Summer Birding @ the Park

Six fifteen AM park temperature was 70 degrees. By afternoon it reached 88. No wind made it much easier to hear the birds. First stop on my survey was Twin Falls where the Eastern Pheobe female was tending at least one barely feathered nestling while the male sang high up above the canyon (photo). An adult Louisiana Waterthrush was tending one fledgling along Twin Falls Creek. A new arrival at this site is the Acadian Flycatcher which can be heard from the Nature Trail. I also have Acadian Flycatchers at East Park Boundary and Tobacco Creek Seep. At the seep, my suspicions were correct, the pair decided to take last year's nest. I checked the second nest from last year but this one is not being used.

Also at Tobacco Creek and East Park Boundary I found fledgling Green Kingfishers. Because these two locations are only half a mile apart this is probably the same family. An interesting behavior I observed here was a fledgling Green Kingfisher chasing an Acadian Flycatcher in a food begging behavior.

Some year round resident birds appear to be on territory for a second nesting. Black-crested Titmice and Carolina Chickadees were singing incessantly after a few weeks of silence.

The Northern Cardinal pair that built a second nest last week has been predated. There was no sign at the Black-chinned Hummingbird nest. Last week was the first I saw the female feeding young. With a 21 day nestling phase I am unsure whether the nest was predated. This is hard to determine with nest height at 50 plus feet. The female White-eyed Vireo was feeding young at its nest today.

There was nothing exciting happening at the bird blind at all. Golden-cheeked Warbler males continue to sing on territory but not give away their mate's nest. A Great-crested Flycatcher pair remain on territory for three weeks in a row out at East Park Boundary.

I found this deceased snake along the Group Campground road. Several bus loads of children were being escorted around the park from one of the local schools. They brought Einstein to the field.