[bsg] Fw: eBird Report - Red River Valley/agri portions of Hubert's Natchitoches CBC area, Dec 22, 2013
- From: Terry Davis <trdavis22@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: Bulletin Board for Dissemination of Information on Louisiana Birds <LABIRD-L@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, "bsg@xxxxxxxxxxxxx" <bsg@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Wed, 25 Dec 2013 06:09:09 -0800 (PST)
Hi all, Hubert and I had an excellent day in spite of the wet conditions
On Tuesday, December 24, 2013 9:51 PM, "do-not-reply@xxxxxxxxx"
<do-not-reply@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Red River Valley/agri portions of Hubert's Natchitoches CBC area, Natchitoches,
US-LA
Dec 22, 2013 6:30 AM - 12:35 PM
Protocol: Traveling
7.5 mile(s)
Comments: Birded car-side and on foot with Hubert Hervey. 2 Observers, 6
hrs, 5 minutes (0630-2:55 p.m.- subtract 20 between 0740-0800 for brief
checking of pond nearby early, this within "upland" boundaries), 7.5 miles (1.5
walked). Clouds 70% beginning, 50 degrees, wind calm/variable ~W beginning. N
wind N ~12 w/ higher gusts and steady drizzling rain picked up shortly before 1
and was a major hindrance for an hour or so, then cloudy with intermittent
light drizzle, 48 degrees, wind N at ~12-15 w/ higher gusts ending. Although we
weren't able to get into two of our better stops at Mibermel farms due to wet,
muddy and impassible rds (therefore likely reason for missing AMCO, BCNH, TRHE,
RNDU, HOME GWTE, LESA- among other misses elsewhere), we were able to give
larger portions of the remaining roads here better coverage. Some of these rds
were dirt/gravel and the going was slow, causing us to linger later than we
probably should have before
resuming the upland portions. We birded portions of Johnson Chute, LA 1,
Mibermel farms, Bayou Pierre Cutoff and Old Bayou Pierre rds. Out of 91 spp for
the day, best birds were TWO PEREGRINE FALCON and 3-4 (possibly 5) SHORT-EARED
OWL, Common Moorhen (not at usual spot), 11 Inca Dove (2,9 at sep areas), Barn
Owl and Harris's Sparrow, among others. Other misses for the day were Brown
Creeper, Common Yellowthroat, Field Sparrow and House Finch.
85 species
Snow Goose 50 ~70% white, overhead to E w/ 6 Ross's ~.2 miles S of Bayou
Pierre cutoff on Old Bayou Pierre Rd.
Ross's Goose 6
Wood Duck 21 2,11,4,4
Gadwall 11 ~50/50% m.f Bonus (considering water areas missed). Resting and
feeding with other puddle ducks in a large, very shallow portionrectangular
catch basin surrounded on all sides by plowed fields at SNGO/ROGO flyover
location including one male REDH, GADW, MALL, NOSH and NOPI. Merlin, largest
group of WISN also there
Mallard 17 Including 7 at catch basin (4m, 3f), then 8, 2 elsewhere.
Northern Shoveler 13 " ~70% male
Northern Pintail 8 4m, 4f
Redhead 1 " Ad Male, resting entire time in inches of water.
Ruddy Duck 3 Hwy 1 pond on W side just S of Bayou Pierre. 1 ad m, 1f-type
ANHI perched in trees and largest group of GREG also there. Juv male COHA nearby
Double-crested Cormorant 5 early flybys Johnson Chute.
Anhinga 2
Great Blue Heron 8 Scatt
Great Egret 33 Including scatt singles, then 23,1,3,1. Often get CAEG near
pond but also missed.
White Ibis 213 51- (+ 1 j), 155 -(+ 5 j/ sy) at sep areas, then 4j, 3 ad
as sep flybys at catch basin. Counted as singles.
Black Vulture 22 Largest nos of both vulture spp kettling or circling
along La 1 between Mibermel and Bayou Pierre bridge, then N end of Bayou Pierre
Rd - scattered smaller groups and singles elsewhere
Turkey Vulture 48 conservative
Northern Harrier 3 1,3,1,1- early portion
Cooper's Hawk 2 Prob fem Johnson Chute, then juv m.
Bald Eagle 2 juv or sy Johnson Chute, hy Old Bayou Pierre rd
Red-shouldered Hawk 2
Red-tailed Hawk 24
Common Gallinule 1 Calling loudly at Alligator Zoo property.
Killdeer 87 35,20,10,8,4,10
Greater Yellowlegs 41 1,39,1- largest group JC area with WHIB
Wilson's Snipe 64 1,1,62
Rock Pigeon 5 to E. JC area.
Eurasian Collared-Dove 11 10,1
Mourning Dove 117 2,1,1,3,110
Inca Dove 11 2 La 1, 9 Mibermel farms silo area
Barn Owl 1 Mibermel cotton gin- Observed flying, then relocating within
building, then exiting building at N end.
Barred Owl 1 OBP rd/ mid/ N end- mid/day calling.
Short-eared Owl 3 nearly 100% certain of 4!! At field on N and W sides at
sharp S, then East dog-leg of Johnson Chute. I was nearly 100% convinced of 4
individuals, possibly 5. First Individual gave single distant bark to playback,
then circled over Hubert and I silently and repeatedly for several minutes in
the pre-dawn early light, before settling back into the scattered, patchy
med-tall Andropogon/ shorter grass mix. We returned after quickly moving and
owling elsewhere to walk the field for SPPI, HOLA, others. As I began walking
NNW, 2 birds flushed simultaneously, then a third. Interestingly, the birds
silently circled for several+ minutes before flying to the N-w again and
putting down over 200 yards away. I shouted to Hubert who was observing the
birds where he was positioned to the S. I obtained crappy photos of two
together in flight. They were very closely associating and occasionally
interacting with various manouvers in flight. A
single separate bird remained in flight the entire time. I got photos as it
passed over- still crappy, but better for ID. I then walked straight West in
the field counting LESP, SASP and single flyby HOLA- occasionally looking up to
see the lone SEOW still circling. Suddenly, ANOTHER SEOW flushed from the field
just ahead to my W!! Before we left, there were again 3 SEOW circling!! Up to 3
NOHA were also circling with owls or nearby during the entire time-frame. I
did not see the origin flushing location of this possible 5th owl. By some
stretch, the first bird flushing to W may have relocated from the original two
that dropped- as I was often looking down as I walked flushing LESP and SASP-
but not likely! Single "yap" heard initially during first observation from
single bird + characteristic butterfly-like flight noted with fairly stiff
wings and snappy downward flap. Med/ Med smallish yellow-eyed owls, pale buff
to buff-whitish below, appearing
lightly streaked in flight at breast. Long, narrowish wings with bold,
blackish wrist patches, crisply delineated from much paler undersides of wings,
dark narrow cresent near tip of primaries and dark tips. This is my first
multiple record in quite a few years!
Red-bellied Woodpecker 35 Highest nos seen in area this year!!
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 16 "
Downy Woodpecker 8 Low early, coming on strong later on OBP rd.
Hairy Woodpecker 1 Wet Hackberry/willow mixed bottom near RR track on OBP
rd.
Northern Flicker 8 Still low!
Pileated Woodpecker 2 1,1
American Kestrel 9 Scatt- all seen well were f
Merlin 1 Aformentioned ad m columbarius
Peregrine Falcon 2 !! The second actual winter record that I know of for
N-w La. While birding at Bayou Pierre bridge on Johnson Chute, a group of ~35
KILL flew over rapidly to S-w with birds weaving in the group, a few seconds
later a group of 20 flew over, circled briefly, then continued S-w (away from
suitable habitat toward woods/hills, also a slower-moving group of 16 AMPI,
also 10 and 13 AMRO. Approximately 30 seconds later, while standing on the
bridge viewing East, the first PEFA was observed moving not especially fast but
in a steady, powerful flap due S approx 150-200' to our East. Details of this
bird were seen well aside from age (~90% sure of). Another individual slightly
behind but simultaneously seen flying in same direction ~100' to East of that
bird was also noted. Med-large/ large falcon with heavy, dark, rounded
mask/fore-auriculars and crown (from side) crisply and strikingly delineated
from whitish cheeks. Heavy-armed in
wings, with fairly broad wrists, then tapering fairly quickly into narrow
points. Powerful, steady flap and level flight. The closer of two birds showed
darkish above and dark/ heavily barred in underwings below. The bird appeared
to have narrow dark transverse barring below on a paler background, although
this was hard to see from our observation point. The distant individual not
seen as well for markings but overall shape, structure, flight morphology, also
the fact that the bird wasn't moving rapidly and there was hardly any wind to
change shape or appearance in flight eliminated any other raptor. At the time.
We are 100% confident in the identification.
Eastern Phoebe 19 Also very low early, coming on strong later along OBP in
wet wooded areas and homesteads.
Loggerhead Shrike 7 Scatt
Blue Jay 14 All singles to 2- interestingly recorded as 1,2,1,2,1,2,1,2,1,1
American Crow 241 Nos felt too conservative afterward- highest numbers
early and mid survey from JC area through LA 1.
Fish Crow 48 Single group to E/S over La 1 at Mibermel
Horned Lark 1 JC field- missed SPPI here, then LALO usually nearby.
Carolina Chickadee 12 2,2,1,2,3,2,1. Low!
Tufted Titmouse 3 Single group at JC/ confluence w/ upland habitat at BP
bridge.
House Wren 8 Scatt- most early/mid. Good from memory for us for this count.
Winter Wren 2 1,1
Sedge Wren 4 As 2,1,1. Individuals found were mostly in ntably thin areas
of suitable habitat.
Carolina Wren 21 Singles- 2. As CACH with mostly 2's and one group of 3.
Ruby-crowned Kinglet 16 Scatt, mostly singles, to 2
Eastern Bluebird 44 3,4,1,2,10,5,9,8,2
Hermit Thrush 4 2,11 N woods areas of OBP only.
American Robin 484 Early two groups, then singles much of mid-day-
followed by solid large groups in woods, roadsides and settlements on OBP from
juncture of cutoff rd all the way N. VERY conservative!
Brown Thrasher 3 Singles- 1 JC bridge, 2 OBP wooded thickets
Northern Mockingbird 27 Most singles, 2's and 3's. One group 5. More
notable early.
European Starling 3 grp near Mibermel
American Pipit 133 Widely scatt- 16,9,6,1,1,5,4,6,1,60,24.
Cedar Waxwing 110 Widely scatt but most late along OBP-15,5,60,5,5,20
Orange-crowned Warbler 1 JC at BP bridge.
Pine Warbler 2 Sep ad m, ad f
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) 39 Scatt early but most late along OBP-
1,5,4,3,1,5,5,10,5
Eastern Towhee 1 OBP mixed oak/ hackberry thicket with dense understory.
Vesper Sparrow 5 1,3,1 Mibermel and OBP
Savannah Sparrow 438 HIGH!! Widely scattered smaller groups including 100+
and 81 on JC within a relatively small area near SEOW loc. Conservative. One
individual at Mibermel silos showing entirely white and sharply contrasting
outer two tail feathers, rather than showing a more muted effect to the
contrast when found- as usual. Initially though was VESP
Le Conte's Sparrow 9 Three singles nearby, then remainder in
Andropogon/mixed field- too conservative!
Fox Sparrow 11 Scatt early through late as 3,3,1,2,2
Song Sparrow 40 Scatt 1-6- mstly as 3's during entire survey.
Swamp Sparrow 16 Seemed very low. As 2,4,2,2,3,2,1
White-throated Sparrow 229 High mid and late portions of survey- with
largest group of 100+ at long wet, wooded slough adjacent Mibermel farms.
Harris's Sparrow 1 Largish, (maybe 2y- fairly good amount of black to bib)
at slough near WTSP, SOPS, SWSP but few WCSP- obtained recordings of partial
song and flocking calls but few ""fseer" calls. Possibly photoed.
White-crowned Sparrow 40 Very low for time spent in suitable habitat. As
2,1,5,6,6,5,10,2,1,1,1- early through mid/late.
Dark-eyed Junco (Slate-colored) 2 1,1
Northern Cardinal 68
Red-winged Blackbird 404 Early through late. This number extremely
conservative but no big groups of early flybys + lots of smaller groups
Eastern Meadowlark 83 Much singing and smaller groups of 3-10 throughout
survey early/mid. One group of 30. Missed WEME!!
Rusty Blackbird 38 Early through late- scatt groups of 2,2,2, 30, 2-
observed with/ near RWBL and COGR at differing times
Brewer's Blackbird 8 Early and late as 1,1,1,5 calling flybys.
Common Grackle 242 This number too low! Early groups of 10-80 but most
late along OBP
Brown-headed Cowbird 60 ~80% females coming to spilled grain with RWBL
edging slough near Mibermel silos.
American Goldfinch 30 Widely scattered, many single flybys mid-survey- as
3,1,1,1,1,10,10,1,2
House Sparrow 3 Mibermel silos
View this checklist online at
http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S16065989
This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (http://ebird.org)
Merry Christmas to all,
Terry
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- » [bsg] Fw: eBird Report - Red River Valley/agri portions of Hubert's Natchitoches CBC area, Dec 22, 2013 - Terry Davis
