[texbirds] Great morning on the Katy Prairie
- From: Justin Bower <justinbower@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: texbirds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Sun, 16 Feb 2014 08:11:03 -0600
Having some unexpected extra time yesterday morning, I dashed out to the
Katy Prairie.
I got a late start and didn't get to *Longenbaugh* until 7:30 or so, but it
was still fairly active. White-crowned, Savannah, Song, Vesper, Lincoln's,
Field, and Harris Sparrows were present at various places in the area. The
dogs near the bridge were as aggressive as ever, but a house west of the
bridge, with a star pattern on the fence had a yard full of sparrows of all
sorts. Plenty of kestrels, and one unidentified falcon who landed too far
away to see properly, but who looked like a Merlin in flight.
Goodbye sparrows, see you next year.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jmbower/12553886383/
Red-tailed Hawks looked down at from seemingly every other pole.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jmbower/12554329194/
*Paul Rushing Park* was already pretty busy when I got there, but
surprisingly there were a good number of ducks still on the water, with
Ruddy, Canvasback, Green-winged Teal, Gadwall, Shoveler, and Pintail. There
were some Dowitchers and Yellowlegs in the pond behind the back fence. For
the heck of it, I took a run down the west side and played the Kiskadee
call. There was a very distant response that was hard to hear over the
wind. I tried it again on the way out 30 minutes later, and got the same
distant, not-quite-identifiable response.
Clouds of Meadowlarks burst forth with each step.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jmbower/12554159454/
*Warren Lake* was wind-blasted, but had a nice group of ducks even later in
the morning. A large flock of Shoveler was near the viewing platform, with
Gadwall and GW Teal mixed in.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jmbower/12553944423/
Across the lake the White Pelican flock was holed up against the wind. It
looked like half the ducks on the lake were with them, but it was too far
to see with my mediocre scope. Harriers were working the fields, and an
immature Bald Eagle kept everything on the water pretty nervous, including
a Pelican he was fishing dangerously close to.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jmbower/12553940373/
A highlight for me was a pair of Horned Grebes on the middle of the lake.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jmbower/12554265984/
Further west toward the* KPC's Indiangrass Preserve*, raptors were
everywhere. A pair of White-tailed Hawks, tons of Red-tailed Hawks,
Harriers, Kestrels, etc. A large flock of Greater White-fronted Geese was
lined up for takeoff on a hill, and there were a significant number of
Sandhill Cranes west of 529. I didn't find any Snow Geese though.Would hav
eliked to stay longer, but duty called.
Sadly, it was time to take off
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jmbower/12554000033/
Justin Bower
west Houston
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