while since I posted to this blog. Longer than I thought when I looked. I have had people periodically ask when I was going to get back to writing. The answer is, Now!</p><p>The good news (for me) is that I am retiring (mostly), and one of the things I plan to spend a lot more time doing is birdwatching. </p><p>I spent some time out today in <a href="https://www.wichitafallstx.gov/70/Lake-Wichita-Park" target="_blank">Lake Wichita Park</a>, primarily along the Chat Trail. A beautiful morning, although the trail was empty. I notice that if the temperature is below 50, there aren't many people out and about.</p><p>I didn't see anything spectacular, but it was still a good morning. I did notice the sign about birds was washed out along the bottom from the sun. It's going to happen, but the Parks Department needs to change the sign. I know this isn't the greatest picture, but as luck would have it, the sun was in the wrong place to get a good photo.</p><p>The birds this morning along the chat trail:</p><p>Canada goose</p><p>Double-crested cormorant</p><p>Mallard duck</p><p>Ring-billed gull</p><p>White-winged dove</p><p>Northern flicker</p><p>Blue jay</p><p>Mockingbird</p><p>Northern cardinal</p><p>Robin</p><p>Harris' sparrow</p><p>Song sparrow</p><p>White-crowned sparrow</p><p>Dark-eyed junco</p><p>Yellow-rumped warbler</p><p>Ruby-crowned kinglet</p><p>Red-winged blackbird</p><p>American goldfinch</p><p>I hope to have many more birding outings to tell you about.</p><p>Good birding!</p><p><br /></p>Penny Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15382323638623048385noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7520407938864989108.post-74090799323404467422021-02-18T09:20:00.001-06:002021-02-18T09:21:30.578-06:00Early Visitors<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw6wCzDQOdtYucc4BkQUPz8C2o4nEuM_FJaqTOakCVXNeLDlR4fI9FqsWlarepp_cRvkaGszHr5nLg-KbmGi4S2m9W-TYdhQmka64puUeAR8B5Gjp1neo7QQRGTTRHP6WCkQp9nhyW0Z8h/s2578/20210218_073515.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2578" data-original-width="1220" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw6wCzDQOdtYucc4BkQUPz8C2o4nEuM_FJaqTOakCVXNeLDlR4fI9FqsWlarepp_cRvkaGszHr5nLg-KbmGi4S2m9W-TYdhQmka64puUeAR8B5Gjp1neo7QQRGTTRHP6WCkQp9nhyW0Z8h/s320/20210218_073515.jpg" /></a></div>With all of the snow, the birds have been hot and heavy at the feeders. I have an occasional <a href="https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Red-winged_Blackbird/id" target="_blank">red-winged blackbird</a> visit the feeders, but we're talking once or twice a winter, not on a regular basis, probably because there is usually plenty of natural food available. Yesterday, I had dozens of them because the natural food was covered in a foot of snow and it was darned cold. <p></p><p>This morning I got up and had at least 200 red-winged blackbirds converged on the area where I ground feed. Mingled in among them were two <a href="https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Yellow-headed_Blackbird" target="_blank">yellow-headed blackbirds</a>. I caught a quick picture with my cell phone through the blinds (and a dirty window). If you look between the slats on the deck, right in the center, you can see two yellow heads. I didn't see any females, but there were so many blackbirds for such a short period of time, I didn't have the chance to look for them. We have a pair of Cooper's hawks in the neighborhood, so the birds are constantly startling.</p><p>Usually, I don't see yellow-headed blackbirds until around April. I couldn't recall ever seeing any this early in the year, so I checked eBird. According to eBird, there is not a record of one in Wichita County before 15 March. Good thing I got a photo, poor quality though it might be.<br /></p><p>Just goes to show, birds don't read the field guides. Keep an eye on your feeders for unusual birds. You never know what you might see.</p><p>Good birding!</p><p><br /></p><br /><p><br /></p>Penny Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15382323638623048385noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7520407938864989108.post-4742549156946880272021-02-14T08:55:00.004-06:002021-02-14T08:55:43.647-06:00Winter Lockdown<p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnQiAHYgB6yvXiSnPB25C1jFICpAPPxxnVEiijWy4WrVSHxTfIfazWda1gZ4DYQfKf2aSGt-dy9k4igdTfY7b2aaCuugysTDzes2CdJx4Z_sPnOGVZhAVdABAAuh_olVpphWQdgDeeeROV/s640/amanda-frank-DhPdWz6TLd8-unsplash+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="427" data-original-width="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnQiAHYgB6yvXiSnPB25C1jFICpAPPxxnVEiijWy4WrVSHxTfIfazWda1gZ4DYQfKf2aSGt-dy9k4igdTfY7b2aaCuugysTDzes2CdJx4Z_sPnOGVZhAVdABAAuh_olVpphWQdgDeeeROV/s320/amanda-frank-DhPdWz6TLd8-unsplash+%25281%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/@aewild?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText">Amanda Frank</a> on <a href="https://unsplash.com/?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText">Unsplash</a></td></tr></tbody></table><br />It has been cold, really cold, here in Wichita Falls, and in much of the country. We are not expected to see temperatures above freezing for a week. We are also expecting a lot of snow, although there has been only a smattering of that so far. I am planning on staying in the house for the duration. Fortunately, I have an office at the house, so I can do that.</p><p>The picture to the left is not Wichita Falls and is not our Carolina Chickadee (it's a black-capped chickadee), but looks a little like our environment right now. How can such a tiny little bird, weighing only a few ounces, survive these cold temperatures?</p><p>I saw a post yesterday on Facebook where someone was asking what they could do to provide a way for the birds to keep warm. Birds are phenomenally well adapted to surviving in the cold. But there are things we can do to help. </p><p>First, shelter. It isn't necessary to put up houses. Instead, think habitat. Trees, shrubs, vines, and grasses. These provide a windbreak and when covered with snow, can be relatively snug. Brush piles are also well-loved by small birds. With the exception of the brush piles, if you haven't already put the plants in place, you can't do much about habitat now, but you can put in some plants when we thaw out.</p><p>Extra food, especially food high in fat, is important for birds to be able to keep their body temperatures up. It takes a lot of energy to produce heat. I am going out multiple times a day to ensure there is plenty of food for all. </p><p>Water is also important and hard for birds to find when water is frozen. Either add fresh water to the birdbath every little bit when it freezes or invest in a bubbler or heater for your birdbath.</p><p>Birds don't really need our help in the winter, but it does make us feel better to do something. Birds have some very interesting adaptations to help them survive the cold. Like what?</p><p>In the cold, birds look bigger. They fluff up their feathers. This traps air between the feathers to provide insulation between the surrounding air and their bodies. Some birds add additional feathers in their fall molt to add even more insulation. And birds add oil to their feathers as they preen.</p><p>The scales on bird legs are an adaptation that helps minimize heat loss. Birds can also control the amount of blood circulating in their legs and feet, reducing heat loss that way.</p><p>Some birds also have the ability to reduce their body temperatures in order to need less fuel. Hummingbirds do this. They have an extraordinary energy requirement, even compared to other birds. They can drop their body temperature from a normal 104 degrees F to as low as 38 degrees. Swifts and poorwills also do this.</p><p>Birds also share body heat by roosting together. Smaller birds will sometimes form piles in sheltered areas. I can remember seeing a small flock of Inca doves huddled up together in a small sheltered spot a few winters ago when we had a snowstorm.</p><p>Birds can lay down a lot of body fat in a short period of time and they will eat as much as they can in order to do so. Birds do this in the fall before migration and before winter because both require a lot of energy.</p><p>For now, keep the food out and water in the birdbath. Create a brush pile or some sort of windbreak. Plant native plants (bonus points if they provide food as well) before next winter comes.</p><p>Our birds have what it takes to survive the cold without us, but all of us can use help now and again. </p><p>Good birding!</p><p><br /></p>Penny Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15382323638623048385noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7520407938864989108.post-59728784442201285792021-02-08T08:41:00.003-06:002021-02-08T08:41:37.575-06:00Scouts on the Way!<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuTWToW8WL7AcSFc55qnOYSitI4UcLj7jzDBATBFUuDBkjwg7f0UYlflLlS5XmV37QCq2OEJdcdlSLAf9UGf6g2GPhwbR7jQKR2v3WTyGvf67nlw_TIRAN3wpVKqeiFmgzqTJPC7uaOx7O/s520/Purple+Martin+USFWS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="289" data-original-width="520" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuTWToW8WL7AcSFc55qnOYSitI4UcLj7jzDBATBFUuDBkjwg7f0UYlflLlS5XmV37QCq2OEJdcdlSLAf9UGf6g2GPhwbR7jQKR2v3WTyGvf67nlw_TIRAN3wpVKqeiFmgzqTJPC7uaOx7O/s320/Purple+Martin+USFWS.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Purple_Martin/overview" target="_blank">Purple Martin</a> scouts are on the way. Generally, they arrive in mid-February in our area, searching for suitable nesting sites. Historically, purple martins nested in tree cavities, as do many birds. However, now they rely upon purple martin houses. If you have a martin house or plan to put up a martin house, now is the time to get serious about preparing for the incoming house hunters, as we tend to get scouts around Valentine's Day. I would think they would stay south another week, considering the cold front heading our way, but that's not always how it works out. You can track scout reports at the <a href="https://www.purplemartin.org/" target="_blank">Purple Martin Conservation Association</a> <a href="https://www.purplemartin.org/research/8/scout-arrival-study/" target="_blank">Scout Arrival Study</a> page. You can see scouts have been reported very close to us already. The closest I see is Clyde, TX on 2 February.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">If you have a martin house, it is time to clean it out to eliminate last year's parasites. A good scrub with soap and water is fine. Please do not spray insecticides in the nesting compartments. Then keep the house sparrows and the starlings out of the houses. You'll have to just pull out nesting materials as the birds attempt to build nests. Once the purple martins move in, a few sparrows or starlings are not as big a deal. But if the starlings and sparrows use up all the space, then no martins.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">If you put up a new house, again, keep it cleaned out of unwanted neighbors until the martins find the house. You may or may not get martin guests the first year. Be sure the area has some open space for the birds to hunt insects.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />Purple martins have a reputation for eating mosquitoes. This is largely a myth. If you want a good mosquito control, put up a bat house. Purple Martins catch some mosquitoes, but if you think about when and how purple martins hunt compared to mosquito activity, you can see why mosquitoes don't make up a large percentage of their diet. They eat many more dragonflies and spiders, although any flying insect works.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Purple martins are not quiet birds. They have a odd, robotic type chatter as they fly around, scooping up insects.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Obviously, if you are going to try to attract martins, you need to be sure NOT to spray a bunch of insecticides in your yard. Low numbers of insects spell starvation for the young (and possibly the parents as well) and poisoned insects lead to poisoned birds.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">With just a little bit of work, you too can enjoy these beautiful, active birds on your property.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Good birding!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p></p>Penny Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15382323638623048385noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7520407938864989108.post-41638310402794916912021-01-30T06:23:00.001-06:002021-01-30T06:23:02.903-06:00Great Backyard Bird Count<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.birdcount.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/GBBC_Web_Square_r22.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="800" height="200" src="https://www.birdcount.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/GBBC_Web_Square_r22.png" width="200" /></a></div> The <a href="https://www.birdcount.org" target="_blank">Great Backyard Bird Count</a> (GBBC) is 12 - 15 February 2021. The count is an annual event, sponsored by The <a href="https://www.birds.cornell.edu/home/" target="_blank">Cornell Lab of Ornithology</a>, the <a href="https://www.audubon.org/" target="_blank">Audubon Society</a>, and <a href="https://www.birdscanada.org/" target="_blank">Birds Canada</a>. I have taken part for several years. The GBBC was launched in 1998 as a citizen science project to capture a snapshot of bird populations.<p></p><p>I block the mornings of these days out well in advance. I usually spend about two hours each of the mornings birding in the local parks and then some time later updating <a href="https://ebird.org/home" target="_blank">eBird</a> with my findings. However, you can use any period of 15 minutes or more and your yard is fine, so anyone can participate. Last year, over a quarter million people around the world took part, documenting just over 6,900 species of birds.</p><p>This is a great activity to do with the kids. Since you're not required to devote a lot of time, if the kids (or your non-birding significant other) get bored, you have still contributed to our knowledge of birds.</p><p>The next <a href="https://tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/lake-arrowhead" target="_blank">Lake Arrowhead State Park</a> bird walk occurs during the GBBC, so if you want to go with a group, plan to attend the bird walk on that date. February 13, 8:00 AM. COVID-19 safety requirements will still be in place. Currently, the requirements include no group larger than 10, social distancing, masks, and no sharing of binoculars or field guides. Those requirements may change, so check with the park the day before.</p><p>I usually publish the dates I plan to go to the various parks in case someone wants to go with me, but due to COVID-19, I am not doing that this year. However, if you would like to go, you can email me at txbirds@gmail.com--all of the COVID-19 safety requirements will be in effect, however. I plan to bird 8:00 - 10:00 each day, longer on the days I do the <a href="https://www.wichitafallstx.gov/1741/Wichita-Bluff-Section" target="_blank">Wichita Bluff Nature Park</a> segment and a portion of the <a href="https://www.traillink.com/trail/wichita-valley-rail-trail/#:~:text=The%20Wichita%20Valley%20Rail%2DTrail,and%20a%20collection%20of%20volunteers." target="_blank">Wichita Valley Rail Trail</a>, due to the length of the trail. If I'm having a good day, I sometimes add short stops (15 - 30 minutes) at some local hot spots.</p><p>Plan to take part. If you are not already signed up with eBird, you will need to set up an account and become familiar with at least the basics to update your count information.</p><p>Good birding!</p><p><br /></p>Penny Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15382323638623048385noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7520407938864989108.post-90489536498209469182021-01-23T06:23:00.000-06:002021-01-23T06:23:30.836-06:00My Best Birding Buddy<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHxCShUc-HEajYqTuKtEYMi52-jlAZgHSbiDpgj23J57LPkTZJAQyQP2dgdY82IXasurFKhWDDxMkrtsSt1EYWbkimFiMKL5mM4QGdOKNyFuUmHe1AqzVpKJTxYXQmScMTy7DdQhYB_1Rf/s2578/20210109_081232.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2578" data-original-width="1220" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHxCShUc-HEajYqTuKtEYMi52-jlAZgHSbiDpgj23J57LPkTZJAQyQP2dgdY82IXasurFKhWDDxMkrtsSt1EYWbkimFiMKL5mM4QGdOKNyFuUmHe1AqzVpKJTxYXQmScMTy7DdQhYB_1Rf/s320/20210109_081232.jpg" /></a></div>This is Amelia, my granddaughter, and my best birding buddy. We went to <a href="https://tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/lake-arrowhead" target="_blank">Lake Arrowhead State Park</a> for the monthly bird walk on Saturday, January 9. As you can see, it was a chilly morning, which meant she and I were the only participants that morning. I don't know what it is about Texans, but if the temperature is in the 30's or less, it is very unusual for anyone else to show. The same if it rains. This was unfortunate that Saturday as it was a bright, sunshiny morning with no wind. There was a heavy frost. <p></p><p>Amelia loves going birdwatching with me, although she is interested in a lot more than birds. She was fascinated with the frost patterns on everything (she is holding some dead leaves she was showing me the lacy frost on) and had a lot of fun breaking off small sheets of ice along the edge of the lake.</p><p>We spent about an hour and a half at the park and found 31 species--a good morning. As we were leaving, I stopped at the park headquarters to renew my park pass. The ranger asked Amelia what bird she saw that morning was her favorite. I expected her to say the American Coot because she talked about them a lot while we were walking. But she said the Great Blue Heron. We only saw it for a few seconds before it flew off. But it is an impressive bird. Personally, my best bird of the morning was a Golden-fronted Woodpecker.</p><p>Here is a list of the birds seen that morning:</p><p>Canada goose, American coot, Green-winged teal, Gadwall, Pied-billed grebe, White pelican, Great blue heron, Greater yellowlegs, Killdeer, Wilson's snipe, Ring-billed gull, Red-tailed hawk, Northern harrier, Great horned owl, Morning dove, Eurasian collared dove, Golden-fronted woodpecker, Ladder-backed woodpecker, Northern cardinal, Northern mockingbird, Carolina chickadee, Carolina wren, Fox sparrow, White-crowned sparrow, Harris's sparrow, American pipit, American goldfinch, European starling, Meadowlark, Dark-eyed junco, and Red-winged blackbird. We also saw several peeps, but I wasn't able to get a good enough look to identify whether they were western or semipalmated.</p><p>Overall, a very good morning. The next bird walk is Saturday, February 13, 2021. This happens to be one of the days for the Great Backyard Bird Count (see an upcoming post). We meet at 8:00 AM at the dump station. The route is a very easy walk of about 1 mile total. There are several COVID-19 safety requirements (which could change, depending upon the circumstances at the time). Group size must be less than 10 (that's not generally a problem). Masks and social distancing are required. Field guides and binoculars cannot be shared. Come on out! </p><p>Good birding!</p>Penny Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15382323638623048385noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7520407938864989108.post-35117152018479487822021-01-01T10:18:00.000-06:002021-01-01T10:18:40.091-06:00Starting the New Year Right!<p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0GARkergf0v4ef1d7hR6EqPgVkc80TjqU3horLbvahhY8SubDf6SYTLgSe1DY_GGRc8qSABUptkPpb-7zdKK-AbFVsRv3Wi3hGkOxt-yEjcAiWzF21IDpApsDEzicXJV4HfIsrB5W0NmM/s2578/20210101_071437.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2578" data-original-width="1220" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0GARkergf0v4ef1d7hR6EqPgVkc80TjqU3horLbvahhY8SubDf6SYTLgSe1DY_GGRc8qSABUptkPpb-7zdKK-AbFVsRv3Wi3hGkOxt-yEjcAiWzF21IDpApsDEzicXJV4HfIsrB5W0NmM/s320/20210101_071437.jpg" /></a></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD54bEgqzb1H-KtDA0mmzQSyADMq7ICKrmOY2XUlrv7bksXtoJIIJN2t57Iolo570k-uRK14ClrsiPXU491dkmJgVeRXNrayosr_XuHhCifP7Jj8UstG1helcwsLf0dlnY84stDHdbWOPf/s2578/20210101_071440.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2578" data-original-width="1220" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD54bEgqzb1H-KtDA0mmzQSyADMq7ICKrmOY2XUlrv7bksXtoJIIJN2t57Iolo570k-uRK14ClrsiPXU491dkmJgVeRXNrayosr_XuHhCifP7Jj8UstG1helcwsLf0dlnY84stDHdbWOPf/s320/20210101_071440.jpg" /></a></div>I don't know about you, but I allowed COVID to disrupt my life way too much last year. In some ways, life went on as normal. I am not the most social person in the first place, so staying home more wasn't that difficult. However, I allowed the pandemic to interfere with birding and with sharing the joy of birds with others. And that's a shame. So, I've decided that this year, in 2021, I am going to get back to birdwatching and sharing that with those of you who may still be catching this blog. On the other hand, I have talked to a few people who were not into watching birds who called me at some point during the year to tell me they were very much enjoying watching the birds in their yard during increased time at home. So, perhaps we have some new converts.<p></p><p>Happy New Year! We had some snow last night. As you can see in the pictures, it wasn't a lot and it will all melt today, as our temperatures are supposed to get into the 40's. It's pretty though so I am enjoying it. The other good thing about cold weather and snow is that it brings more birds to the feeders.</p><p>I have been working gradually on improving my small yard for birds and pollinators. My neighbors aren't helpful--they all have pretty barren yards. However, my efforts have started paying off. A couple of months ago, I had my very first <a href="https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Carolina_Chickadee/id" target="_blank">Carolina Chickadee</a> in my yard. This morning, I started the new year off with a bang--I saw a <a href="https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Spotted_Towhee/id" target="_blank">Spotted Towhee</a> in my yard for the first time, searching in the leaves that my neighbors hate that I refuse to rake. I wasn't able to get a picture before she left, but it was a nice start to the day. Neither of these birds is uncommon in our area, but they haven't visited my yard in the 9 years I have lived here. Progress!</p><p>This is a great time of year to plant some perennials in your yard to attract and feed the birds and pollinators in 2021 and for years after.</p><p>Good birding!</p><p><br /><br /></p>Penny Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15382323638623048385noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7520407938864989108.post-11431677765395279392019-01-28T09:00:00.000-06:002019-01-28T09:00:04.100-06:00Great Backyard Bird Count Coming Soon!One of my favorite birding "events" of the year is the <a href="http://gbbc.birdcount.org/" target="_blank">Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC)</a> that occurs mid-February every year.<br />
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This is a great project to do with your kids or grandkids as you only have to participate for 15 minutes. For homeschoolers, this is a great science project to show how field data is collected and compiled for use in various studies.<br />
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Want to participate? It's easy. Here is a<a href="http://gbbc.birdcount.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/2016Updates_English_DownloadableInstructions.pdf" target="_blank"> link to instructions</a>.<br />
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Again this year I will be doing the GBBC all four days and invite anyone who would like to come. I am a little restricted on time on Monday, February 18, but I plan to go anyway for a couple of hours. Here is where and when I intend to start each day:<br />
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Friday, February 15: 8:00 AM, <a href="http://www.wichitafallstx.gov/1741/Wichita-Bluff-Section" target="_blank">Wichita Bluff Nature Area</a>, off Seymour Highway. Meet in the parking lot. We'll walk the entire trail to Loop 11 and back (about 2.5 miles round trip). This will probably be the longest in terms of time, so expect around 3 or 4 hours, depending upon the birds. Although not a strenuous hike, it is the most hilly of the GBBC target places. People with limited mobility may find this difficult, but the trail is paved.<br />
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Saturday, February 16, 8:00 AM, <a href="https://tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/lake-arrowhead" target="_blank">Lake Arrowhead State Park</a>. This is the regularly scheduled monthly bird walk. We usually walk about 1 mile. We take our time, so it normally takes around 1.5 hours. The ground is level, but there are places where we are not on a paved surface surface.<br />
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Saturday, February 16. TBD. I am thinking about heading from Lake Arrowhead to do a short walk along the <a href="https://www.traillink.com/trail/wichita-valley-rail-trail/" target="_blank">Wichita Valley Rail Trail</a>. I have been meaning to hike this trail and haven't yet. The trail is 5.6 miles and I don't have any intention of hiking the entire distance (especially as I would have to walk the return as well.) I thought I would hike a mile or so and then turn around. If someone wants to go, we can iron out the details. The trail is reported to be cinder and gravel.<br />
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Sunday, February 17, 8:00 AM. <a href="http://www.wichitafallstx.gov/DocumentCenter/View/257/Wichita-Falls-Parks-Map?bidId=" target="_blank">Circle Trail between Lucy Park and Williams Park</a>. This is a very pretty section of the trail. We had some good birds here last year. This is not a strenuous walk. There are a couple of low-grade hills. The entire distance is paved. I have never measured the distance but I estimate the walk there and back would be around 2 - 2.5 miles.<br />
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Monday, February 18, 8:00 AM. I have some limitations on time on Monday, so my plan is to go to the Chat Trail in <a href="http://www.wichitafallstx.gov/70/Lake-Wichita-Park" target="_blank">Lake Wichita Park</a> and walk around the borrow pit as well. When the birds are cooperative, this is "the" birding location in Wichita Falls. This is a short hike on gravel and some on a paved surface. About a half mile total. If I have time, I may walk more of the trail toward the spillway or along the lake shoreline--weather dependent.<br />
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Contact me at green.wichitafalls@gmail.com if you would like to bird with me one of these days.<br />
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Good birding!Penny Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15382323638623048385noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7520407938864989108.post-72240235241749190852019-01-23T13:12:00.002-06:002019-01-23T13:12:42.801-06:00Bird Walk at Lake Arrowhead State ParkI'm a little late writing this post as the monthly bird walk at <a href="https://tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/lake-arrowhead" target="_blank">Lake Arrowhead State Park</a> was Saturday, January 12 (well, okay, a lot late.)<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi35fLh_Rm55iR-raVBdG1Q3SpVC3oyyyv78KrB92FeepZ-883CeyMQg038aVrTOcOhAcbr0ha7uWhp5zKiiJ4IIxpEHUWIu8u5yY-THnZgk8f5ULSpK7u7dKCeG6G9YZ2ECrJrMuPAWFZX/s1600/Bonaparte%2527s_Gull_+Wikimedia+Dick.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi35fLh_Rm55iR-raVBdG1Q3SpVC3oyyyv78KrB92FeepZ-883CeyMQg038aVrTOcOhAcbr0ha7uWhp5zKiiJ4IIxpEHUWIu8u5yY-THnZgk8f5ULSpK7u7dKCeG6G9YZ2ECrJrMuPAWFZX/s200/Bonaparte%2527s_Gull_+Wikimedia+Dick.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bonaparte's gull, photo by Dick Daniels<br />Wikimedia Commons</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgux2f-fhyphenhyphengfTAr8LXYMIRAIJSmq_A1Zy84ETSDkeEXObfYgfpc285azlDXaRXG_vAdl8A2mpI-NAOSZ_oAJsrKXBr8_3NH22etiAsTHhPs-tB3ygFvuq_ya0kNwj3sKueyvFSK8z-XUEeR/s1600/Forster%2527s_Tern_Dick+Daniels+Wikimedia.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgux2f-fhyphenhyphengfTAr8LXYMIRAIJSmq_A1Zy84ETSDkeEXObfYgfpc285azlDXaRXG_vAdl8A2mpI-NAOSZ_oAJsrKXBr8_3NH22etiAsTHhPs-tB3ygFvuq_ya0kNwj3sKueyvFSK8z-XUEeR/s200/Forster%2527s_Tern_Dick+Daniels+Wikimedia.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Forster's tern, photo by Dick Daniels<br />Wikimedia Commons</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
It was a cold day, but Lynn showed, so she and I checked out the birds. Admittedly, we didn't go as slowly as usual and finished the walk in just over an hour. That being said, we found some good birds. The best birds from my point of view were the <a href="https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Bonapartes_Gull/id" target="_blank">Bonaparte's gulls</a> and <a href="https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Forsters_Tern" target="_blank">Forster's terns</a>.<br />
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We had only one woodpecker, a northern flicker, seen within just a couple of minutes of me saying, "I haven't seen any flickers this winter."<br />
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Birds seen (not included on this list is a Wilson's snipe that Lynn caught on camera that I don't recall seeing--one of my favorites):<br />
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Canada goose<br />
American coot<br />
Northern shoveler<br />
Gadwall<br />
Double-crested cormorant<br />
White pelican<br />
Pied-billed grebe<br />
Ring-billed gull<br />
Bonaparte's gull<br />
Forster's tern<br />
Kildeer<br />
Greater yellowlegs<br />
Lesser yellowlegs<br />
Western sandpiper<br />
Northern flicker<br />
Northern mockingbird<br />
Northern cardinal<br />
Eastern phoebe<br />
Bewick's wren<br />
Harris's sparrow<br />
White-crowned sparrow<br />
Orange-crowned warbler<br />
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Not a bad hour on a cold morning.<br />
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Don't forget the monthly bird walks at Lake Arrowhead SP are on the 2nd Saturday of each month, starting at 8 AM. Park entry fees apply--get there a little early as the ranger station won't be open yet, so you'll need to make out your fee envelope. We meet at the dump station area (2nd left after you enter the park, then the first right, on the left). Kids and novices are welcome.<br />
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Good birding!<br />
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<br />Penny Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15382323638623048385noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7520407938864989108.post-41333383486000869252019-01-03T14:25:00.001-06:002019-01-03T14:25:24.909-06:00Book Reviews: Gulls Simplified<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUGrZYjj4PyPqPrL_JniGoq0KEYmptZn6UnaogNgV3O_xbL-luYgwoy8w_xd63V-ygEvT4xLGpW2_hLg62qGmpL67CHA0dr-sVCM-lK3CBwsQHEBTgE5Wr7j0b76mpTypP-T3LvMM7vyVf/s1600/gulls+simplified+cover.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="376" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUGrZYjj4PyPqPrL_JniGoq0KEYmptZn6UnaogNgV3O_xbL-luYgwoy8w_xd63V-ygEvT4xLGpW2_hLg62qGmpL67CHA0dr-sVCM-lK3CBwsQHEBTgE5Wr7j0b76mpTypP-T3LvMM7vyVf/s320/gulls+simplified+cover.png" width="250" /></a></div>
Gulls are tricky to identify. Not only are the birds largely similar, but it takes multiple years for the birds to reach mature plumage and the plumage differs by age. To make things more fun, there can be a fair amount of variation within age groups.<br />
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For most of our birds, we learn male, female, immature, and possibly nonbreeding. If you live in an area where gulls are common, you would have a motivation to study and get good with identification. Here in the Wichita Falls, TX area, we only get gulls in the winter and 95% or more are ring-billed gulls. Consequently, many locals identify gulls as a "ring-billed gull" or "not a ring-billed gull." We really have to have time to study a gull to have a hope of making an accurate identification--and we are hoping we have adult plumage to work with. Many of us have more "gull species" than clearly identified species on trip lists.<br />
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<a href="https://press.princeton.edu/" target="_blank">Princeton University Press</a> sent me a review copy of <a href="https://press.princeton.edu/titles/13273.html" target="_blank">Gulls Simplified: A Comparative Approach to Identification</a>, by Pete Dunne and Kevin Karlson. What makes it especially useful are the numerous pictures (330 color photos). The species accounts are focused on identification which is the purpose of the book. There are lots of pictures with a discussion of what field marks to look for and where you may get confused with another species. There isn't a lot of text, but there is some commentary on those traits that experienced birders notice that can make a difference in deciding between two species. For example, the Great Black-backed gull is referred to "chestier" than a Herring Gull and its gait is referred to as a "waddling sailor's gait." To a non-birder, this may not seem to be anything other than literary description, but it is precisely these things that allow a birder to identify similar species quickly in the field.<br />
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Overall, this is an excellent book to hone your gull identification skills. It isn't a book to take into the field, but a great supplemental reference to use when you get back to the house with your field notes and/or photos.<br />
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The list price for this book is $24.95. It is also available for less from other outlets (the least expensive I found in paperback was Barnes and Noble for $17.21). The least expensive version is the Kindle edition, but I just don't care for my bird books in ebook format. But that is my preference. If you like ebooks, the Kindle version is $15.72 (and of course, you can have it immediately.)Penny Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15382323638623048385noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7520407938864989108.post-9387826015855898682018-09-27T14:32:00.000-05:002018-09-27T14:32:02.743-05:00Book Review: How to Be an Urban Birder<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6Xz8-hxn68CJpZnWZF1RwGWtbNO4gesfwRbF81yV7eajJ_yodiHH51PNnpPuyvyODfvcemZ6VIh6BdhjxwDTGE_rvuh3xHXp7uAQNVzW4tfR1R5LiOGx7elAfrjfu2UiZ3oT_QzW436TT/s1600/urban+birder+cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="284" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6Xz8-hxn68CJpZnWZF1RwGWtbNO4gesfwRbF81yV7eajJ_yodiHH51PNnpPuyvyODfvcemZ6VIh6BdhjxwDTGE_rvuh3xHXp7uAQNVzW4tfR1R5LiOGx7elAfrjfu2UiZ3oT_QzW436TT/s320/urban+birder+cover.jpg" width="227" /></a></div>
I very much enjoyed the book, <i>How to Be an Urban Birder</i> by David Lindo, sent to me by Princeton University Press for review.<br />
<br />
But before I even opened the book and read the first word, do you know what caught my eye? The author, David Lindo, is not white. That seems wrong to notice that first, but at least here in the U.S., birding is predominantly a hobby enjoyed by white people. I am not sure why that is as birding is one nature activity you can do anywhere, but it seems to be a hobby by those who can get out of town into the countryside. Which is unfortunate. Those of us who bird know how endlessly fascinating birds are, and I would love to see more people enjoy the hobby and gain a greater appreciation for the creatures that share our world.<br />
<br />
This book is a celebration of birds and birding in places we don't think of as good birding locations--our urban environment. If you ask someone what birds you are likely to see in a city, the most likely responses are pigeons, starlings, house sparrows, and similar birds. But I have been in many large cities and seen some excellent birds. It's a matter of looking. Lots of photos of birds seen by the author in his urban environment show how much more is possible.<br />
<br />
And that really is the point of this book. We can introduce people to birds and nature anywhere, building an appreciation of the environment they might not otherwise have. As more and more people live in urban areas, it becomes harder to connect people to nature. As David Lindo says, "If we can learn about the importance of wildlife conservation in our cities then we will understand the connection in the general web of life on this planet, enabling us to reach out and strive to protect the rest of the world's fauna and flora and ultimately, ourselves."<br />
<br />
Mr. Lindo is based in England, and that was much of the fun for me. I lived in England for a few years, so it was fun to read some of the expressions I had forgotten and to see pictures of some of the birds that were so familiar when we lived there, but I haven't seen since we returned to the U.S.<br />
<br />
This is a good book for a new birder. He writes about field guides, binoculars, telescopes, cameras and all of the other paraphernalia birders tend to accumulate. There is a chapter on creating a more bird-friendly yard. Scattered throughout are examples of the things many cities are doing to improve the urban environment for birds, wildlife, and people. Whether a new birder or one more experienced, this is an interesting read.<br />
<br />
You can find this book on Amazon for $15.45 or from Princeton University Press for $18.95.<br />
<br />
<br />Penny Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15382323638623048385noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7520407938864989108.post-58637475245866935712018-09-23T13:53:00.002-05:002018-09-23T13:53:51.560-05:00Yes, Fall Migration is Upon Us!<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAo6AZDpUWt8cfo15Qiojz9YH5vlfWTRAlocWPkpjnl2hCQUoJC1ZKmvcn11zv0q1o5aP5e2rV_lhFRpAjjLCJP6t58anexI7N99Gk6k8_6jY0tV9qi2BEwAPO-4vvjhS0aeRPDse_a5Kq/s1600/blue+gray+gnatcatcher+wikimedia+commons+mauricholas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="533" data-original-width="800" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAo6AZDpUWt8cfo15Qiojz9YH5vlfWTRAlocWPkpjnl2hCQUoJC1ZKmvcn11zv0q1o5aP5e2rV_lhFRpAjjLCJP6t58anexI7N99Gk6k8_6jY0tV9qi2BEwAPO-4vvjhS0aeRPDse_a5Kq/s200/blue+gray+gnatcatcher+wikimedia+commons+mauricholas.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Blue-gray gnatcatchers are a treat<br />Photo: Wikimedia Commons, mauricholas</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Tuesday night at the North Texas Bird and Wildlife Club we discussed sightings, as we always do. I didn't have a lot to contribute (except a Hudsonian godwit at Lake Arrowhead SP I saw September 8.) I haven't been out much. I told everyone that with the front expected to come through with significantly cooler temps, I was going out this weekend. Today was the day, and I am very glad I went.<br />
<br />
It has been raining since Thursday night. This morning has been a light drizzle on and off, but nothing of significance. I decided to hit the Chat Trail at Lake Wichita Park since it is usually a great spot for migrant warblers.<br />
<br />
I was starting onto the trail and noted two raptors high up, circling. They reminded me of ospreys, but I couldn't get a good look so decided it was wishful thinking. Later, back by the borrow pit, an osprey flew low over my head with a fish clutched in his talons, so it seems very possible the birds I saw at the head of the trail were indeed osprey. Regardless, I know the one was.<br />
<br />
As it turned out, the warblers are moving through. I saw several common yellowthroat, a Wilson's warbler, two blue-gray gnatcatchers, a mourning warbler, and others I didn't get a good enough look at to identify. There were also some interesting calls that I recorded. I also got a good look at a clay-colored sparrow. My favorite sparrow spot was an excellent spot for warblers today.<br />
<br />
I saw a hummingbird zip by but didn't see enough to identify the species. But if you have a hummingbird feeder up, don't take it down yet.<br />
<br />
Overall, a good hour of birding. Total list for this morning:<br />
<br />
Great egret<br />
Snowy egret<br />
Killdeer<br />
Eurasian collared dove<br />
White-winged dove<br />
Cardinal<br />
Carolina chickadee<br />
Blue Jay<br />
Bewick's wren<br />
Barn swallow<br />
Scissor-tailed flycatcher<br />
Blue-gray gnatcatcher<br />
Common yellowthroat<br />
Mourning warbler<br />
Wilson's warbler<br />
Robin<br />
Red-winged blackbird<br />
Clay-colored sparrow<br />
<br />
Don't let a little rain keep you in the house now that migration has hit its stride. There are some great birds out there.<br />
<br />
Good birding!<br />
<br />
<br />Penny Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15382323638623048385noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7520407938864989108.post-22438439567278290432018-08-19T10:26:00.004-05:002018-08-19T10:26:57.340-05:00Owl SerenadeI haven't been birding much over the summer. I hate hot weather, and the birds aren't thrilled with it either.<br />
<br />
I finally decided I was going this morning. It was sprinkling and looked like the rain could get heavier, so I decided to go to the Chat Trail in Lake Wichita Park instead of the Nature Bluff section of the Circle Trail. The good thing about going birding when there is a little rain is you have the parks to yourself--Wichita Falls people don't go out in the rain.<br />
<br />
The decision to go birding turned out to be a good one. I didn't see a lot of birds on the Chat Trail, but I saw some good ones.<br />
<br />
When I got out of the car at the parking lot, I saw a large bird perched in some dead branches in the top of a tree a good way down the trail. It was a great horned owl, so things were starting out pretty nice. I am including a short video clip. I took it with my phone, so the picture is not the greatest. I also didn't do a very good job of holding the phone steady. If you listen carefully, you can hear him calling. But that wasn't the best part. I didn't catch it on video, but there was a second great horned owl in the wooded area behind me that occasionally called back.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOJ5A6poxT80EuAwqtsW3jAPcrmKT_wbII1HAl9KxjBwaYSLh3fItNQY0h5ZYVW9vXUrtgkquod-IS9fMeDSqBQZg7voEKKOjoGeYrT9l9IOwAg6ZSOcSyg9guLF8C-wPNohxEPDlpiDGK/s1600/20180819_073456.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOJ5A6poxT80EuAwqtsW3jAPcrmKT_wbII1HAl9KxjBwaYSLh3fItNQY0h5ZYVW9vXUrtgkquod-IS9fMeDSqBQZg7voEKKOjoGeYrT9l9IOwAg6ZSOcSyg9guLF8C-wPNohxEPDlpiDGK/s320/20180819_073456.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Great horned owl<br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I was pretty stoked about this, but I walked further down the trail, near the bridge and heard another great horned owl in the wooded area over by the dam. Then heard another behind me again. All of a sudden, the one behind me flew over my head toward the owl calling by the dam. I got my binoculars on the one in flight and saw it fly into the trees and flush out the other owl.<br />
<br />
That was four great horned owls. I don't think I have ever seen that many in one small area, ever. When I was coming back to the parking lot, the first great horned owl was still on the exposed branches, but he had been joined by an immature Mississippi kite and a Cooper's hawk. I was surprised by the Cooper's hawk, as it is a little early for them. The birds finally flushed the great horned owl and chased it back across the trail toward me, and there was a second Cooper's hawk in pursuit as well.<br />
<br />
I didn't see a lot of birds this morning, but then I didn't stay out long--the rain did get a little heavier while I was out. I'm glad I decided to go. Here's the complete list.<br />
<br />
<br />
Great egret<br />
Green heron<br />
Snowy egret<br />
Canada goose<br />
Double-crested cormorant<br />
Black-necked stilt<br />
Great horned owl<br />
Mississippi kite<br />
Cooper's hawk<br />
Black-chinned hummingbird<br />
Eurasian collared dove<br />
Mourning dove<br />
Rock pigeon<br />
Belted kingfisher<br />
Blue jay<br />
Cardinal<br />
Northern mockingbird<br />
Barn swallow<br />
American robin<br />
Red-winged blackbird<br />
House finch<br />
<br />
Good birding!<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Penny Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15382323638623048385noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7520407938864989108.post-3842097907120332352018-02-20T11:21:00.001-06:002018-02-20T11:21:37.810-06:00Report Out Great Backyard Bird CountThe <a href="http://gbbc.birdcount.org/" target="_blank">Great Backyard Bird Count</a> was February 16 - February 19. I took part all four days, although I would have liked to have been able to get to more locations. But we do what we can, right?<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEkUS5tKOE-Po2YbwhZMUDxAO0LjKgCXQ881HM1YlrUazyLJqA-lqkbbVUnnpRnqG6yFvwm3w0UzFqKu2ylpZLPGGJAc-od0hv0dwHUdpeYJFKKMaJ1I477SSvXmBVtxy6IqTw7VLEXRYN/s1600/20180216_095007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEkUS5tKOE-Po2YbwhZMUDxAO0LjKgCXQ881HM1YlrUazyLJqA-lqkbbVUnnpRnqG6yFvwm3w0UzFqKu2ylpZLPGGJAc-od0hv0dwHUdpeYJFKKMaJ1I477SSvXmBVtxy6IqTw7VLEXRYN/s320/20180216_095007.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The drought is obvious along the chat trail</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b> Day One</b><br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvzf7XD9g8kFmtei9eJWh89d7MhQjW7r7-Itn9DOAm1wB7hY4RnXIvohxgHK56gzngvd7povDZK0S-c1SF8EFHHRUA3WHU1X_8ttCgFExlVBWyF2-Hj-Qmv4VpWALG1TILuk0fKuXDcru6/s1600/20180216_095418.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvzf7XD9g8kFmtei9eJWh89d7MhQjW7r7-Itn9DOAm1wB7hY4RnXIvohxgHK56gzngvd7povDZK0S-c1SF8EFHHRUA3WHU1X_8ttCgFExlVBWyF2-Hj-Qmv4VpWALG1TILuk0fKuXDcru6/s320/20180216_095418.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You don't often see the beavers, but you can see they've been busy!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The first day of the count was not promising. The temperature was in the low 80's the day before and the first day of the GBBC was low 40's with a bitterly cold north wind. I decided the Chat Trail in Lake Wichita Park would be my best bet as it has some shelter from the wind. But there wasn't much happening--the birds apparently had more sense than I. I only spent 45 minutes on the trail and at the end of the barrow pit.<br />
<br />
Fourteen species:<br />
Ring-billed gull<br />
Canada goose<br />
Gadwall<br />
Downy woodpecker<br />
Northern flicker<br />
Red-tailed hawk<br />
American robin<br />
Northern cardinal<br />
Blue jay<br />
Fox sparrow<br />
White-crowned sparrow<br />
Spotted towhee<br />
Dark-eyed junco<br />
Song sparrow<br />
<br />
I went home and did a quick, 15-minute count at my own feeders: white-winged dove, Eurasian collared dove, house finch, American goldfinch, orange-crowned warbler.<br />
<br />
<b>Day 2</b><br />
<br />
We had a little rain overnight and it seemed to make all the difference. It was a little warmer and there wasn't a lot of wind. I went out to Lake Arrowhead State Park and had a great couple of hours. The birds were out enjoying the beautiful morning. This is really a good time of year to bird. Some of our local birds are beginning to sing (most notably cardinals, eastern bluebirds, and Bewick's wrens) and there aren't many leaves in the trees, making it easier to find the birds. I ran into Robert Mauk, a local wildlife photographer, and he told me he had seen a golden-crowned kinglet on the Dragonfly trail, so I added that to my area (and found it!)<br />
<br />
Forty species:<br />
<br />
Red-tailed hawk<br />
Killdeer<br />
Ring-billed gull<br />
Great blue heron<br />
Lesser yellowlegs<br />
Canada goose<br />
Double-crested cormorant<br />
Mallard<br />
Northern pintail<br />
Blue-winged teal<br />
Northern shoveler<br />
American coot<br />
Pied-billed grebe<br />
White pelican<br />
Red-bellied woodpecker<br />
Ladder-backed woodpecker<br />
Northern flicker<br />
Northern cardinal<br />
Northern mockingbird<br />
Carolina chickadee<br />
Ruby-crowned kinglet<br />
Golden-crowned kinglet<br />
Orange-crowned warbler<br />
Yellow-rumped warbler<br />
Common yellowthroat<br />
Bewick's wren<br />
Eastern phoebe<br />
Eastern bluebird<br />
American pipit<br />
Harris's sparrow<br />
Song sparrow<br />
Field sparrow<br />
Fox sparrow<br />
Eastern meadowlark<br />
Dark-eyed junco<br />
White-crowned sparrow<br />
Red-winged blackbird<br />
Great-tailed grackle<br />
European starling<br />
House finch<br />
<br />
<b>Day 3</b><br />
<br />
On Sunday, the Rolling Plains Chapter Texas Master Naturalist scheduled a public GBBC event. Apparently, those that went on the trip to Hackberry on Saturday were worn out. When I arrived, no one else was on the overlook behind Wild Bird Rescue. All I have to say is, "You snooze, you lose." I spent only 45 minutes there and had 21 species. I would have liked to stay longer, but it is the end of the semester for one of the universities I teach for, so duty called. My 21 species:<br />
<br />
White pelican<br />
Double-crested cormorant<br />
Black-crowned night heron<br />
Great blue heron<br />
Killdeer<br />
Ring-billed gull<br />
Mallard<br />
American coot<br />
Canada goose<br />
Pied-billed grebe<br />
Sharp-shinned hawk<br />
Eurasian collared dove<br />
White-winged dove<br />
Red-bellied woodpecker<br />
Belted kingfisher<br />
Northern cardinal<br />
House wren<br />
Red-winged blackbird<br />
European starling<br />
House finch<br />
Goldfinch<br />
<br />
<b>Day 4</b><br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFNFvcP8A2JH-ouoxB30Uq5AH-upQRy9LR_tAt2rbKrUz32c290m2mTISleXJWr5Ns36VAsYo7yUd7g_MJ4BQjxTlyZeqaDxOfwl69W8ZLfivHXYd4JlR2IammBxPHob8UKTzyeXKSeH9B/s1600/20180219_083603.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFNFvcP8A2JH-ouoxB30Uq5AH-upQRy9LR_tAt2rbKrUz32c290m2mTISleXJWr5Ns36VAsYo7yUd7g_MJ4BQjxTlyZeqaDxOfwl69W8ZLfivHXYd4JlR2IammBxPHob8UKTzyeXKSeH9B/s320/20180219_083603.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Overlooking the Wichita River</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPBIZKa8gxieDbUgOjvr6B8tJy6qSgJyMDB5hhvpTEmzNGFbhyUMI-stbJieT91kyphCbh9-8n3ZQjGjI94scrWwhMM-n3HDILGoG5DpvfujjvbXC3p0I0jvj0Hr7dzvy8KOM1zHrs8aqQ/s1600/20180219_083543.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPBIZKa8gxieDbUgOjvr6B8tJy6qSgJyMDB5hhvpTEmzNGFbhyUMI-stbJieT91kyphCbh9-8n3ZQjGjI94scrWwhMM-n3HDILGoG5DpvfujjvbXC3p0I0jvj0Hr7dzvy8KOM1zHrs8aqQ/s320/20180219_083543.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Construction of the next trail section underway</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Monday was another beautiful morning. I didn't have President's Day off work, but did play hooky for a bit on the Wichita Falls Bluff Nature Park trail. This is my favorite park because it is intended to remain a nature area. I started out in a bit of a bad mood. When I parked, I noticed people are already trashing the park. I picked up beer bottles, a plastic water bottle, plastic shopping bag, and a hamburger wrapper before I even started my walk. I picked up napkins, a Whataburger bag and other assorted odds and ends when I returned to the lot at the end of my walk. Fortunately, the trail itself was clean. I spent an hour and a half enjoying this trail, which is not the level flat walk of most of the Circle Trail. They have started work on the next section of the trail, between the end of this one and Loop 11. Right now, it looks terrible, but when it is done, it should be another nice section along the river.<br />
<br />
At the end of the current trail, where I took the pictures, there were a pair of red-tailed hawks on the other side of the river. It looked like they might be building a nest. I'll keep an eye on things.<br />
<br />
Twenty species:<br />
<br />
Canada goose<br />
Turkey vulture<br />
Red-tailed hawk<br />
Rock pigeon<br />
White-winged dove<br />
Northern cardinal<br />
Northern mockingbird<br />
Blue jay<br />
American robin<br />
Bewick's wren<br />
Ruby-crowned kinglet<br />
Yellow-rumped warbler<br />
Dark-eyed junco<br />
Song sparrow<br />
Field sparrow<br />
Spotted towhee<br />
American crow<br />
Great-tailed grackle<br />
Red-winged blackbird<br />
House sparrow<br />
<br />
All-in-all, a great Great Backyard Bird Count. I still need to upload my counts into the database, but that's happening in a few minutes. Put this event on your calendar for next President's Day weekend.<br />
<br />
Good birding!<br />
<br />
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<br />Penny Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15382323638623048385noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7520407938864989108.post-66962602531529159712018-02-11T12:38:00.001-06:002018-02-11T12:38:12.541-06:00Great Backyard Bird Count<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguZhisJgdERL40xL17ALRl7MGW96KqGPlDNMOR8ChIUK3DuDfPIbKYhPWJ2tf8LQXtuL0eXwUDCuW2JBd9heFII0UT9zQXeJA5xpr6yIeCvLMu53__afgKwxVib18oqJWxck87iQunsFru/s1600/Waxwing_GBBC_Poster_2018_regular.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1237" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguZhisJgdERL40xL17ALRl7MGW96KqGPlDNMOR8ChIUK3DuDfPIbKYhPWJ2tf8LQXtuL0eXwUDCuW2JBd9heFII0UT9zQXeJA5xpr6yIeCvLMu53__afgKwxVib18oqJWxck87iQunsFru/s320/Waxwing_GBBC_Poster_2018_regular.jpg" width="247" /></a>The annual <a href="http://gbbc.birdcount.org/" target="_blank">Great Backyard Bird Count</a> (GBBC) is coming up this week. I hope you are planning to take part sometime between Friday, 16 February and Monday, 19 February.<br />
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Thousands of people submit checklists of birds they see in their yards or other places around town during this 4-day event. This is a great project to do with your kids/grandkids, as any period of observation of 15 minutes or longer counts. This is great way to introduce kids and novice birdwatchers to the hobby.<br />
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For those in the Wichita Falls area, the <a href="https://txmn.org/rollingplains/" target="_blank">Texas Master Naturalist Rolling Plains Chapter</a> will be holding a public count behind <a href="http://wildbirdrescueinc.org/" target="_blank">Wild Bird Rescue</a>, 4611 Lake Shore Dr, from 8 AM - 10 AM on Sunday, February 18. You can come for part or all of the count. There is usually a good breeze coming off the lake, so I suggest wearing layers.<br />
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For those who cannot make this event, you are invited to bird with me. Here are some days/times/locations I plan to bird:<br />
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Friday, February 16, 9:30 - 10:30 (I have an earlier appointment, so this is later than I normally go). <a href="http://www.wichitafallstx.gov/70/Lake-Wichita-Park" target="_blank">Lake Wichita Park</a>, Chat trail.<br />
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Saturday, February 17, 8:00 AM - 10:00 AM, <a href="https://tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/lake-arrowhead" target="_blank">Lake Arrowhead State Park</a> ($4 entry fee applies). (I may also pick up a couple of other spots this day--weather and other commitments will determine)<br />
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Sunday, February 18, 8:00 AM - 10:00 AM, <a href="http://wildbirdrescueinc.org/" target="_blank">Wild Bird Rescue</a>, with the Texas Master Naturalist (I may also pick up a couple of other spots this day--weather and other commitments will determine)<br />
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Monday, February 19, 8:00 AM - 10:00 AM, <a href="http://www.wichitafallstx.gov/86/Circle-Trail" target="_blank">Nature Bluff Par</a>k segment of the Circle Trail (I may decide to do the trail section between Lucy Park and Williams Park, but time may be tight--work day!)<br />
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For more information, email me at txbirds@gmail.com or you can call 940-867-8761.<br />
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Good Birding!<br />
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<br />Penny Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15382323638623048385noreply@blogger.com0