[texbirds] Katy Prairie and Bear Creek today

From: Joseph Kennedy <josephkennedy36@xxxxxxxxx>
To: 4 Texbirds Maillist <texbirds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Sun, 24 Feb 2013 19:24:08 -0600
Migration has started out on the prairie. Large flocks of both meadowlarks,
killdeer, eastern phoebe, and vesper sparrows were moving. Some of the
regulars are thinning out. It was a real good day for sparrows numbers,
fewer species and spotty flocks but a lot more than a week ago.
I started on Porter Road and had a single short-eared owl arguing off to
the northwest with a harrier before it went down way out there. I was a
little late and it seems the sun came up a little early. 3 male horned owls
could be heard hooting from where I owl watched. Had the barred owl banging
on the bedroom window as I left home but I was up so he was not able to
wake me. The short-ear was off from where they have been. and the horned
owl around the corner was sitting up as usual both going and coming.

As I turned up porter in the near dark, dozens and perhaps several hundred
vesper sparrows flushed from the road edges in my headlights. About 6:40 a
passing (migrating?) cooper's hawk did the sparrows but caught none. I went
back after sunup and found none. Some were around the Longenbaugh bridge
and at most other stops during the day. They are new in these number for me.

Waiting for the owl, sandhill cranes were way up there in the middle of the
air and unseen. Birds were scattered around and seen all day with some
dancing but not for the camera.

No sign of the ferruginous hawk on Longenbaugh but the bird up on Pennick
and Berry is present. It is very wary and between Wallerians celebrating by
taking the mufflers off their trucks and driving fast and the rancher out
at his perch he moved around a good bit. Very pretty bird but very shy. Up
north many have abandoned nest when 1 person comes within a 1/2 mile of the
nest so this bird is of that nature.

Waiting for the ferruginous hawk on Longenbaugh, a bewick's wren was
singing in the hedgerow. It had the song of the Oklahoma birds and not that
of the usual eastern song sparrow-mimicking birds I usually see out there.
Took a while to connect the wiry song with the wren.

Lots of western meadowlarks on Cochrane right where it makes the first hard
right with more up on Blinka. Lots of harris's sparrows on Blinka near the
Wawarofsky cemetary. Cranes were dancing up by Baethe and a guinea hen was
out in the field calling.

Coming back south, a single solitary sandpiper and a tell-tale godwit were
in the pond on Morgan just east of Schmidt. Many fewer sparrows as I
retraced the way back into town.

Spent a good bit of time wandering around Bear Creek Park with many pewee
hunters with no luck. But there are nuthatches which make any day great. No
tanager either but a pair of sapsuckers were acting like they were courting
or somesuch with much squeaking and chasing around. Learned a new call;
male bluebirds sqeal when they get ready to fight, sort of a starling like
noise but all on one pitch.

Birds of the day were all the caracara almost everywhere. One group was
eating small roadkill with a young bird from last year dominating several
adults and turkey vultures. Lots of good habitat out there for grasspipers
but it needs rain for there to be good season. And up to 6 trips now with
no kiskadees at the park.
-- 
Joseph C. Kennedy
on Buffalo Bayou in West Houston
Josephkennedy36@xxxxxxxxx


Edit your Freelists account settings for TEXBIRDS at 
//www.freelists.org/list/texbirds

Reposting of traffic from TEXBIRDS is prohibited without seeking permission 
from the List Owner
[texbirds] Katy Prairie and Bear Creek today

Other related posts:
