On Sunday, November 3, 2013 5:44 PM, "do-not-reply@xxxxxxxxx" <do-not-reply@xxxxxxxxx> wrote: Red River National Wildlife Refuge- Headquarters Unit, Bossier, US-LA Nov 3, 2013 6:00 AM - 12:00 PM Protocol: Traveling 3.0 mile(s) Comments: Birded with Ronnie Maum and Herb Pierce from Boston. Ronnie was very busy with the camera and got numerous outstanding shots!! Herb said it was a really good birding day for he as well! 3 observers, 6 hours (0600-1200, although nearly an hour of that walking slowly back looking at plants/ habitat), 3 miles (1.9 thoroughly surveyed). Clear/ foggy, 42 degrees, wind calm/ trace ENE beginning, variable light to 10 S-e much of survey. Clear, 61 degrees, wind 8-10 S-e ending. THREE Spotted Towhee and Cave Swallow were best birds. Single apparently "clean" pink-sided junco was also a great find. Black-throated Green Wa, Nashville Wa, Franklin's Gull, PILES of arriving winter sparrows and FOS Canvasback also good to see! As usual, no locals/ common residents were counted at the levee confluence, Arthur Ray Teague Parkway and recently added back road through the open. This road which has been entirely dead for several months except for MODO, NOMO and NOCA was alive with arriving winter sparrows for the first time today. Locals were also left off during that brief portion of the survey. The only additional spp recorded outside the usual 1-1.1 mile were 2 LOSH along the parkway and the Black-throated Green Wa. 83 species (+1 other taxa) Snow Goose 7 Single tight group high N with 1 dark phase and 1 Ross's. Ross's Goose 1 Canada Goose 4 4, 0. Part of long term feral population Wood Duck 36 17, 19. Groups 6, 11 from overlook then 19 S-w over Chocolate trail. Gadwall 123 12, 111. 20 with AMCO, then scat groups of 10-12 birds S from Choc trail. Northern Shoveler 6 2, 4 Green-winged Teal 41 40, 1. 40 high S at overlook then single f w/ Gadwall group in back Canvasback 24 0, 24. 4, 20 to S-e FOS Pied-billed Grebe 32 26, 6 Double-crested Cormorant 175 25, 150. Conservative! Single group at roost, then many groups of 8-12 low to high S over back trail American White Pelican 27 11, 16. Groups briefly circling, then to s Great Blue Heron 8 6, 2 Great Egret 28 26, 2. Initial count at roost. Snowy Egret 8 8, 2. Early group S-e low toward back unit with 3 TRHE Tricolored Heron 4 4, 0. Add single to N-w alone in cove Black-crowned Night-Heron 1 1, 0 S-y White Ibis 3 3, 0. Juv Turkey Vulture 3 0, 3 Cooper's Hawk 1 0, 1. Fem, prob sy (brownish-gray above) Red-shouldered Hawk 2 0, 2. Ad, juv Red-tailed Hawk 5 0, 5. Ad. Sep soaring + small trickle of 2 sep ad overhead to S American Coot 575 275, 300. Group split at lotus roost area with half toward back today. Not previously noted Killdeer 5 4, 1. Displaying pairs beyond overlook Greater Yellowlegs 1 0, 1 calls Franklin's Gull 8 Tight group high s as leaving overlook. Ring-billed Gull 3 3, 0. Two first winter, one ad. Rock Pigeon 1 1, 0. Commuter S-e Mourning Dove 353 350, 3. Enormous group early just at dawn to W/S-w beyond overlook. This group probably originates from roost along ART Parkway just to the S-e of the building a half-mile or so. It would be interesting to get a count leaving there- as areas farther to the S are much more open- loaded with Croton, etc. Great Horned Owl 1 1, 0. Calling at dawn Belted Kingfisher 4 2, 2 Red-bellied Woodpecker 12 4, 8 Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 6 5, 1. First noted or minor increase Downy Woodpecker 9 2, 7 Hairy Woodpecker 3 0, 3. Found in willows as 1, 2 on W half of Chocolate trail. Northern Flicker 11 2, 9. Minor increase but no big moves yet Eastern Phoebe 16 3, 13 Loggerhead Shrike 2 0, 2 Blue Jay 6 4, 2. Low!! American Crow 1 0, 1 Fish Crow 8 6, 2. Early group very high to N-w, 2 high n over Choc. Tree Swallow 250 250, 0- although visible on both trails. Conservative. Ronnie photo's small portion of group tightly packed on dead willow. Cave Swallow 1 Circling w/ Tree- at first from great distance was thought to be NRSW- until bird banked and pale buff crisply delineated rump patch noted. Circled closer to our observation point and pale buff-pinkish throat was seen well Carolina Chickadee 9 3, 6 Tufted Titmouse 7 3, 4 Brown Creeper 2 2, 0. Separate singles in pecans at building and levee/rd confluence. House Wren 15 2, 13 Winter Wren 14 2, 12. Counted in areas with 1-3 birds within close range- several individuals giving song Sedge Wren 1 0, 1. Narrow-leaved aster. Again, poorest season ever thus far. Carolina Wren 8 3, 5. Very low! Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 2 0, 2. Widely separated singles in dense black willow/ mix along Chocolate trail Golden-crowned Kinglet 6 5, 1. First noted increase. Single group of 5 in pecans at building/ overlook. Ruby-crowned Kinglet 35 12, 23. First noted increase. Eastern Bluebird 9 3, 6. Three W-S-w at overlook, then scattered 1-3 ~S high over Choc. Hermit Thrush 4 1, 3. First noted increase. Found as 2, 1 along Choc trail in thickets edging W end. American Robin 269 237, 32. First majot increase. Few on ground except tight group of 40 along levee. Two-hundred counted at single loc near levee confluence w/ road to back with most high in trees. Passing overhead in variable directions entire (except late) morning, mostly to S/S-e or gen, few small groups to N-w. Brown Thrasher 15 6, 9. Scatt groups 1-6 birds Northern Mockingbird 7 1, 6. European Starling 43 3, 40. Found as 2 W, 1 SSE, then 40 N. American Pipit 6 3, 3. All recorded as spaced single flyovers to S and S-w Nashville Warbler 1 0, 1. In marsh elder and adjacent large buttonbush- largish, brightly-plumaged indiv. Common Yellowthroat 4 0, 4. Found as 1,2,1 - including 2 sep ad m Pine Warbler 2 1, 1. Hyf, adm. Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) 65 15, 50. First noted increase. Individuals counted along choc mostly on W end of trail. Black-throated Green Warbler 1 1, 0. Incessantly-chipping indiv in large pecans at brief levee confluence stop. Another probable along Choc in black willow. Spotted Towhee 3 Found as 1, 2 along West and central West portions of Chocolate trail. First was heard-only giving 2-3 "growl"-calls at close range in dense roughleaf dogwood edged with grasses and various weeds / vines- near W end of trail- near first curve to right if walking E and on N side of path. The pr was prob ad f (deep but warmish dark brown above- not blackish gray like some prob hy m I've seen) and ad m (black-backed) in mixed dense thicket edged with marsh elder approx 200 yards E of first location on S side of path- with numerous other sparrows including WCSP, WTSP, SWSP, SOSP LISP. Ronnie obtained excellent photos of the male and possibly f. I obtained poor recordings of male which was vocal, but comparatively more spaced with it's calls. I've found three in a day over several locations and miles a couple of times in the past but this is a first for three birds at one spot!! The female did not appear to have any white at base of primaries suggesting hybrid. The male in photos showed some extremely faint spotting there but was looking at camera screen afield and was hard to see. All appeared to be heavily-spotted "plains" arcticus. More later!! Eastern Towhee 1 1, 0 Chipping Sparrow 4 Found as 2, 2 at building, levee convergence Vesper Sparrow 1 0, 1. Perched in large lime prickly ash on W end of Choc. Savannah Sparrow 4 0, 4. Found as 2,1,1 back rd and Choc Le Conte's Sparrow 1 0, 1 Fox Sparrow 1 0, 1. Brief incessant smacking + few notes near SPTO pr. Song Sparrow 32 2, 30. First noted increase Lincoln's Sparrow 9 0, 9. Found as 1,1,5,1,1. Largest concentration just E of SPTO pr. Dense black willow/ marsh elder/ weedy mix Swamp Sparrow 46 1, 45. White-throated Sparrow 190 80, 110. Conservative! First major increase. Two largest loose groups of 60+ individuals White-crowned Sparrow 21 0, 21. Scatt smaller groups of 1-5 including back trail and Choc. Definite increase for HQ. Dark-eyed Junco 9 2, 7. One and 2 of two separate groups looked too clean to be "slate-colored" but not clean enough for "pink-sided". No "good" hyemalis were seen, although several individuals were listed on basis of "titititit" and smacking calls. Dark-eyed Junco (Pink-sided) 1 Possibly hy male? Comparatively largish to two others in same group-Pale gray head/ nape, contrasting dark/ blackish lores, bright pink wash at sides. Convex (bulge toward lower breast/belly) breast pattern. Northern Cardinal 36 10, 26 Red-winged Blackbird 60 50, 10. Most groups W and N. Several smallish groups of males only, rest mostly f. Common Grackle 30 26, 4. Groups N and E Brown-headed Cowbird 6 1, 5. Single group of 5 f, 1 m along Choc (opposite of breeding season scenarios....(;) House Finch 9 0, 9. Two emerging from within Marsh elder (Iva annua) thicket, probably were feeding on the vast abundance of ripening fruit. Other singles and prs in various directions high overhead throughout first half of Choc trail walk. American Goldfinch 8 Fos here- Found as 2,3,2,1- with 2,3 also rising from fruiting marsh elder. View this checklist online at http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S15555887 This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (http://ebird.org) Left off single Brewer's Blackbird calling to E from Yesterday's Yates list- also single Indigo Bunting slumming with SASP on barbed-wire fence edging 401 at first opening/ beginning of pasture to West of the farm house. Good birding, Terry