[texbirds] Lost Maples - June 29 (long)

From: mitch@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
To: texbirds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Date: Tue, 01 Jul 2014 09:12:22 -0700
Hi all,

Guided some fine folks at Lost Maples SNA Sunday June 29.
Maybe some would like an update.  The rain really helped,
they got about 7" in the late May event, and a couple since,
it is much greener hereabouts than it was in April and May,
and a fair bit of flowers are blooming nicely, especially
Texas Milkweed up behind the ponds.

This time of year the best way to find a Golden-cheeked Warbler
is to find begging young.  We had 3-4 widely separated instances
of such, the just-fledged juveniles were fairly easy to see,
the adults just shoot in and out to feed them.  The metallic
bk bk bk notes of the juvenile warblers becomes a nonstop trill
when an adult with food comes into their view.  Follow the sound.
These fresh juveniles are kinda ratty yet, just getting golden
cheeks, with gray backs and crowns.

Once we found the begging baby warbler sound to be a juvenile
Yellow-throated Warbler which an adult came in and fed.  To my
knowledge there are only a couple instances of nesting with
young at LMSNA, all in the last few years.

We saw a White-tipped Dove at the feeding station and I'd like
to ask people to watch for a juvenile.  I'm quite keen to know
of nesting on the Edwards Plateau, and surely these birds are.
Juveniles have cinnamon edges to most of the upperparts, wing
coverts, and tertials which BTW are particularly awesome.

I heard Scott's Oriole flute briefly, still no Green Kingfisher
in the cattail filled ponds but Red-winged Blackbirds, yes.
Missed Zone-tailed Hawk, but this afternoon one would have
landed in the big pecan over our porch if it didn't see me at
the last minute.  I think it comes in to the bird feeders, well,
indirectly.

At Lost Maples SNA we saw many of the expected regulars like
Louisiana Waterthrush, Black-and-white Warbler, Indigo bunting,
Blue Grosbeak, Canyon Wren, Red-eyed and White-eyed Vireo, Rufous-
crowned Sparrow, texana Scrub-Jay, among others.  Heard were
Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Eastern Wood-Pewee, Acadian and Great
Crested (rare to absent recent summers) Flycatcher.

There was one instance of a family group of Black-capped Vireo
very near the trail, at least 3 calling, but we could not see
them.  This was just before the drop to the second crossing
(on Can Creek) up from trailhead parking lot where the big fence
(actually formerly gate) post is along edge of road and the powerline
cut runs off at diagonal angle.  There has been a pair in this
area this year and many in the past.

As we admired an orange-winged Acridid (short-horned grasshopper)
flying down path right in front of us, had to be less than
10' away, a male Summer Tanager swooped in and vouchered the
specimen quickly flying across creek to show it to someone
apparently very important. ....look at that beautiful orange-
winged SNAP! Summer Tanager!

A couple other things locally, Saturday the 28th from rocker on
the porch (I'm an old man) I had Audubon's Oriole and Ringed
Kingfisher (and the Zone-tailed).  There are still numbers of
Painted Bunting around, as well as Scissor-tails and Vermilion
Flycs, Cave Swallow, and the Martins are still here.  A few
Green King are along the Sabinal.  Chucks are about spent.
Overall it is its usually summer birdy self, warm and sticky
afternoons but mornings are nice.

happy feathers!
Mitch

Mitch Heindel
Utopia
www.utopianature.com/BIRDNEWS.html







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[texbirds] Lost Maples - June 29 (long)

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