[texbirds] Mitchell Lake 4th Saturday bird census April 26

From: "Stevan Hawkins" <shawkins4@xxxxxxxxxxx>
To: "'texbirds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx'" <Texbirds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Wed, 30 Apr 2014 17:03:15 -0500
TexBirders:
 

With 59 species, if we count the Red-shouldered Hawk I heard as I left the
site, it was not a bad day.  There was a mixture of departing winter birds,
exemplified by the White-crowned Sparrows, and returning summer birds such
as Painted Bunting and Scissor-tailed Flycatcher.  As usual the majority of
the birding action was at the headquarters area and at Bird Pond.
Black-necked Stilts are nesting on the island at the south end of the East
Polder.  The upper end of Basin 1 was abuzz with activity whereas the main
lake was almost empty.  Even though the site is suffering from the ongoing
drought, Dickcissels were singing loudly in the meadow downstream from Bird
Pond.  The lack of Least Grebes and Black-crowned Night-Herons puzzles me.
There has to be a reason for the Mitchell Lake Audubon Center to have a near
absence of both Black and Turkey Vultures  whereas they are both commonly
found on  towers suburban areas of San Antonio.  The 150 or so Wilson's
Phalaropes that dropped into the north end of the East Polder were surely
the high point of the day. 

 

Steve

 

Stevan Hawkins

Mitchell Lake Audubon Center, docent

 

Species list

 

Black-bellied Whistling-Duck, Blue-winged Teal, Northern Shoveler, Wild
Turkey (first for me at this site), Eared Grebe, American White Pelican,
Neotropic Cormorant, Great Egret, Snowy Egret, Tricolored Heron, Little Blue
Heron, Turkey Vulture, Crested Caracara, American Coot, Black-necked Stilt,
American Avocet, Greater Yellowlegs, Lesser Yellowlegs, Spotted Sandpiper,
Solitary Sandpiper, Semipalmated Sandpiper, Least Sandpiper, Pectoral
Sandpiper, Long-billed Dowitcher, Wilson's Phalarope, White-winged Dove,
Mourning Dove, Common Ground-Dove, Chimney Swift, Ruby-throated Hummingbird,
Hummingbird species (Black-chinned? Photographed in bad light),
Golden-fronted Woodpecker, Ladder-backed Woodpecker, Eastern Phoebe,
Ash-throated Flycatcher, Great-crested Flycatcher, Great Kiskadee, Western
Kingbird, Scissor-tailed Flycatcher, White-eyed Vireo, Bell's Vireo, Purple
Martin, Barn Swallow, Cave Swallow, Carolina Wren, Bewick's Wren, Northern
Mockingbird, Cedar Waxwing, Yellow Warbler, Olive Sparrow, White-crowned
Sparrow, Painted Bunting, Dickcissel, Red-winged Blackbird, Great-tailed
Grackle, House Finch, American Goldfinch, House Sparrow



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[texbirds] Mitchell Lake 4th Saturday bird census April 26

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