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!

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!

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!

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!

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!