[texbirds] Riverwalk Park (Hutto Hippo Crossing)- Hutto

From: Mary Ann Melton <mammelton50@xxxxxxx>
To: TEXBIRDS <texbirds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Sat, 27 Apr 2013 21:06:35 -0500
Late this afternoon I stopped by the retention pond at the Riverwalk 
subdivision in Hutto.  On Bird's Eye someone has named it Hutto Hippo Crossing, 
I tend to call it the Riverwalk Pond.  Water levels are still low but there is 
a lot of shallow water hidden by grasses. When I first got there, I saw a few 
blue wing teals in the open but most were moving in the tall grass so well 
hidden that I couldn't count them.  When I changed positions to check out what 
was in the deeper eastern area, I looked back and saw a raptor.  To my delight 
and astonishment, it was a peregrine falcon!  Unmistakeable - dark blue patches 
on the face top of head dark. It was hunting the birds in the grasses and 
landed or almost landed several times.  While I didn't get a photo, I did get a 
good look at it for several minutes.  I was not expecting a peregrine falcon in 
my patch this year.  Several minutes later when I went back up to the shallow 
end of the pond hoping to get another glimpse of the falcon, the teals were all 
back in the open water easy to count.   I knew the peregrine had to be gone.  
Other nice bird was first of season yellow crowned night heron. 

My husband thinks he heard a chuck-will's widow when we got home from dinner.  
Wish I'd heard it - that would be a first for our yard.  

mammelton
2013-04-27 05:06
Hutto Hippo Crossing
Traveling
0.5 miles
55 Minutes
Observers: 1
All birds reported? Yes
Comments: Peregrines Falcon was totally unexpected  Blue wing trails were 
dispersed and well hidden when I arrived. About15 minutes laterI had moved 
forward looking back toward the middle was a hawk hunting distinctive facial 
markings if peregrine were well to be seen. He was landing in shorter but 
marshy grassi am assuming hunting the smaller birds 
34 Blue-winged Teal
2 Northern Shoveler
1 Great Egret
1 Snowy Egret
2 Yellow-crowned Night-Heron
3 Turkey vultures
5 Greater Yellowlegs
20 Least Sandpiper
2 Eurasian Collared-Dove
1 White-winged Dove
1 Mourning Dove
1 Scissor-tailed Flycatcher
2 Barn Swallow
2 European Starling
100 Red-winged Blackbird
1 Common Grackle
20 Great-tailed Grackle


Mary Ann Melton
Hutto, Texas



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[texbirds] Riverwalk Park (Hutto Hippo Crossing)- Hutto

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