Hi, all!
We're in the midst of a Severe Thunderstorm Warning here in Lufkin J (got
out of Huntsville just in time to miss the flooding, I guess; there's a big
red swatch through all of Texas right now), so I was a little distracted
trying to write today's report and watch the Weather Channel at the same
time! J No night birds at the state park this morning, but lots of
Cardinals, Titmice, and Carolina Wrens as per usual; things were trilling
that could have been either Pine Warblers or Chipping Sparrows (I can't tell
them apart unless they give me a call note.), but thankfully I saw both! It
started dripping almost immediately after dawn, so I just sat in the car to
start with each stop, but thankfully it let up after awhile. Driving into
the camping areas I was thrilled to catch an Acadian Flycatchers singing on
the fly, and a squeaky sound turned out to be a Siskin and not a
Brown-headed Nuthatch. However, at one spot had a couple of White-breasted
Nuthatches, so that was fun!
There are several places you can get a look at Lake Raven, and there was
good reedy and lily pad habitat around the edges where I picked up several
new herons (including a Yellow-crowned Night), but the best birds were a
pair of Wood Ducks fairly close - they are so gorgeous! A couple pairs of
Eastern Kingbirds were making a big fuss, and chickadees were very
responsive to pishing. The place was Woodpecker Heaven - besides
Red-bellied, added Hairy, Downy, Pileated, and Red-headed to the list
(ironically the Pileated was the only one I saw, and he happened to swoop by
while I was resting on a bench on the Chinquapin Trail).
Got to hike a few trails, and the guys who planned where to put the benches
are after my own heart - a ten minute hike and there it was! J On the
Prairie Branch Loop Trail they were getting ready for some kind of a 10K run
for Saturday (these severe storms are continuing into the weekend, though
L), so I chatted with the guy who was putting up the markers (this was the
trail I heard the Red-headed Woodpeckers on). This is truly a gorgeous park
with the big trees - the smell is wonderful! On the way out heard a
Broad-winged Hawk calling while chomping on a chicken leg for lunch.
Headed up to Lufkin, and right when I hit Bannister WMA was when the heavens
opened! The good news is that I could see that the roads are still drivable
when wet, although the lake was sure inching close to the campers I saw!
Headed in to the hotel and settled down with the Weather Channel to track
this severe thunderstorm fixing to hit us! Bird List:
Wood Duck Aix sponsa
Pied-billed Grebe Podilymbus podiceps
Double-crested Cormorant Phalacrocorax auritus
Great Blue Heron Ardea herodias
Great Egret Ardea alba
Little Blue Heron Egretta caerulea
Green Heron Butorides virescens
Yellow-crowned Night-Heron Nyctanassa violacea
Black Vulture Coragyps atratus
Turkey Vulture Cathartes aura
Red-shouldered Hawk Buteo lineatus
Broad-winged Hawk Buteo platypterus
Killdeer
Forster's Tern Sterna forsteri
Rock Pigeon Columba livia
Mourning Dove Zenaida macroura
Chimney Swift Chaetura pelagica
Ruby-throated Hummingbird Archilochus colubris
Red-headed Woodpecker Melanerpes erythrocephalus
Red-bellied Woodpecker Melanerpes carolinus
Downy Woodpecker Picoides pubescens
Hairy Woodpecker Picoides villosus
Pileated Woodpecker Dryocopus pileatus
Acadian Flycatcher Empidonax virescens
Great Crested Flycatcher Myiarchus crinitus
Eastern Kingbird Tyrannus tyrannus
White-eyed Vireo Vireo griseus
Red-eyed Vireo Vireo olivaceus
Blue Jay Cyanocitta cristata
American Crow Corvus brachyrhynchos
Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica
Carolina Chickadee Poecile carolinensis
Tufted Titmouse Baeolophus bicolor
White-breasted Nuthatch Sitta carolinensis
Carolina Wren Thryothorus ludovicianus
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher Polioptila caerulea
Ruby-crowned Kinglet Regulus calendula
Eastern Bluebird Sialia sialis
Brown Thrasher Toxostoma rufum
Northern Mockingbird Mimus polyglottos
Cedar Waxwing Bombycilla cedrorum
Orange-crowned Warbler Oreothlypis celata
Nashville Warbler Oreothlypis ruficapilla
Hooded Warbler Setophaga citrina
Northern Parula Setophaga americana
Pine Warbler Setophaga pinus
Yellow-rumped Warbler Setophaga coronata
Yellow-throated Warbler Setophaga dominica
Chipping Sparrow Spizella passerina
Summer Tanager Piranga rubra
Northern Cardinal Cardinalis cardinalis
Great-tailed Grackle Quiscalus mexicanus
Brown-headed Cowbird Molothrus ater
Orchard Oriole Icterus spurius
House Finch Haemorhous mexicanus
Pine Siskin Spinus pinus
House Sparrow
57 SPECIES
So Far: 166 SPECIES
Mary Beth Stowe
McAllen, TX
miriameaglemon.com
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