Hot Day with Plenty of Bird Songs

Though the breeding season is almost over I had many birds singing today. Whether they are late nesters or second nesting they sure are enjoying this hot summer day. Temperatures began at 74 degrees under clear, calm skies and a partial lunar eclipse between 5:30 and 6 AM (picture).
Today I saw family groups of the White-eyed Vireo, Summer Tanager and the Eastern Phoebe. Still hearing Black & White Warblers, Northern Parulas, Louisiana Waterthrushes as well as buntings and Blue Grosbeaks. I saw Purple Martins for the second time this year flying over the park.
Water levels in the Pedernales River are at their normal lows. This is my last official survey of the season. I must return to open up all the boxes to see what may have hung out in them besides birds this year. One out of ten boxes was used by the Black-crested Titmouse.

The third photo shows the mouth of Hackenberg Creek where I have nest box seven and eight one on each side.

Summer Solstice Outing

Having not surveyed last weekend I certainly made up for it this morning. I had many surprises, not all avian. The morning started out calm, humid and slightly overcast at 73 degrees. With no wind I should have heard a pin drop but my first walk-in along Hackenberg Creek there was a deafening buzz of insects. I am not sure if they were cicadas. They may have been another species of insect. Does anyone have a clue?
The Red-eyed Vireo was the most incessant songster of the day. Not a single Golden-cheeked Warbler was seen or heard. The breeding season looks to be over for them. I still have a Least Flycatcher singing on territory at Tobacco Creek. He definitely is not a Western Flycatcher. His song is the distinctive "Che-bek". This bird has a white eye ring and two dull wing bars. When the bird sings it flicks its tail and wings. I am very familiar with this species as I had them on breeding bird surveys in Upper Michigan.
At Tobacco Creek Seep I finally had the opportunity to photograph the Louisiana Waterthrush nest after the young fledged. This pair of waterthrushes chose to build their nest right in the middle of the seep on a slope that was dangerous for both four and two footed creatures to approach. The first photo above is an area shot, the second the nest.
Flybys today were a Crested Caracara, two Green Herons and a Great Egret. The Yellow-billed Cuckoos continue to be abundant this year.

I happened upon a huge Walking Stick by nest box #4 at Trammel Crossing. This fellow was over 4" long. Lucky I had gloves on when I handled it as I noticed nice sized claws at each leg joint. I also believe I found my first ever Indian arrowhead laying at the base of a sapling where the tree growth raised it out of the ground. The Summer Solstice certainly was filled with a variety of surprises for me!

Breeding Birds Mob Screech Owl

Today I had a picture perfect view of all the current bird life residing at station #4 - Trammel Crossing. Earlier in April I heard a Eastern Screech Owl whistling along Twin Falls Creek. Today that owl caused quite a ruckus among resident birds. I walked upon a mixed flock of birds mobbing the owl. Two Black & White Warblers, White-eyed and Yellow-throated Vireos, Carolina Wrens and Chickadees, Northern Cardinal and a Yellow-billed Cuckoo. The owl eyed me for a few minutes then decided to split the scene escaping the flock of scolding birds.
Birds were singing at all my stations, including a late Least Flycatcher at Tobacco Creek. This bird was heard and seen at this location two weeks ago. It will not find a mate in this part of the country as its nesting range comprises deciduous forests around the Great Lakes and Midwest.
I was surprised to find two Green Kingfishers flying by at the Tobacco Creek confluence to the the Pedernales River, first sitings of the year. At the Tobacco Creek Seep an adult Louisiana Waterthrush was still bringing food to its nest nineteen days after I first discovered the nest. It carried away fecal sacs from the nest.
The day was too hot and muggy for me to spend any time at the bird blind today. When I do finally have time to visit the blind it is the worst time of day 12 noon. The best time to visit the blinds are right after sunup.

Fledglings on a Hot Summer Day

Calm clear skies greeted me today at the park along with the May Full Moon. The sun intensified throughout the morning. With no winds I could hear and ID most singing birds all morning. Quite a few fledglings were moving around in family units. These included Carolina Chickadees, Black-crested Titmice, Louisiana Waterthrushes, Golden-cheeked Warblers and Northern Cardinals.
Still no kingfisher sightings anywhere along the Pedernales River.
Nothing new and exciting at the bird blinds. Summer is certainly settling in to the Texas Hill Country.

May 22 Pedernales Breeding Birds

Overcast survey days really make the effort enjoyable this time of year as temperatures start reaching the 90's. Plus today there was a steady breeze.

The Louisiana Waterthrush continues to feed young in the nest at Tobacco Creek Seep. Only one Acadian Flycatcher has taken up residence at my stations this year located at East Park Boundary. Waterthrush numbers are down also. This is the first year I do not have any Green Kingfishers nesting along the river. Perhaps a result of flood waters bringing great turbidity and cloudiness to the water. Yellow-billed Cuckoos are doing well. It is no wonder with the great number of caterpillars and newly pupating butterflies everywhere!

The Eastern Phoebe pair at Twin Falls is using the same cliff nest as last year. I believe the female is in the egg-laying phase now.

I managed a snapshot of my favorite Hill Country cactus, the Lacey, plus I stopped by the bird blinds at 7:15 AM between my surveys for a special treat: a first year male American Redstart. This male had a dark gray head with patches of black and where normally the markings are red they were still yellow.

One other fun observation today was a Red-shouldered Hawk flying over the Pedernales River carrying a snake.

May 16 Breeding Birds @ the Park

This morning was a nice calm day to survey breeding birds at the park. I was greeted by Chuck-wills Widows and Common Nighthawks as dawn broke under overcast skies and 65 degree temperatures.

Today's highlights were finding two bird nests. The first was an Ash-throated Flycatcher nest in a utility pole. Both adults were feeding the nestlings. Out at Tobacco Creek Seep I found a very attentive Louisiana Waterthrush with food in its mouth near its nest. I had to watch this bird for what seemed like eternity before it went to the nest along a bank covered in small ferns.

Not much new at the bird blinds but I did get a close-up view of a male Black & White Warbler and Painted Buntings.

Prickly Pear Cacti have been blooming for the past week. Here is one large plant with multiple blooms showing off today. With all the rains this spring there are plenty of grasses and forbs for caterpillars to feed on. Newly metamorphosed butterflies are easy to get great photos of as they wait for their wings to dry before flying.

May Birding at Pedernales

I arrived at the park before sunup and biked a fast pace to East Park Boundary. Along the way I saw and heard Chuck-wills Widow and Common Nighthawks. At station #10 I found two Black-chinned Hummingbird nestlings still in the nest but ready to fledge. One was beating its wings so quickly I could not see them move.

Acadian Flycatchers have settled into their usual territories - four males in all. Both Yellow-throated Vireos and Yellow-billed Cuckoos just returned. I found two Least Flycatchers singing along the river on this overcast, cool day - much like their northwoods breeding territory.

At the bird blinds highlights were a male Baltimore Oriole, a first year Western Tanager, and a Lazuli Bunting, all seen by the park hosts before my arrival. The last of the winter sparrows finally left this week for their more northerly breeding territories.

Cacti are about to flower at the park. Here is Indian Blanket in bloom which can be seen all along the roadsides in the Hill Country right now.