[texbirds] Lost Maples State Natural Area birds last Sunday (April 13)

From: drbirdie@xxxxxxx
To: texbirds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Date: Fri, 18 Apr 2014 00:02:53 -0400 (EDT)
Hi All,
I stopped in at Lost Maples SNA in Bandera County on Sunday afternoon en route 
back to Austin from co-leading the TOS Hill Country birding weekend in Uvalde.
My main objective was to see and perhaps photograph the pair of White-tipped 
Doves that have been hanging around one of the feeders.
Within minutes of arriving at the bird observation blind and feeding station 
beside the parking lot for the east trailhead, I was startled by the booming 
"Hoo-hoo-oo" of a White-tipped Dove. It must have been singing from the tin 
roof of the bird blind. I couldn't see the bird, but I saw another WTDO in the 
low, dead branches of a small cedar tree near the blind. This non-singing bird 
was preening nonchalantly, but it soon dropped to the ground and started 
walking around under the cedar tree. Almost immediately, the other bird landed 
near it and started chasing the presumed female WTDO, posturing and making 
additional vocalizations. I got a few photos of each bird and then the presumed 
female flew off into the brush.
I left the blind shortly thereafter, but could hear the male singing again 
during a couple of return trips to the parking lot.
All of this was between 1:30 and 3:30 p.m.
A birder from Alaska told me he had seen a male and female Lazuli Bunting at 
the feeders at the birding host's campsite (near the maintenance area). So I 
went back to those feeders, and saw and photographed a male Lazuli Bunting 
there. Also had a Yellow-throated Warbler stop in briefly for suet. A birding 
couple from Ontario later told me that they had seen three Lazuli Buntings at 
that feeding station (!).
Also had a Scott's Oriole and a couple of flyover Swainson's Hawks.
The birding hosts were not in, but the written list from their bird walk on 
Saturday morning had an asterisk beside Painted Redstart (!). My written list 
would have an asterisk beside that bird, too.
No mention of where they saw it.
It seems to be a Lazuli Bunting type of spring on the plateau this year, so 
keep your eyes peeled.
I've also gotten a credible report of White-tipped Doves singing at Trapp 
Spring in Kerr WMA in Kerr County, so they appear to be establishing a foothold 
in the southern plateau.
If anyone relocates the Painted Redstart at Lost Maples, I sure would like to 
hear about it.
Good birding ya'll,
Byron Stone, Austin
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[texbirds] Lost Maples State Natural Area birds last Sunday (April 13)

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