[texbirds] Re: Central Austin -- Sunday 21st

  • From: Elliott Gordon <tengalloncat@xxxxxxxxx>
  • To: TexBirds <texbirds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • Date: Sun, 21 Apr 2013 13:34:08 -0500

I feel like mentioning more about the grebe:
I checked around the pond almost continuously, and when I did finally see
it, it was south of water feature, then it flew a little north in the pond,
and when I left it was still there but probably went back into hiding.

Some interesting behaviors:

I saw a coot chase away a wood duck (probably too near the chick), one male
wood duck being walled off from babies by a pair, a pair of wood ducks
swimming up to the green heron after it landed nearby, two wood duck chicks
calling to each other, the fastest I have ever seen a coot swim (its chick
was calling), and a wood duck harassing the blue-winged teals.

Elliott Gordon
AF5HH
NW Austin


On Sun, Apr 21, 2013 at 1:21 PM, Elliott Gordon <tengalloncat@xxxxxxxxx>wrote:

> I was originally headed to Camp Mabry, which I had not visited lately, but
> they were having an open house. Laguna Gloria was also hosting an event, so
> I parked at Mayfield Park and walked down the street. Around the parking
> lot were young Northern Mockingbirds (with their speckled breasts, cute
> beaks, and short tails). In the flock of warblers, I was able to pick out a
> Blue-headed Vireo, hear a Red-eyed Vireo, and find a calling
> Yellow-breasted Chat. Swamp Sparrow and Marsh Wren are still in the reeds,
> and a male Common Yellowthroat showed itself. I could not see the
> Red-shouldered Hawk nest clearly, but I've been told you can see the
> chicks. Also, a Barred Owl chick was out the other day (I looked but found
> only an adult).
>
> http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S13827871
>
> I wanted to go to Shoal Creek after the Cerulean report a couple weeks
> ago. Well, it was a good choice. Two male Blue Grosbeaks and a flock of
> Lincoln's Sparrows met me at first. An Eastern Phoebe was calling, and
> another birder told me she saw a juvenile bird. In the creek, Blue Jays
> were harassing a Red-shouldered Hawk, a pair of Red-bellied Woodpeckers
> foraged and visited a nest hole, and a silent Great Crested Flycatcher
> perched briefly. Overall lack of warblers (two Orange-crowned Warblers and
> a few singing faintly).
>
> http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S13828014
>
> I will close with a tail of two ponds. Central Market was dead (15 spp),
> except for the usual urban birds, Wood Ducks, and one Red-winged Blackbird.
> On the other hand, the Triangle was great, and I was pleased with the time
> I spent waiting for the Least Grebe to appear. A Sora walked out in the
> open, a Green Heron was hunting, a pair of Blue-winged Teals, a large group
> of Wood Ducks were around, and a family of American Coots rounded out the
> water birds.
>
> http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S13828245
>
> Elliott Gordon
> AF5HH
> NW Austin
>


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