Birders :
On February 28 four adults and one young boy went along with me for the
first scheduled hike of the year at Government Canyon State Natural Area.
I was hoping to find the year's first Golden-cheeked Warbler. A voldish,
drab, morning yielded seven species: Black Vulture, Northern Cardinal,
Black-crested Titmouse, American Robin, Ruby - crowned Kinglet, Common
Ground-Dove, Carolina Wren. The exact numbers for each species are in my
eBird report. That report being the first one I have done, I didn't manage
to find the button to send my eBird report to TexBirds or SATXBirds.
Hopefully someone will instruct me before the late March hike.
Our most interesting birding was at the first crossing of Government Canyon
Creek, trail marker # 4. A flock of Black-crested Titmice came in from the
creek bottom. There was at least one non-BCTI shape in this multi-species
foraging flock. In May - July this crossing spot is a good place to hear
the deranged car alarm call of a Yellow-breasted Chat.
The above has several missing species that almost certainly were on the
site. The fact that we almost got to the start of the Wildcat Canyon
resulted in a 1.8 mile hike done in three hours. Even though several
resident species such as Canyon Wren, Bewick's Wren, Northern Mockingbird,
Western Scrub-Jay, and probably others, were most probably present, they
not heard or seen. I may have heard a piece of a Golden-cheeked Warbler
call on the north side of the bridge. On the other hand Georgina Schwartz
may have been right when she suggested that it was mainly that I wanted so
badly to hear a Golden-cheeked at this very dependable stop. That is why
I am tempted to make another try on March 6.
So, what it amounted to was that this hike was a last of winter hike. The
lack of Bluebonnets in bloom reinforces this idea. Maybe spring will be
here on March 6. Spring will be in Bexar County on the date of the next
sceduled bird hike, March 27. That date being Easter is only cooincidence.
Onwards!
Steve
Stevan Hawkins
San Antonio Tx
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