Sunday Birding @ the Bird Blind

I ventured out to Pedernales Falls State Park in the late morning to view what migrants may be stopping in on the bird blind. There was only one out of the ordinary warbler who stopped in for a drink, the Nashville Warbler, plus a single female American Goldfinch was helping herself to the sunflower seeds. Other than that the usual Northern Cardinal by the dozens. No sparrows were evident yet here.

On my walk to Hackenberg Creek & the Pedernales River I spotted and heard an Eastern Pheobe plus an American Kestrel fly by. Bird life was kind of slow by noon on this fine Fall day in Texas Hill Country.

Along the hike into Hackenberg Creek I came across this industrious Dung Beetle preparing a ball to roll to a safe location. The scat that was dropped was placed on a freshly cut juniper sprig. I thought it odd, especially when I found two such sprigs with droppings on each about 100 meters apart. I suspect skunk and wonder if anyone might know what mammal might exhibit this behavior.

Hint of Fall at the Park

At 7:15 AM this morning temperatures were cool enough at the bird blind to warrant a long sleeved shirt. There were a number of migrants who made a show only in the mesquite trees. This included a Yellow Warbler, Nashville Warbler, and a group of Baltimore Orioles. Of these orioles there was one male, one female and two other, either females or juveniles.

A Greater Roadrunner was sited along the main road near the Falls parking lot.

Today was a mountain biking day for me. I crossed the Pedernales River to bike the less traveled trail in the park. As one can see water levels are quite low in the river at Trammel Crossing. I was the only person exploring the far side of the river trails. There was no wind or wildlife to cause rustling sounds anywhere except an occasional Western Scrub Jay.

August 1 Mountain Biking & Bird Blind

Saturday morning I ventured out to the park for a mountain bike ride and to visit the bird blind. It was an unusual morning for the middle of the summer in Texas. There were overcast skies and a strong breeze cooling the body from 80 degree temperatures.
Along Wolf Mountain Trail there were a few birds chipping including the Northern Cardinal, Carolina & Bewick's wrens, and the Rufous-crowned Sparrow. There was not much other wildlife activity that I could detect.
At the bird blind a male Orchard Oriole made a brief appearance but never got its prized bath - something volunteers had observed earlier in the week. Otherwise, just the usual fair of year-round residents. As one photographer commented, most of the birds looked scruffy which either marks juvenile fledglings or birds that have lost feathers due to a mite problem.

Final 2009 Breeding Bird Survey

Temperatures were a bit cooler this morning, 73 degrees, making it a perfect night to have camped out at the park. I arrived at 6:30 AM with plenty of bird song filling the air. At Twin Falls I was greeted by the rattle of a Green Kingfisher that caught a 3 inch fish but did not consume it. Instead it flew downstream to perhaps feed young for a second brood of the year.
Of note was an Eastern Wood Pewee who sang once down at Hackenberg Creek. I watched it for 20 minutes to verify it was not a Pheobe. I believe this fellow is already migrating south. Last weekend I heard one sing out at Webberville County Park.
The sunrise photo is at the main park entrance. There a handful of vultures roost through the night. The flower photo is Western Ironweed blooming along the Pedernales River.

Summer Heat Bird Survey

The heat of summer really penetrated the park today with no wind and 78 degrees under clear skies at 6 AM. There are still Painted and Indigo Buntings singing as well as a few Acadian Flycatchers, Northern Cardinals, White-eyed Vireos and a single Yellow-throated Vireo. A couple Louisiana Waterthrushes are still vocalizing with fledglings along their stream territories. The hundred degree heat that has blanketed central Texas for the past two weeks is evident by low water levels in the Pedernales River and drooping herbaceous plants on terraces above the river.
For the first time I saw and heard a Purple Martin fly over the park. Of note are the countless cicadas which have grown in numbers over the past week drowning out any distant bird vocalizations. At the bird blind this week volunteers have seen multiple times a Black and White Warbler, an Ash-throated Flycatcher and Golden-cheeked Warblers besides the regular visitors.
I have provided a photo here of a Yellow-billed Cuckoo nest taken by Phil McDonald, Lead Ranger, around June 8th near the bird blind. This year Yellow-billed Cuckoo's appear to be greater in numbers throughout the park.
The Fourth of July will mark my last survey of the season. I have no nests to follow so it will be a fitting finale to end the year on the 4th.

Summer Solstice New Moon Bird Survey

It was an exciting day to be up before dawn surveying birds on the Summer Solstice with a near New Moon. Chuck-will's Widow and Common Nighthawks were calling. A sliver moon shined near the horizon as I entered the park at 6 AM with clear skies and a temperature of 78 degrees. At my survey stations I saw Carolina Chickadee and Northern Cardinal fledglings, a newly fledged Ladder-backed Woodpecker squawking alongside its mother, and two fledged Acadian Flycatchers. At Hackenberg Creek I had a fawn bolt up the ravine toward me and pause only 15 feet away after realizing I was not its Mom. I heard Bobwhite Quail along East Park Boundary and the Park Manager reported a family near the headquarters this past week.
No other wildlife were observed except feral pigs across from Tobacco Creek. These pigs frequent all the tributaries along the Pedernales River within state park boundaries and rototill up the soil at the mouth of every creek. I have some concern this activity can impact the nesting success of Louisiana Waterthrush bank nests.

A Red-Eyed Vireo Day at the Park

I started the morning at Trammel Crossing, down from the Nature Trail, along the Pedernales River. Arriving at 6:15 to my first station brought the first ever Chuck-wills Widow and Common Nighthawk heard and sited on my surveys. It is hard to get up and over to the park before the true sunrise when one lives in NW Austin, but I managed it today.
Red-eyed Vireos were the most abundant songsters in the park. Having more than one individual singing per station makes it difficult to hear the other species. Also going strong are the Blue Grosbeaks, Painted and Indigo Buntings. I saw the first fledgling Summer Tanager's today. A very large surprise at Tobacco Creek was a hen Wild Turkey with young. The hen ran large circles away from her young squawking the entire time. Acadian Flycatchers are still on territory as are some Louisiana Waterthrushes.
I saw one Red-eyed Vireo carrying Juniper bark to an undisclosed nest in progress. The only highlight at the bird blind was an Ash-throated Flycatcher chasing a rival around. Many House Finch fledglings have made the ground feeding areas their daytime home.