[texbirds] SparrowFest 10th anniversary summary from last weekend, Feb 6 - 8, 2015 - 19 sparrow species, Woodcock, Merlin, Sage Thrashers and more

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  • Date: Mon, 9 Feb 2015 23:31:31 -0500

Hi Texbirders & Sparrowhawks,
We held the 10th Anniversary edition of SparrowFest last weekend (Friday 
evening thru Sunday noon, Feb 6 - 8, 2015) and it seems to have been a smashing 
success! We had 34 participants on 12 different field trips (4 each half-day) 
and found 19 sparrow species and a number of other good birds. The only 
regularly-occurring central Texas winter sparrow we missed was Eastern Towhee, 
which is a shame because I photographed a handsome male near the Shin Oak 
Observation Deck last week, but the bird was MIA for the festival just 3 days 
later.

Participants enjoyed the mild weather and abundant sunshine. In fact, 
Sparrowman could have complained that the weather was a bit too mild for 
optimal sparrow activity (but he didn't). The wind did kick up Saturday morning 
and afternoon, but most trips were still able to find good birds. The 3 
"western specialty" sparrows were in rare form, and I think that almost all 
participants were able to get good looks at Canyon Towhees at the Flying X, 
Rufous-crowned Sparrows in multiple locations, and Black-throated Sparrows at 
Flying X and Peaceful Springs. Bill Reiner's Sunday trip to Eckhardt tract even 
found a Black-throated Sparrow there. Zonotrichias were also well-represented 
this year, as White-throated Sparrows were seen well by many trip participants 
in multiple locations, and Harris's Sparrows were downright common. We have 
missed each of those species at times in years past. Fox Sparrows were spotty 
(get it?), but seen by many participants. Dark-eyed Junco, which is present 
annually but with erratic distribution and abundance, was a near-miss, but was 
seen on 2 or 3 trips. Lark Sparrows were seen I think by all three trips to 
Peaceful Springs, and were also seen Sunday morning along Cow Creek Road.


Ammodramus numbers seemed down a bit this year, but most participants were able 
to get decent looks at a few Grasshopper Sparrows. LeConte's Sparrows, one of 
our signature birds, were harder to find than usual, and almost half of 
participants did not get good looks at them on Saturday, so we changed the 
Sunday itinerary slightly and Sparrowman took an eager group of 8 participants 
to a refuge tract along Cow Creek Road and somehow managed to get everybody on 
a cooperative LeConte's Sparrow at close range within 5 minutes of leaving the 
vehicles.


And of course, we spent a fair amount of time contrasting and comparing Vesper 
and Savannah Sparrows, and Lincoln's and Song Sparrows, although Melospiza 
numbers also seemed somewhat down compared to prior years (except for 2 years 
ago, when we completely missed Lincoln's Sparrows).


For the 10th anniversary edition of SparrowFest, we returned to the all-weekend 
format, like we did the first year. Participants and instructors like this 
format, as it allows an extra morning of field trips (which netted lifer 
LeConte's Sparrows for several participants, and 17 sparrow species for 
Sparrowman), and because nobody has to make a long drive home Saturday evening 
after a long day of sparrow-watching. The accommodations at the Retreat at 
Balcones Springs were very nice and everyone raved about the food. But it does 
increase the cost significantly, so it is unclear whether we will be able to do 
the weekend format again next year. We are, after all, trying to raise money 
for Friends of Balcones NWR.


As if 19 sparrow species, great weather and great food weren't enough, we saw a 
few other pretty good birds, too. We had several coveys of Northern Bobwhites 
at Flying X and Peaceful Springs. Several trips heard or saw American Woodcock. 
I flushed one during a brief scouting foray Friday evening at Eckhardt tract, 
and one of the trip participants at Eckhardt heard one shortly after we arrived 
there in the wee hours of Saturday morning. At least two of the Peaceful 
Springs trips flushed a woodcock from the area near the spring, and one trip 
there saw a woodcock in flight pre-dawn. And a Merlin was seen well by one of 
the Peaceful Springs trips. And it sure was nice to have Peaceful Springs back 
in the rotation again for SparrowFest. What a marvelous addition to the refuge. 
Many thanks to Karen Kilfeather for helping us out with trips there, and I'm 
sure she was pleased to see that property added to Balcones Canyonlands NWR. 
And we had 2 different Sage Thrashers on Sunday - 1 at Flying X and 1 at 
Eckhardt.


We also had a couple of didactic sessions. Sparrowman did his "20-sparrow 
slide-show tour" Saturday after lunch. Participants also said they appreciated 
the Flickr album of central Texas sparrows that many of them studied before 
arrival. And Jeff Patterson did a terrific, thought-provoking presentation 
Saturday evening on bird vocalizations, with a special emphasis on sparrow 
songs and calls.


In summary, we had great weather, spectacular scenery, pleasant company, 
sumptuous food, comfortable accommodations, and great birds. It was a great 
weekend to be a Sparrowhawk!


I want to thank my co-leaders, Bill "Spizella" Reiner, Randy "Pink-note" 
Pinkston, and Jeff "Towhee-boy" Patterson. Each of them have special talents 
and abilities, but all are outstanding tour leaders and all really appreciate 
native sparrows. I also want to thank refuge manager David Maple for coming out 
Friday evening to speak to our group and for allowing us access to 
otherwise-closed parts of the refuge during SparrowFest. And Kelly Smith, a 
Friends officer, for helping out all weekend in many ways. And special thanks 
to John and Cathy Harrington, who have supported the festival 100 percent since 
day one. John has done most of the cooking the last few years, but he helped 
lead field trips this year. Cathy has done the hard work of planning and 
organizing SparrowFest for 10 years. We couldn't do it without her.


A partially-annotated birdlist follows. I apologize in advance for any errors 
or omissions.
Cumulative birdlist (with some comments and estimates of numbers of some 
species) for 2015 SparrowFest, Feb 6 - 8, 2015



Wild Turkey - some at Cedar Stump Ranch
Northern Bobwhite - 25 - multiple coveys at Flying X and Peaceful Springs
Black Vulture
Turkey Vulture
Northern Harrier - several
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Cooper's Hawk (or accipiter sp.)
Red-shouldered Hawk - a few, mainly along the Cow Creek drainage
Red-tailed Hawk - several
Crested Caracara - PS and / or Flying X
American Kestrel
Merlin - 1 - PS
Killdeer - 1 at the resort, I believe
American Woodcock - 2 - maybe even three, all in Burnet County
White-winged Dove - a few
Mourning Dove - 400+
Common Ground-Dove - 1 at Flying X
Greater Roadrunner - 2 - Flying X and Eckhardt
Eastern Screech-Owl - 1
Great Horned Owl - 1 - or 2
Red-bellied Woodpecker - 2 - Cow Creek Rd & Cedar Stump Ranch
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker - 2 - or 3
Ladder-backed Woodpecker - several
Northern Flicker - 2 - or more
Eastern Phoebe
Loggerhead Shrike - 2 - maybe a few more; 1 Eckhardt, 1 Flying X
Blue-headed Vireo - 1 - Balcones Springs Resort
Western Scrub-Jay - a few, multiple locations
American Crow - 15 - or a few more
Common Raven - 2 - Cow Creek Rd, and maybe other locations, but may all be the 
same pair
Carolina Chickadee
Black-crested Titmouse
Verdin - I think one was seen at Peaceful Springs, but maybe that was 
pre-festival scouting
Canyon Wren - 2 - 1 - Resort, 1 - Flying X
Carolina Wren - a few
Bewick's Wren - a bunch
House Wren - a few
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Eastern Bluebird
Hermit Thrush
American Robin
Northern Mockingbird
Sage Thrasher - 2 - 1 - X, 1 Eckhardt
European Starling - I think we had a few flyovers
Cedar Waxwing - a few small flocks
Orange-crowned Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler - 15 - more than usual for this area
Spotted Towhee - 80 - common, but not abundant
Canyon Towhee - 2 - Flying X, possibly a 3rd bird there, too
Rufous-crowned Sparrow - 8 - multiple birds on Eckardt, PS, Cow Creek Rd, 
Eckhardt and Cedar Stump Ranch
Chipping Sparrow - a few
Field Sparrow - 125 - not as abundant as they often are here
Vesper Sparrow - not as abundant as they often are here
Lark Sparrow - 35 - flock of 25+ birds at PS, and flock of 8 or 10 birds on Cow 
Creek Rd
Black-throated Sparrow - 5 - 3 locations, unusually numerous
Savannah Sparrow - 60 - not as abundant as they often are here
Grasshopper Sparrow - 10 - multiple locations
Le Conte's Sparrow - 18 - not as abundant as they often are here
Fox Sparrow - 15
Song Sparrow - 40 - not as abundant as they often are here
Lincoln's Sparrow - not as abundant as they often are here
Swamp Sparrow - 1 - or 2, at Cedar Stump Ranch
White-throated Sparrow - 10 - multiple locations, more numerous and widespread 
than usual
Harris's Sparrow - 50 - multiple locations, more numerous and widespread than 
usual
White-crowned Sparrow - 90
Dark-eyed Junco - 8
Northern Cardinal
Red-winged Blackbird - a few
Meadowlark sp. - I did not hear any songs or diagnostic calls, and we have both 
species in winter
House Finch - a few
Lesser Goldfinch - a few
American Goldfinch - a few
House Sparrow - only three locations



Good birding ya'll,
Byron Stone, Austin, Tx


 

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