September Blah at Lake Arrowhead SP

Alan D. Wilson, CC BY-SA 3.0
via Wikimedia Commons

Although the bird outing was a couple of weeks ago, I am just getting around to telling you about it. September is usually a good month for birding at Lake Arrowhead SP. This month's bird outing did not live up to past experience. Usually, migratory birds are more abundant. That doesn't mean we didn't see any birds because we did. Just not in the numbers we have seen in the past. Not that I can blame the birds. Who wants to visit a place that has been 100+ degrees for weeks? Ugh!

This month, we had a new birder with us. A new birder is always a treat, because they are excited about every bird. For example, he was so enthusiastic about the killdeer. Killdeer are so common here that we see them and keep right on looking for other, less common birds. With a new birder, you see again how special a common bird is. I love having people come for whom birdwatching is a new interest. It was a relatively noneventful outing for those of us who go out every month, but in Bennie's case, almost every bird was new and exciting, making the morning more enjoyable for all of us.

My challenge was the western sandpiper. We don't get a lot of practice identifying shorebirds in our area. They pass through for a short time on migration, so there isn't a lot of opportunity to practice identifying them. And the peeps are especially tough. I wrote down the field marks and got out the books at home to differentiate the western from the semipalmated.

Our list for the outing: Killdeer, western sandpiper, greater yellowlegs, great egret, snowy egret, great blue heron, white-winged dove, ladder-backed woodpecker, Bewick's wren, northern cardinal, northern mockingbird, eastern phoebe, epidonax flycatcher (sorry, I wasn't able to get a good enough look to identify which one), red-winged blackbird, great-tailed grackle, and European starling.

Next month's bird outing at Lake Arrowhead will be on Saturday, October 10, 8 AM, at the admin building parking lot (near the fishing pier). There is a $4 entry fee, unless you have a park pass. October is usually an excellent time for migrants.

Good birding!

Summer Bird Feeding

Three birds feed at a tray feeder in Maryland.,
Mikey Lutmerding, Public Domain,
https://www.fws.gov/media/three-birds-feed-tray-feeder-maryland

Most people feed their birds only in the winter (except their hummingbirds, which are only here in the summer). After all, there is plenty of food available in the summer, right? In general, that is true.

I feed all year, although I do cut back on the number of feeders in the summer and feed less food. However, I do continue to feed my birds in the summer months.

Breeding season is tough for birds. Babies require constant food. They develop very quickly so they need a lot of protein and fats continuously. Most new songbird hatchlings need to be feed every 15 - 30 minutes. After a couple of weeks, the frequency goes down to 30 - 45 minutes, although the quantity of food does not. Let's say you are a cardinal parent. Most cardinals hatch 3 - 4 nestlings and may have as many as 4 clutches in the nesting season (I know the pair in my yard is on it's third clutch now). Not only do mom and dad spend all day running around catching insects for their young, they too have to eat.

Baby songbirds need protein--i.e., insects. They cannot eat seeds, and seeds don't have the type of nutrition they need anyway. However, their parents can eat seeds. It's an easy way for them to keep up their energy during this very trying time. Can you imagine the calories they are burning running around trying to find a meal and running it back to the nest for 4 babies every 15 minutes? In this heat? Summer feeding can give them a boost to get through the summer nesting season.

So yes, I feed in the summer. Besides food, I focus on keeping the bird baths full. If you don't have a bird bath, a large saucer or tray will do. Keeping that clean and full can be almost a full-time job when the weather is consistently above 100 degrees for days on end. One issue is bird seed tends to spoil faster in the heat. So, even though smaller bags of seed are more expensive initially, smaller bags help prevent having to throw food away, so it works out. It is also critical to keep the feeders clean. Ideally, you will want to clean them weekly.

A couple of weeks ago, I heard a baby cardinal in the back yard. I looked out my kitchen window and there was a male cardinal at the sunflower feeder, getting a snack. I did find the fledgling cardinal on the ground. Although the fledgling seemed to be searching the ground for food, dad was still helping him. At this point in life, the young birds can eat seeds. Dad took a sunflower seed and took it down to the ground for the young one. 

Give you bird parents a hand by providing some fast food this summer. Besides, it gives you the opportunity to watch your birds.

Good birding!

Circle Trail Bluebird Boxes

Andy  Morffew from Itchen Abbas, Hampshire, UK,

CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>,

via via Wikimedia Commons

The Rolling Plains Chapter Texas Master Naturalists asked the city of Wichita Falls to allow them to put up bluebird boxes along the Circle Trail. The city agreed. The number of boxes will depend upon the chapter's ability to fund, install, monitor, and maintain the boxes. The intent is to start with a handful and gradually increase the number each year.

The chapter is currently fundraising for this project. The first boxes will be installed in September/October of this year (bluebirds start scouting next year's nesting sites in the Fall).

Eastern bluebirds were in serious decline some years ago, as were other small cavity nesting birds. People don't leave up dead snags as much as they used to, creating a shortage of nesting sites. However, these birds have bounced back since people have started putting up nesting boxes. Other birds in our area which use bluebird nest boxes are wrens, chickadees, titmice, and tree swallows. Invaders which can take over bluebird houses include house sparrows and European starlings.

The Texas Master Naturalists will build and install the boxes and monitor and report nesting success for the various species. They will also ensure non-native birds do not take over the boxes and make repairs as needed.

The chapter is currently fundraising for this project. Any amount is welcome, but a $100 donation will ensure you are recognized as a sponsor for a box. Donations may be sent to Rolling Plains Texas Master Naturalist, 1300 Lamar Street, Wichita Falls, TX 76301. Since a state agency hosts the chapter website, the chapter does not have the ability to accept online donations.

If you would like more information about this project, you can email the chapter at rollingplainschaptertmn@gmail.com or you can contact me at txbirds@gmail.com.

Good birding!

Bird Outing at Lake Arrowhead State Park

 

Ómar Runólfsson,

CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>,

via Wikimedia Commons

The monthly bird outing at Lake Arrowhead SP on August 8 was, as is usual in August, a little slow. The birds don't like the heat any more than we do. We did have a nice breeze off the lake though, which helped a lot.

The best birds of the morning were a handful of black terns, which made the morning worthwhile. Black terns migrate through our area in the Spring and Fall.

I have trouble with tern ID, mostly because most terns look a lot alike and they are generally moving over the lake feeding, instead of sitting quietly to be observed. However, the black tern is easily identifiable, because it is dark gray/black, instead of the white of the other terns.

The birds seen Saturday included great egret, snowy egret, western cattle egret, double-crested cormorant, white pelican, killdeer, black tern, mourning dove, northern cardinal, northern mockingbird, orchard oriole, yellow-billed cuckoo, Bewick's wren, ladder-backed woodpecker, red-bellied woodpecker, great-tailed grackle, and turkey vulture. Not a bad morning for early August.

The bird outings at Lake Arrowhead SP are the second Saturday of each month at 8:00 AM. We meet at the parking lot adjacent to the admin building (near the fishing pier). The park entrance fee is $4 per person, unless you have a TPWD park pass.

Migration should be picking up in September, so come on out on September 12.

Good birding!

Fall Migration Already?

 

US Migratory Flyways
USFWS Headquarters, Public domain,
 via Wikimedia Commons

The calendar continues to turn. It seems like Spring migration just ended with the arrival of the Mississippi kites, yellow-billed cuckoos, and common nighthawks, and Fall migration fixing to get under way. 

We have a few bird species which will leaving soon. Purple martins start leaving in July. I am looking around for a roost. A roost is a location where a bird species masses over some days before taking off as a group on their migration. For a few years, there was a reliable roost near my house, but that location hasn't been used the last couple of years. No idea why the purple martins decided it was no longer suitable.

We will soon start seeing migratory shorebirds passing through from their breeding season in the Artic, returning to winter in central and south America.

Spring migration is a little more exciting since it occurs over a shorter period of time as birds have a shorter timeframe in which to get to their breeding grounds, mate, and raise their young before the window closes.  Fall migration is spread over a longer period of time. Birds tend to take some time on the way to rest and fill their tank up, waiting for the next favorable front to move through. 

Although the "best" months for fall birding tend to be September/October, it's time to start paying attention. You never know what you might see.

Good birding!

Monthly Bird Outing

Yellow-billed Cuckoo
Dominic Sherony, CC BY-SA 2.0
 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0>,
via Wikimedia Commons

July in our area generally sucks for bird watching. Part of that is a "me problem." I absolutely hate the heat and once temperatures get above mid-80's, I'm done. The projected high for Saturday was around 100.

But it's also the birds. The nesting season is largely over, and although birds do still sing, it isn't with the exuberance of spring. This makes birds harder to find. They, too, are hot and sticking to cover and out of the sun. Many birds are also worn out and some are starting to molt. It is a better survival strategy to lay low and not draw attention to oneself. 

Therefore, as a rule, our monthly bird outings at Lake Arrowhead State Park tend to be more poorly attended, and we see fewer species of birds.

However, we had a fairly decent morning yesterday. A breeze off the lake helped keep the temperatures bearable, although by the time we wrapped up around 9:30, things were becoming uncomfortable. My favorite bird of the morning was the yellow-billed cuckoo, although painted buntings are always nice. Yellow-billed cuckoos are considered threatened but are fairly common in the park during the summer. Because they are relatively secretive birds, we hear many more than we see.

Birds observed this morning were: Canada goose, killdeer, great egret, snowy egret, cattle egret, Forster's tern, cliff swallow, purple martin, mourning dove, Eurasian collared dove, turkey vulture, ladder-backed woodpecker, northern mockingbird, American robin, painted bunting, northern cardinal, orchard oriole, yellow-billed cuckoo, great-tailed grackle, brown-headed cowbird, and red-winged blackbird. Not a bad morning.

Just a reminder that these bird outings are every month on the second Saturday at 8:00 AM. We meet in the parking lot of the admin building (for those familiar with the park, it is between the swim beach and the fishing pier). You do need to pay park admission of $4 if you don't have a park pass. Since the office doesn't open until 8, plan a few extra minutes to visit the self-pay station. We saunter about a mile. The surface is level and easily maneuvered by those with mobility issues. You don't have to be a bird expert. This is a good opportunity to learn more about birds in a helpful, friendly group. Hope to see you at an upcoming outing.

Good birding!

Time for the Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC)!

One of my favorite birding activities is the Great Backyard Bird Count every February. Birders have several bird count activities, all of which provide data used to monitor population trends.

Basically, participants count birds in any location they wish (yard, local park, etc.) for a minimum of 15 minutes during a 4-day period. This year that is Friday, Feb 13 - Monday, Feb 16. Then you provide the information via Merlin or eBird.  Merlin is probably the app of choice for a new birder; eBird has more functions, but a little more complicated to learn for a newbie. You count every bird you see and you can count as long as you want, just at least 15 minutes.

Our monthly bird outing at Lake Arrowhead State Park on Saturday, Feb 14 will be part of the GBBC. If the weather forecast is accurate, we might get a little wet. We meet in the parking lot near the fishing pier at 8:00 AM. You might arrive a little early in order to stop at the self-pay station, since the office doesn't open until 8:00. We saunter for about 1 - 1.5 hours (depending on the weather and the birds) and cover around a mile. We don't move very fast. We're there to watch birds, not set speed records. The route is paved and level. We do have people come with limited mobility, so don't let physical restrictions put you off.

I will also be birdwatching on the other days as well. Friday at Lucy Park, Sunday at Wichita Bluff, and Monday at Lake Wichita Park.  I may try to slip in a couple of other short observation periods at a few other locations, time permitting. It's a busy weekend already, so it will be a spur of the moment thing.

This is a fun activity to get kids involved. Since you only have to take part for 15 minutes, it isn't a challenge to keep them involved. If you have a budding birder, then you can stretch the activity as long as you want. Instructions for participating are available on the GBBC website.

If you have any questions or would like to participate in one or more of the counts, contact me at txbirds@gmail.com.

Good birding!