Arrived at Brazos Bend State Park at first light with
flocks of SANDHILL CRANES flying overhead as they left their roosts; there were
good numbers of birds around the information centre including some showy
CAROLINA CHICKADEES, a BLUE-HEADED VIREO, 3 Killdeers running around, a DOWNY
WOODPECKER, a couple of really smart EASTERN BLUEBIRDS, a couple of TUFTED
TITMOUSE, a single NASHVILLE WARBLER, a couple of EASTERN PHOEBE, a pair of
RED-BELLIED WOODPECKERS and a House Wren.
A
walk round the nearest lake then produced the first of many, many YELLOW-RUMPED
WARBLERS, a couple of PINE WARBLERS, 20+ Buff-bellied Pipits, a distant
ringtail NORTHERN HARRIER, a posing RED-SHOULDERED HAWK, hundreds of Black
Vultures and Turkey Vultures, single SAVANNAH SPARROW and SWAMP SPARROW, many
pairs of NORTHERN CARDINALS, a couple of COMMON YELLOWTHROATS including a
stonking male, a few AMERICAN CROWS, 20+ TREE SWALLOWS over the lake, a few
singing CAROLINA WRENS, quite a few wintering RUBY-CROWNED KINGLETS, several
NOTHERN MOCKINGBIRDS, a couple of BLUE-GREY GNATCATCHERS, a few CHIPPING
SPARROWS around the campsites, large flocks of RED-WINGED BLACKBIRDS, COMMON
GRACKLES and GREAT-TAILED GRACKLES and several AMERICAN GOLDFINCHES.
There
were obviously plenty of waterbirds around the network of pools and marshes
which included brief flight views of a LEAST BITTERN, a single GREAT BLUE
HERON, TRICOLORED HERONS, Snowy Egrets, Great Egrets, Little Blue Herons, good
numbers of WHITE IBIS and WHITE-FACED IBIS, 2 ROSEATE SPOONBILLS, several
DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANTS, flocks of BLACK-BELLIED WHISTLING DUCKS, loads of
AMERICAN COOTS and Moorhens, plenty of Blue-winged Teal and Ring-necked Ducks,
a single drake Green-winged Teal, some Gadwall and many loafing Alligators
dotted around as the day warmed up!
The
afternoon was quieter as it was pretty warm by midday but new birds included a
YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER, hundreds and hundreds of AMERICAN ROBINS in the
denser woodland, several CEDAR WAXWINGS in with the Robins, a couple of ORANGE-CROWNED
WARBLERS and a couple of WHITE-THROATED SPARROWS before the day was rounded off
with tantalising glimpses of a GREAT HORNED OWL sat on a nest, she called once
and stuck her head up but generally all I could see was her tail and ear tufts,
a pair of LINCOLN’S SPARROWS and a high flying CRESTED CARACARA as thousands of
Grackles, Blackbirds and American Robins piled overhead going to roost.
A few random pictures:
Tufted Titmouse
Red-shouldered Hawk
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Tricoloured Heron
American Robin
Downy Woodpecker
Black Vultures
Great-tailed Grackle
Eastern Phoebe
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