Birding Week

 

American Avocet
Qwexcxewq, CC BY 4.0 <via Wikimedia Commons

A friend, Debra Halter,  gave a very interesting presentation on bird migration to the Rolling Plains Chapter Texas Master Naturalist chapter this week. It was focused on tools scientists have used to learn more about bird migration and tools birders can use to track migration.  A timely topic. 

This was a good week for birds. It is migration season, and although I didn't see as many birds as expected, there were still some good migrants. And the weather was almost perfect. It was so nice not to have 100-degree plus weather.

On Monday, I was at Lake Wichita Park with some other Texas Master Naturalists and Craig Hensley, who is currently working with the National Wildlife Federation, on a monarch butterfly project. While he was putting tiny transmitters on the butterflies, I did see a few birds: double crested cormorant, great blue heron, snowy egret, white-faced ibis, belted kingfisher,  mallard duck, white pelican, Eurasian collared dove, northern yellow warbler, orange-crowned warbler, and great-tailed grackle.

On Wednesday, we started a new bird walk at Lucy Park through the Wichita County Health Department. There was a small group for this first walk, which is fine. We didn't see many birds: white-winged dove, American robin, great-tailed grackle, northern cardinal, yellow-billed cuckoo, eastern bluebird, red-bellied woodpecker, northern flicker, and great-tailed grackle. We watched a little warbler/vireo type bird, but couldn't get a good enough look to identify it. We'll continue to do these walks on the first Wednesday of each month at 8:30 AM in Lucy Park (unless there is ice on the roads in the winter--Penny doesn't do icy roads).

On Friday, we were doing environmental water testing at the Lake Wichita boat ramp, and there were a few birds. A large group of American Avocets was turning as a group feeding. In addition to these beautiful birds, I saw/heard red-bellied woodpecker, white-winged dove, house finch, northern cardinal, and great-tailed grackle.

Nashville warbler
Andy Reago & Chrissy McClarren, CC BY 2.0,
via Wikimedia Commons

On Saturday, which coincidentally was World Migratory Bird Day (second Saturday of May and October), I was at Lake Arrowhead State Park for the monthly bird outing. We had a good morning and the weather was beautiful. Bright sunshine, cool temperatures, and no wind. The best part of the morning was a Nashville warbler, a lifer for me! In addition to this exciting (to me) bird, we had several other species: great egret, snowy egret, great blue heron, greater yellowlegs, least sandpiper, killdeer, white-winged dove, double-crested cormorant, white pelican, kestrel, turkey vulture, ladder-backer woodpecker, northern flicker, northern cardinal, blue jay, eastern bluebird, house finch, Bewick's wren, Carolina wren, eastern phoebe, orange-crowned warbler, northern yellow warbler, scissor-tailed flycatcher, brown-headed cowbird, and great-tailed grackle. Debra said a barn swallow flew over our heads, but I missed it, so it isn't on my list.

This is a great time of year for birding! Get outside and see some birds.

Good birding!