[texbirds] Re: WG Jones State Forest today (Conroe, TX) - and possible nesting Kestrels
- From: Ted Lee Eubanks <tedleeeubanks@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: dan@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Sun, 27 May 2012 19:27:27 -0500
Dan, one of the benefits of aggressive red-cockaded management has been the
reestablishment of the American kestrel as a breeding bird in east Texas.
Often it is not only the endangered species that gains from these ESA
investments.
Ted Lee Eubanks
Austin, Texas
On Sun, May 27, 2012 at 6:38 PM, Dan Smith <dan@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>wrote:
> Please start sending your posts to texbirds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
>
> It had been many years since I had seen a Red-cockaded Woodpecker. My
> lifers were the early 1980s in South Mississippi on one of my rare trips
> home, and I had never bothered to look for them in Texas. So I got up this
> morning and on a whim drove to Conroe and the WG Jones State Forest, and I
> did indeed see a couple of pairs attending cavities with chicks in them.
>
> At one of the viewing areas, one of the marked cavities appeared to be
> blocked by a patch of wire mesh. If someone knows what that's about, I'd be
> interested in finding out. The office was closed, so I couldn't ask anyone.
>
> I was also treated to a mating of a pair of Red-headed Woodpeckers, and
> generally great views of at least two pair of them, although I didn't
> locate a nest.
>
> But the big surprise was a pair of Kestrels acting for all the world like
> they were on territory. They were following each other closely at times and
> appeared to be defending a couple of trees in particular (about 50-75 feet
> off the trail, so I didn't intrude very far) from such invaders as Blue
> Jays. Again, I didn't see a nest.
>
> I spent all my time there on the north side of FM 1488 and on the trail
> that leads north from the office and turns left (west) at one viewing area
> and makes a loop. The kestrels were located on the north side of the Forest
> and appeared to be occupying an area just east of where there is a 2nd
> observation bench on the north side of the dirt road opposite a marked
> RCWO cavity tree (south side) and a sign describing the RCWO, ending with a
> note that this subpopulation of RCWO is recognized by the Audubon Society
> as the most urbanized. Since that sign and viewing bench are unique, I'm
> sure that will give people familiar with the Forest good directions, and I
> would be interested to know if Kestrels have been observed nesting in this
> area previously or if someone who is there with some regularity can follow
> up and see if they do remain through the summer and nest. It's a clear
> adult pair and clearly together.
>
>
> Dan Smith
> dan@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> 512-451-2632
> http://www.wordsmithofaustin.com
>
>
>
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