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 > Edit your Freelists account settings for TEXBIRDS at //www.freelists.org/list/texbirds Reposting of traffic from TEXBIRDS is prohibited without seeking permission from the List Owner