[texbirds] Chalk Bluff & Kickapoo Canyon SP (pretty long)

  • From: "Mary Beth Stowe" <mbstowe@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • To: <texbirds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • Date: Sun, 5 Apr 2015 18:58:46 -0500

Hi, all!


I actually started this Spring Blitz yesterday, leaving McAllen and planning
a scouting mission to Garner SP (which I did), but I learned an important
lesson: never, ever, EVER go there Easter Weekend (unless your sole purpose
is to have fun with friends and family - forget birding)! So I changed
plans and decided to survey Chalk Bluff Park, which I had never been to
before but was curious about. On the way there I decided to stop along the
road for a couple of minutes, seeing it was JUST starting to get light; no
night birds, but among the dawn chorus were the day's only Purple Martins.



It was still dusky by the time I zipped by the entrance to the park (made a
quick Uie J) and started the BBS protocol in order to enter some EBird data.
I figured the road would probably be short, so I stopped every .3 miles
instead of half-miles, and that was a lot of fun: a lot of our familiar
Valley birds were sounding off, such as titmice, Golden-fronted Woodpeckers,
White-eyed Vireos, and Cardinals, but in addition a few "desert" type things
got on the list, such as a tinkling Black-throated Sparrow and an
Ash-throated Flycatcher doing his "police whistle"! EBird saved my neck,
because a nighthawk batted by low over the bushes, and I assumed Lesser
because of the drier, more desert-like habitat (although it was closer to
western Hill Country habitat), but according to the TOS Handbook, it looked
like Lessers were supposed to be rare here, while Common is widespread! So
I entered it into my BirdBase as Common, but the only option in EBird was
Lesser for the park, so I figured the locals knew best!



Continuing on, Turkeys were gobbling in the distance, and a couple of Bell's
Vireos were having a singing contest on either side of the road! At an open
field a Grasshopper Sparrow sang, and in the distance a Great Horned Owl
sounded off. I had several thrashers singing that I at first assumed must
have been Curve-billed, but I discovered that Longbills do indeed get up
this far (and the song sounded more throaty to me anyway), so that's what I
called them.



The area where you pull in to the actual park is very open, and added
Vermilion Flycatcher, Cassin's and Field Sparrows, and tons of Collared
Doves and House Sparrows! L The office wasn't open yet (picked up a Hooded
Oriole at least), so I just crawled along the roads, most of which go right
through the campground, which is situated in this HUGE live oak forest - it
was just gorgeous! There was a rocky road down to the Nueces River and the
big, beautiful bluff for which the park is named, and while I couldn't spot
much expect for the Rough-winged Swallows batting back and forth, stuff was
singing and calling all over, including some Valley birds I would not have
expected this far north such as Kiskadee, Couch's Kingbird, and White-tipped
Dove! (The latter did indeed get flagged by EBird, so I was thankful I was
able to get a recording, but I guess the other two are regular enough to be
included on the list.) A Green Kingfisher gave its excited little "braat"
call, and both Rock and Canyon Wrens sand and called from the cliff face.
Behind me a Summer Tanager sang, and a Rufous-crowned Sparrow gave its
rattling song from downriver.



Slipping and sliding back up the hill (those rocks were pretty loose) I
crawled down to the other end of the park to Pecan Grove (I believe it was
called), which looked like a primitive camping area. Here the road ended in
a nice little woodland where both a Yellow-throated Vireo and
Yellow-throated Warbler were singing, and a couple of Yellow-breasted Chats
were also sounding off! In the open area that separated the two camping
areas some Scissor-tailed Flycatchers were being very vocal, and two more
"Valley" birds, Brown-crested Flycatcher and Olive Sparrow, vocalized
nicely. Somewhere in here I picked up Carolina Chickadee for the day, and
on the road going past the animal pens were a whole bunch of Lark Sparrows!
As an added surprise, on the way out what I thought was a classic Cardinal
song turned out to be a female Pyrrhuloxia singing - so much for my theory
that Pyrrs don't change rhythms mid-song!



It was time to head to Kickapoo after that for the scouting mission, and it
really didn't take me long to get there as I just continued up SR 55 and
made a left on FM 334 to Brackettville, then headed north on FM 674. A
place is never what you envision in your mind's eye: for some reason I was
expecting this park to be more of a desert scrub habitat, but the area was
incredibly similar to Kerr WMA, right down to the narrow paved road going in
(although Kerr isn't hilly.)! Since I was just scouting and measuring the
mileage for a "bona fide" survey the next morning, I just drove straight
through to the end of the road but yet listening for stuff. A buzzy song
made me slam on the brakes, back up, and turn off the motor, and sure
enough, a Golden-cheeked Warbler was singing off to the side! Bingo!



It was time for a sandwich about then, so I pulled into the picnic area and
fixed said sandwich, spooking a flock of Lesser Goldfinches as I headed
towards the table. Some Chipping Sparrows came in to investigate, and
Verdins were chiming all over. Continuing on, a raven flew over that I'm
assuming Common because of the size and habitat, but apparently Chihuahuans
can show up here, too, so I may have to settle for "raven sp." tomorrow if I
see him again.



The road actually ends at the ranger residence, but it's very well marked,
warning you not to go any further, but at the same spot is a nice wide
parking area for the Indigo Creek Connection Trail. Since I had plenty of
time (and needed the exercise J) I decided to do ten minutes' worth, and I
hadn't gone far before I couldn't believe my ears: the coveted Gray Vireo
was singing! I was jazzed: the Blackcap is possible at a couple of other
spots this trip, but according to the literature (unless you're heading to
Big Bend, which I'm not), I get them here or not at all this trip! Woo hoo!
He even outshined the Scott's Oriole whistling in the distance!



The next trail was Vireo Vista, which was more of a workout than anything
else, but I did manage to bag Scrub Jay on that one. I needed to use the
restroom, so headed straight for headquarters where I checked in, but as I
was heading for the car I heard someone say "screech owl" and noticed four
people with bins over by the other building, so I wandered over myself, and
discovered that two of them were rangers and the other two guys were
visitors from San Francisco! The screech owl wasn't visible, but we got
into a conversation about target birds, and when I had mentioned that I got
the Gray Vireo the two Californians were all ears! The rangers also told us
the best spot for the Montezuma Quail (although they admitted that's a tough
one), and then we got into a conversation about the plight of the
Yellow-billed Magpies and Tricolored Blackbirds out there!



We all finally broke up the party and I headed on to the restroom, then
backtracked to the Pine Canyon Loop. I hadn't gone 30 feet into the trail,
probably, when I almost fainted: yet ANOTHER Gray Vireo was singing, this
one closer and more typical (the other one was just doing a few phrases here
and there)! It was a beautiful trail; at one point it forks to the left
through what looks like old ranch wooden gate posts, so I took that down
towards the creek where the trail crossed Indigo Creek Connection, swung to
the right, and I couldn't believe it: yet ANOTHER Gray Vireo was singing
across the creek and up the limestone hill! I was sure hoping the guys
found that first one, but I was getting ready to give them directions should
I run into them again!



Backtracked again to the Barbado Ridge Trail, which is right across from the
Vireo Vista and is the trail they recommended for Monty Quail. I really
didn't expect to kick up any, and it was a bit of a workout being on an
incline, but not only was there yet ANOTHER Gray Vireo singing on this
trail, but a Black-capped Vireo as well! Another one was actually singing
away back at the car, but wouldn't come out naturally (I got to thinking
that it's a good thing I don't have my heart set on seeing all these things,
because about the only things I had actually seen in the park - besides the
goldfinches and Chippies at lunch - were Black-throated Sparrows,
Mockingbirds, and a stupid cowbird)!



That changed a little when I took the ranger's recommendation and hiked a
little of the Sergeant Memorial Trail (in honor of the rancher who owned the
property previously). Some Bewick's Wrens actually showed themselves near
the buildings, and a little up the trail a pair of Olive Sparrows allowed
brief looks. Back at the trailhead a Canyon Towhee flew into a tree, and
back at the restrooms three Vermilion Flycatchers were having it out (the
ranger mentioned that there was a young male there that was being a bully.)!



My feet were shot by that time, so called it a day and headed on in to Del
Rio with 70 species for the day (the extras under "so far" below were piddly
little things added while packing in McAllen or seen in transit or at
Garner). Bird List:



Northern Bobwhite Colinus virginianus

Wild Turkey Meleagris gallopavo

Black Vulture Coragyps atratus

Turkey Vulture Cathartes aura

Red-tailed Hawk Buteo jamaicensis

Rock Pigeon Columba livia

Eurasian Collared-Dove Streptopelia decaocto

White-winged Dove Zenaida asiatica

Mourning Dove Zenaida macroura

Inca Dove Columbina inca

White-tipped Dove Leptotila verreauxi

Great Horned Owl Bubo virginianus

Common Nighthawk Chordeiles minor

Green Kingfisher Chloroceryle americana

Golden-fronted Woodpecker Melanerpes aurifrons

Ladder-backed Woodpecker Picoides scalaris

Crested Caracara Caracara cheriway

American Kestrel Falco sparverius

Vermilion Flycatcher Pyrocephalus rubinus

Ash-throated Flycatcher Myiarchus cinerascens

Brown-crested Flycatcher Myiarchus tyrannulus

Great Kiskadee Pitangus sulphuratus

Couch's Kingbird Tyrannus couchii

Scissor-tailed Flycatcher Tyrannus forficatus

White-eyed Vireo Vireo griseus

Bell's Vireo Vireo bellii

Black-capped Vireo Vireo atricapilla

Gray Vireo Vireo vicinior

Yellow-throated Vireo Vireo flavifrons

Western Scrub-Jay Aphelocoma californica

Common Raven Corvus corax

Northern Rough-winged Swallow Stelgidopteryx serripennis

Purple Martin Progne subis

Carolina Chickadee Poecile carolinensis

Black-crested Titmouse Baeolophus atricristatus

Verdin Auriparus flaviceps

Rock Wren Salpinctes obsoletus

Canyon Wren Catherpes mexicanus

Carolina Wren Thryothorus ludovicianus

Bewick's Wren Thryomanes bewickii

Cactus Wren Campylorhynchus brunneicapillus

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher Polioptila caerulea

Eastern Bluebird Sialia sialis

Hermit Thrush Catharus guttatus

Long-billed Thrasher Toxostoma longirostre

Northern Mockingbird Mimus polyglottos

Yellow-throated Warbler Setophaga dominica

Golden-cheeked Warbler Setophaga chrysoparia

Yellow-breasted Chat Icteria virens

Olive Sparrow Arremonops rufivirgatus

Rufous-crowned Sparrow Aimophila ruficeps

Canyon Towhee Melozone fusca

Cassin's Sparrow Peucaea cassinii

Chipping Sparrow Spizella passerina

Field Sparrow Spizella pusilla

Lark Sparrow Chondestes grammacus

Black-throated Sparrow Amphispiza bilineata

Grasshopper Sparrow Ammodramus savannarum

Lincoln's Sparrow Melospiza lincolnii

Summer Tanager Piranga rubra

Northern Cardinal Cardinalis cardinalis

Pyrrhuloxia Cardinalis sinuatus

Red-winged Blackbird Agelaius phoeniceus

Great-tailed Grackle Quiscalus mexicanus

Brown-headed Cowbird Molothrus ater

Hooded Oriole Icterus cucullatus

Scott's Oriole Icterus parisorum

House Finch Haemorhous mexicanus

Lesser Goldfinch Spinus psaltria

House Sparrow Passer domesticus



70 SPECIES

SO FAR: 76 SPECIES



Mary Beth Stowe

McAllen, TX

miriameaglemon.com





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  • » [texbirds] Chalk Bluff & Kickapoo Canyon SP (pretty long) - Mary Beth Stowe