Big Day for Wild Bird Rescue Wrap-Up

Sitting Ducks and Raven Lunatics run into one another at
the Chat Trail and compare notes.
Photo courtesy of Elizabeth Hawley.
L to R: Joy, Penny, Chuck, Warren, Sue, and Janet.
Not pictured: Katherine and Elizabeth

Sunday, March 6 was the Big Day for Wild Bird Rescue. Three teams covered Wichita, Archer and Clay counties to find the highest numbers of species of birds for the day.

It's not just about the birds. Beautiful giant swallowtail seen
on the Chat Trail in Lake Wichita Park.

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

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

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

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

American coot

American goldfinch

American kestrel

American robin

Bald eagle

Belted kingfisher

Bewick's wren

Black vulture

Blue jay

Blue gray gnatcatcher

Blue-winged teal

Bonaparte's gull

Brewer’s blackbird

Brown thrasher

Brown-headed cowbird

Bufflehead

Canada goose

Canvasback

Carolina chickadee

Carolina wren

Cedar waxwing

Chipping sparrow

Clay-colored sparrow

Common grackle

Dark-eyed junco

Double-crested cormorant

Downy woodpecker

Eastern bluebird

Eastern meadowlark

Eastern phoebe

Eurasian collared dove

European starling

Ferruginous hawk

Field sparrow

Gadwall

Golden-fronted woodpecker

Great blue heron

Great egret

Great horned owl

Greater scaup

Greater roadrunner

Greater yellowlegs

Greater white-fronted goose

Great-tailed grackle

Green-winged teal

Harris' sparrow

Herring gull

Hooded merganser

House finch

House sparrow

Inca dove

Killdeer

Ladder-backed woodpecker

Least sandpiper

Lesser scaup

Lesser yellowlegs

Lincoln's sparrow

Loggerhead shrike

Mallard

Mourning dove

Northern cardinal

Northern flicker

Northern harrier

Northern mockingbird

Northern shoveler

Orange-crowned warbler

Pied-billed grebe

Pine siskin

Purple martin

Red-bellied woodpecker

Redhead

Red-shouldered hawk

Red-tailed hawk

Red-winged blackbird

Ring-billed gull
Ring-necked duck

Rock pigeon

Ruby-crowned kinglet

Ruddy duck

Sandhill crane

Savannah sparrow

Sharp-shinned hawk

Song sparrow

Spotted towhee

Swainson’s hawk

Tufted titmouse

Turkey vulture

Vesper sparrow

Western meadowlark

White pelican

White-crowned sparrow

White-faced ibis

White-winged dove

Wild turkey

Wilson's snipe

Yellow-rumped warbler

All I have to say it, "Wait Until Next Year!"

Good Birding!