[texbirds] Colorado Bend SP - Zone-taileds, etc.
- From: Chuck Sexton <gcwarbler@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: TexBirds TexBirds Posting <texbirds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Wed, 26 Jun 2013 21:08:57 -0500
TexBirders,
I took the opportunity to visit Colorado Bend SP (San Saba Co.) after
the recent reports of a Zone-tailed Hawk nest made it so enticing.
Glad I did.
I arrived at the park at 6:45 a.m. and rather than go directly to the
hawks (on an 8 mi gravel road), I chose to walk the Gorman Falls
Trail for the first couple of hours of daylight. I had at least 3
territorical Black-capped Vireos in the arid uplands along with
juveniles of just about every species in that area including Common
Ground-Doves, Black-throated Sparrows, Canyon Towhees, etc. In all,
the entrance road and that hike produced 5 species of vireos (White-
eyed, Red-eyed, Yellow-throated, Black-capped, and Bell's). At
Gorman Falls, two Louisiana Waterthrushes were counter-singing. I
glimpsed a single female or juvenile Golden-cheeked Warbler as it
captured a large katydid in a gum bumelia tree along the bluffline.
I arrived at the southernmost parking lot at 10 a.m. and immediately
heard the nestling Zone-taileds screaming across the river. (By the
way, for you TCC types, the nest is in Burnet County.) Contrary to a
previous report, the nest is high in the crown of a Texas Ash,
immediately across from the previously mentioned picnic table, etc.,
etc. An adult finally showed up with a food item at 10:35 a.m. but
did not go to the nest. Instead, it circled a few times over the
river (estimated at times to be closer to my San Saba side) and then
perched on dead snags on the face of the bluff about 100 yds upstream
of the nest. The adult ate the small food item (a lizard?) and never
went to the nest during my hour of observation.
I also visited the San Saba sewer ponds and Risien Park in town but
there was little of interest other than a pair of Ruddy Ducks and a
lone Bronzed Cowhbird at the edge of the golf course. Despite some
rains in the area a few weeks back, most of the county still looks
exceptionally dry.
Chuck Sexton
Austin, TX
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- » [texbirds] Colorado Bend SP - Zone-taileds, etc. - Chuck Sexton
