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!

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!

A Typical August Morning

Least sandpiper
Clinton & Charles Robertson from RAF Lakenheath, UK & San Marcos, TX, USA
& UK, CC BY-SA 2.0  via Wikimedia Commons

The bird outing at Lake Arrowhead State Park last Saturday was typical for August. Hot, and not a lot of birds. However, since several attendees were Texas Master Naturalists, we still saw some interesting critters, especially spiders and insects of various types.

Fall shorebird migration has begun, with some least sandpipers foraging along the shoreline. Next month should be better. Least sandpipers are one of what is referred to as "peeps", the very smallest and the hardest to identify of sandpipers. However, the least sandpiper is the easiest of the peeps to ID. If you look at the picture, you can see that the sandpiper has a black bill and yellow legs. The other peeps have a black bill and black legs. It can sometimes be difficult to see the color of the legs, depending upon the light (and the legs are teeny, tiny). It is easiest to tell by getting a picture and then enlarging it on your computer when you get home.

I usually get to the park early on bird outing days, so I can scope out the route to see if I want to make any adjustments. The birds in August are quiet. I did get an excellent view of a male painted bunting sitting on a bare branch at the top of a tree. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to find one once everyone else arrived. Usually they are singing all over the park.

It was a decent morning for egrets/herons.

Birds seen/heard included great egret, snowy egret, cattle egret, great blue heron, green heron, Canada goose, killdeer, least sandpiper, mourning dove, ladder-backed woodpecker, northern cardinal, cliff swallow,  Carolina chickadee, Carolina wren, red-winged blackbird, and great-tailed grackle.

It should be a much better outing next month.

Good birding!

Lake Arrowhead Bird Outing Saturday

Canada geese enjoying the swim area
at LASP

The monthly bird outing at Lake Arrowhead State Park is scheduled for 8:00 AM on Saturday, August 9. We meet in the parking lot adjacent to the Admin Building (between the swim beach and the fishing pier).

The hike is really a leisurely stroll of about a mile. It is level and (mostly) paved. For those with mobility issues, there is a paved surface adjacent to the short portion where we usually cut across the grass, so it is easy enough to stay on the pavement the entire route. How long we spend depends on the birds we see and the heat. Generally, we spend 1 - 1.5 hours walking the mile.

This outing is sponsored by the Rolling Plains Chapter Texas Master Naturalist. Therefore, although birds are the primary focus of the hike, butterflies, spiders, plants, and any other interesting thing we come across are likely to be observed, discussed, and photographed.

The outing is open to anyone. Bring the kids, if you like. You don't need any experience or knowledge about the birds--this is an excellent way to get started with birdwatching. 

It's a good idea to put on sunscreen and to wear a hat. Bring water and binoculars. 

Granted, August is not the best month of the year for birds in our area, but Fall migration has started, so we may see some shorebirds.

There is a park entry fee of $4/person. Since the hike starts at the same time the ranger station opens, be prepared to stop at the self-pay station. Come a little early and bring correct change.

Good birding!

Lake Arrowhead SP Monthly Bird Outing

Yellow-billed cuckoo
Dominic Sherony, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Saturday, 12 July, was our regularly scheduled bird outing at Lake Arrowhead SP. It's July, and typically, not the best month to be out birdwatching. That held true this month. Not the best month we've had, but not the worst either. Hot and humid though.

Birds seen included Canada goose, killdeer, great egret, great blue heron, snowy egret, double-crested cormorant, Eurasian collared dove, mourning dove, ladder-backed woodpecker, cardinal, eastern phoebe, cliff swallow, painted bunting, yellow-billed cuckoo, common grackle, great-tailed grackle, red-winged blackbird, and house sparrow.

Remember these outings are the 2nd Saturday of each month at 8 AM, regardless of the weather (unless the roads are icy). There is a $4 entry fee per adult to the park. We meet at the admin building parking lot, which is just on the other side of the building from the fishing pier. The walk is fairly level. We don't walk fast--we're looking at the birds (and other interesting plants and animals. The walk is about 1 mile--sometimes a little more if every one is up to it. Depending upon what we're seeing, the circuit can last from 1 hour - 2 hours. Beginners are welcome!

Good birding!

Rainy Morning at Lake Arrowhead State Park

Snowy Plover

Well, this morning wasn't the nicest for a bird outing but a couple of us braved the rain to see what we could find for the monthly bird outing at Lake Arrowhead SP. The best bird of the morning was a snowy plover, which is considered a rarity for our area at this time of year. I did get an admittedly poor picture (left). I am sure Debra got a better one.

Like I said, it was raining, windy, and in the low 40's when we started out, so we didn't expect much. However, we had a good walk and saw a fair number of birds. 

In addition to the snowy plover, we saw and/or heard American coot, double-crested cormorant, neotropic cormorant, gadwall, norther shoveler, white pelican, killdeer, ladder-backed woodpecker, mourning dove, northern cardinal, northern mockingbird, spotted towhee, Harris' sparrow, white-crowned sparrow, ruby-crowned kinglet, dark-eyed junco, American pipit, western meadowlark (and some others that could have been either eastern or western), red-winged blackbird, and great-tailed grackle.

We need the rain, so no complaints, especially since we saw some good birds. This is a good time of year to bird, so get outside, wherever you are.

Good birding!

Great Backyard Bird Count Wrap-Up

Small flock of cedar waxwings

 Although I did a post for Day One of GBBC, we're going to summarize the other days, as I have been blowing and going lately.

Day Two I visited Lake Arrowhead State Park. Even though I go to Lake Arrowhead frequently, this is a location that usually has some good birds and people know where it is if they want to go. We didn't get a lot of birds, but there were a couple of good ones (in the sense that we don't see them a lot). We started off with neotropic cormorants. When we see a cormorant here, 99% of the time, it is a double-crested cormorant. But we got lucky with a small group of neotropical. Another good bird was a flock of 32 Bonaparte's gulls flying through. Gulls in the winter here are probably 95% of the time, ring-billed gulls. In addition to these two less common species, we saw ring-billed gull, Canada goose, American coot, gadwall, northern shoveler, ladder-backed woodpecker, great blue heron, killdeer, northern harrier,  meadowlark sp., American pipit, song sparrow, fox sparrow, white-crowned sparrow, Harris's sparrow, northern cardinal. northern mockingbird, eastern phoebe, Bewick's wren, and great-tailed grackle.

On Day 3, it was off to the Wichita Bluff Nature Area. The best part of the count was the cedar waxwings. These elegant birds are winter visitors. They tend to stay in flocks and have a distinctive, high-pitched call. Debra and I watched a few groups flying from tree to tree--easily over 100 individuals altogether. In addition to the cedar waxwings, I saw a single double-crested cormorant flying over, a turkey vulture, and a couple of black vultures. Other birds seen included rock pigeon, yellow-shafted northern flicker, blue jay, northern cardinal, northern mockingbird, ruby-crowned kinglet, dark-eyed junco, yellow-rumped warbler,  American robin, song sparrow, Harris's sparrow, white-crowned sparrow, and spotted towhee.

The last day was at Lucy Park. I wasn't there long because of other commitments that day, and I stayed in the picnic area at the Sunset Drive entrance. This has been a pretty good spot for me to find little dickey birds. I did cross the street to take a quick look in the river, but didn't go down the trail more than a dozen yards. The birds I saw included mallard, Canada goose, Eurasian collared dove, white-winged dove, dark-eyed junco, cedar waxwing, blue jay, Carolina chickadee, black-crested titmouse, golden-crowned kinglet, Carolina wren, American robin, great-tailed grackle, white-throated sparrow, American goldfinch, and house finch.

Across the world, birders submitted 911,000 checklists, documenting 8,004 species of birds. 

Good birding!

Lots of Upcoming Bird Activites

Bird walk at Lake Arrowhead

Most of us have been cooped up for some weeks and are ready to get out and find some birds. There are several opportunities coming up to learn more about the hobby, practice identifying birds, and just enjoy watching their antics.

Since I got interrupted when starting this and didn't get back to editing in a timely fashion, I am leaving off today's Birding 101 class at Smith's Gardentown and the monthly hike at Lucy Park.  I need to do better.

So, let's look at some other opportunities.

First, the monthly bird outing at Lake Arrowhead State Park will be Saturday, Feb 8, beginning at 8 AM. Entry fees to the park apply, so come a little early as you will need to use the self-pay station. The entry is $4 per person, unless you have a park pass. The outing is fairly level and we tend to saunter, so if isn't a strenuous activity. We occasionally have individuals with limited mobility come, so it is doable by pretty much anyone. The route is about 1 mile and may take anywhere from 1 - 2 hours, depending upon the weather and the birds. Meet at the admin building parking lot near the fishing pier.

Next, the Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC) is Feb 14 - 17. You can take part in your yard or a local park for as little as 15 minutes. The idea is to document as many birds as possible in that time. For information about the count and how to submit your information, you can read the instructions here, or if you prefer a better visual, watch this webinar.

If you are new to watching birds, or just want to go with someone, here are some places and times I specifically set aside for this event. I would be happy to have you come along.

• 14 Feb, 8:00 - 8:45 AM, Lake Wichita Spillway (this is a short one as I have another appointment at 9:00)
• 15 Feb, 9:00 - 11:00, Lake Arrowhead State Park. Meet at the same location as for the monthly bird outing.
• 16 Feb, 9:00 - 11:00, Wichita Bluff Nature Area. Meet at the trail head off Seymour Hwy. This is a paved trail, a little more challenging due to the hills. The distance will be around 2 miles.
• 17 Feb, 9:00 - 11:00, Lucy Park, Meet at the 3rd Street entrance parking area. We will be staying on the paved trail which is fairly level. My intent is to walk the trail to the falls and on down behind the MPEC and back. 

You can see there are some opportunities to get out, enjoy being outside, and see some birds.

Good birding!

Catching Up on Recent Birding

 Yep. I'm behind. I have actually been out and doing some birding recently, although most has been incidental while walking the dogs. They are not the most patient when it comes to allowing me to look for birds. You can see in the photo at the left, Loki is ready to walk, not stand still and look for birds. This was a beautiful, crisp morning with frost. We did see some nice birds (briefly).

I have seen a lot of birds, even with all the "help" from the dogs.  I didn't post about the bird outing at Lake Arrowhead State Park on the 11th, so I'll start with that. It was a bit nippy when we started (around 26 degrees), but as usual in January, we had some good birds. Nothing special, but a nice variety. We saw Canada goose, white pelican, double-crested cormorant, mallard, green-winged teal, American coot, northern shoveler, killdeer, least sandpiper, ring-billed gull, yellow-shafted and red-shafted flicker, eastern/western meadowlark, Bewick's wren, northern cardinal, northern mockingbird, orange-crowned warbler, fox sparrow, white-crowned sparrow, song sparrow, Harris' sparrow, red-winged blackbird, great-tailed grackle, spotted towhee, dark-eyed junco, American pipit, and house finch.

Most of my birding lately has been at Lake Wichita Park, which is close to my house. Again, because of the dogs, I wasn't able to focus on birding, but still saw some good birds the last couple of weeks. Some notable birds (for me) were a repeat of the black phoebe (this time, at the west end of the pond at the end of the chat trail), a pair of Cooper's hawks talking (they are usually pretty quiet), a couple of long-billed dowitchers, and a great horned owl sitting atop a tree.

The weather is starting to warm up, which means summer won't be far behind, so get out and see the birds before it gets miserably hot!

Good birding!

Bird Outing Saturday, 10 Jan?

View out the window

Snow everywhere. And, as usual, with our severe snow storm (between 1 and 2 inches total), the city is shut down. I don't mind a bit. I don't drive on slick roads.

The picture is the view out my front window this morning. Since the temperatures didn't drop below 32 last night, the streets look clear. We did get more snow overnight, so there is some nice wet snow everywhere else.

As for our monthly bird outing at Lake Arrowhead State Park tomorrow, we'll have to wait and see, but I expect it will be a go. If it is just cold (prediction is 26 degrees in the AM), I will be there. The issue is the ice. With today's high in the low 40's, all of the snow should be melted off, and we'll have clear roads tomorrow. But, if I get up and there is any ice on the road, I will not be venturing out. So, look out your window at 7 AM (about the time I would leave the house). If the roads look clear to you, come on out. If in doubt, stay home if you want to bird with a group.

Good birding!

Shrike!

Cephas, CC BY-SA 4.0
 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>
 via Wikimedia Commons

 At the 1st Day Hike at Lake Arrowhead State Park we were excited to see a Loggerhead Shrike. For those of you who bird primarily in town, you may have never seen one as they are found in the countryside. They like open spaces for hunting.

The shrike is a beautiful bird, as you can see in the photo to the left. From a distance, it looks like a chunky mockingbird, but you can see it has cleaner lines and the black mask is a giveaway.

These birds are often called "butcher birds" due to their habit of impaling their food on thorns and barbed wire for consumption later. This allows them to capture prey when it is available, hungry or not, and keep it for when food is less available. 

As we walked the trail, we found several bugs impaled on mesquite thorns. I took a picture of a large grasshopper. In addition to this one, we found a smaller grasshopper, a damselfly, and a beetle, handy for a tasty snack. I would think it would be easier to have a larder with all its food together, but then, if some other shrike or bug-eating critter happened by, all of the food would be lost, so spreading out the largesse seems wise. That then brings up the issue of remembering where you put your food. You ever said to yourself, "I'm going to put this here for safekeeping," and then can't remember where you put it? Imagine doing that for multiple items. The damselfly looked a little crispy--perhaps this was one of those put away and forgotten. Of course, it wasn't near as tasty looking as the fat grasshoppers, so perhaps the shrike just chose better options.

Shrikes don't eat only insects and other bugs. They will also eat reptiles, birds, and small mammals. If they can carry it off, they will eat it, and they can carry their own weight in food.

The Texas shrike population has declined more than 76% since 1969. For shrikes, and all birds, please don't poison the invertebrates.  If you're walking out in the country, look for impaled insects and other prey in mesquites, on barbed wire, or in some case, stuffed in a small crevice.

Good birding!

Report Out 1st Day Hikes

Photo courtesy of Lynn Seman

Every January 1st, the state parks host 1st Day Hikes. I attended the hikes at Lake Arrowhead State Park. It was a beautiful, although chilly, day. Bright sunshine and a relatively light wind made it seem warmer.

The earlier hike was on the Dragonfly Trail and the later one on the North Onion Creek Trail. In between there was a gap of time that I used to bird other areas of the park. The earlier hike was not as well attended as the later one (go figure!) As far as birds go, the day was not the best, but I still saw some good birds. In addition, I watched a couple of coyotes and some white-tailed deer.

Birds seen/heard included: Canada goose, gadwall, green-winged teal, northern pintail, northern shoveler, American coot, double-crested cormorant, great blue heron, killdeer, ladder-backed woodpecker, black vulture, Carolina chickadee, common yellowthroat, Loggerhead shrike, song sparrow, savannah sparrow, white-crowned sparrow, and a flock of meadowlarks. The meadowlarks could have been eastern or western as both occur in our area.

On the way home, I picked up an American kestrel.

Plan now for next year. Pick a park and plan to attend one of the hikes.  The various hikes are at different times (to include beginning at midnight!), lengths, and difficulty.

Good birding!

NO December Bird Outing at Lake Arrowhead SP

The Christmas Bird Count (CBC) for our area is scheduled for December 14. Since most of the people who regularly participate in the monthly bird walk at Lake Arrowhead SP will also be taking part in the CBC, the bird walk is cancelled for that date. Join us again Saturday, January 11, 8:00 AM.

Monthly Bird Outing This Saturday

We have a bird outing the second Saturday of each month at Lake Arrowhead State Park. It is generally a small group and open to anyone who wants to see some birds.

We used to call this a "bird walk", but changed the name to "bird outing" last year to encourage anyone to come. Calling it a walk (although we do walk) discouraged those with mobility challenges. This is not a strenuous walk at all. Most of it is paved and the small portion that isn't, is level. If the ground is wet, there is still pavement not far away. We do occasionally have people in wheelchairs or using a cane participate, which is great. This is also not a strenuous walk. It is more of a saunter and can last anywhere from an hour to two hours, depending on the weather and the birds we see.

Members of the Rolling Plains chapter Texas Master Naturalist lead the walk, which means we look at more than birds--at this time of year, dragonflies, butterflies, grasshoppers, spiders, and plants are among the sights the group take a look at, and photograph. If we are lucky, we may get a good look at a painted bunting (picture, left). We hear them frequently in the summer, but we don't always get a good look.

Kids are welcome, as are other newcomers to the hobby of birdwatching.

There is an entry fee to enter the park ($4 per person). Since the office doesn't open until after the walk starts, come a little early to have time stop at the self-pay station. We meet in the parking lot of the admin building (previously called the dining hall). Not sure where that is? It's adjacent to the fishing wharf. We meet in the part of the parking lot on the other side of the building. If you have never been to the park, take the third right after entering the park, go to the right at the stop sign into the parking lot, and look for a small group of people with binoculars. We start at 8 AM. See you there!

Good birding!

March Birding at Lake Arrowhead State Park

Snow geese

Photo by Raymond Eichelberger on Unsplash

Saturday was the monthly bird outing at Lake Arrowhead State Park. The morning was beautiful. However, a

brisk wind, combined with 40 - 45 degree weather meant it was a little nippy to start. We had a new birder with 

us this month. She said birding was on her retirement bucket list. I can't imagine anything better.

This time of year is the beginning of the spring migration (although April should be even better). Purple Martins

are back, and our winter birds are still here. There have been reports of some summer birds showing up very early

(a summer tanager, for example). The highlight of my morning was a small flock of snow geese that flew over

our heads. A neotropic cormorant was also a good sighting. We also saw a beaver, and I saw some white-tailed deer.

I got to the park a little early and also birded West Arrowhead Rd that runs just outside the park boundary for a 

short time after we broke up, so my list includes those birds.

The birds I saw/heard included:

Canada goose

Snow goose

White pelican

Double-crested cormorant

Neotropic cormorant

Great blue heron

Ring-billed gull

Killdeer

Least sandpiper

Gadwall

Mallard

American Coot

Black vulture

Turkey vulture

Eastern phoebe

Ruby-crowned kinglet

Northern cardinal

Northern mockingbird

Carolina Chickadee

Eastern bluebird

Dark-eyed junco

Harris's sparrow

White-crowned sparrow

Field sparrow

Brown-headed cowbird

Great-tailed grackle

Red-winged blackbird

European starling

Overall, a very good morning. You're invited to come bird with us on the second Saturday of each

month. We start at 8:00 AM in the parking lot near the fishing pier. Beginners and kids welcome. We look

at more than just birds--plants, bugs, etc. This is a leisurely stroll of about 1 to 1.5 miles.

Good birding!

Birding is Good for You!

 

Me birding at Lake Arrowhead 
State Park (several years ago)

I was reading an article in the March 2024 American Birding Association magazine, Birding, 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 Wichita Falls Public Library, although I haven't looked at their magazine selection for some time.

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:

• Listening to bird song for 6 minutes can reduce anxiety and irrational thinking for up to 8 hours
• Although not necessarily birdwatching, 20 minutes of exposure to green spaces lowers cortisol (stress hormone)
• Participation in citizen science activities improves well-being (that's part of the reason members of our local Texas Master Naturalist chapter are such a positive group!)
• People who live in areas with higher bird diversity experience fewer hospital admissions for mood and anxiety disorders
• Birding can help restore attentiveness, reversing attention drain (attention restoration therapy)
• Offer social connections. Feelings of isolation and loneliness and lack of connections may increase the risk of premature death.

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.

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.

Good birding!

Lake Arrowhead SP Birding

Painted bunting at Lake 
Arrowhead SP

Every second Saturday there is a bird outing at Lake Arrowhead State Park. We wander about a mile over an hour or two (depending on the birds we see). Debra Halter and I, from the Rolling Plains Texas Master Naturalist chapter, lead the walk. 

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.

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!)

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.

Happy birding!

Great Backyard Bird Count Coming Up!

One of my favorite birding events is coming up February 16 - 19. The Great Backyard Bird Count is a joint citizen science project of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology,  National Audubon Society, and Birds Canada. It has found its way worldwide since tallies are now submitted through eBird.

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.

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.

Good birding!

Great Backyard Bird Count

 The Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC) is 12 - 15 February 2021. The count is an annual event, sponsored by The Cornell Lab of Ornithology, the Audubon Society, and Birds Canada. 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.

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 eBird 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.

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.

The next Lake Arrowhead State Park 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.

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 Wichita Bluff Nature Park segment and a portion of the Wichita Valley Rail Trail, 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.

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.

Good birding!