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Birds of Hornsby Bend
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2010 Sightings:
Name: Kirsti Harms
Date of sighting: Saturday, July 17
Date posted: Sun Jul 18 09:04:22 2010
Shirley LaVergne, George Kerr and I co-lead the July bird walk at Hornsby on this very warm July morning. We were joined by a surprisingly large group of 16. Most of the morning was spent along the Platt Lane river trail. Overall, it was a pretty quiet morning of birding. The Painted Buntings are still singing, but staying out of sight. Notably missing from this list are the shorebirds, since the water level in Pond 1 West is still high enough to leave no shoreline--there were only a handful in the puddles among the Dillo Dirt piles. The river was up as well. A couple of nice sightings were the Orchard Orioles in the Hackberry grove near Platt Lane and a middle-of-the-day Common Nighthawk.
Redhead
Snowy Egret
Little Blue Heron
Cattle Egret
Green Heron
Red-shouldered Hawk 2
Black Vulture
Turkey Vulture
Killdeer
Spotted Sandpiper
White-winged Dove
Mourning Dove
Monk Parakeet
Yellow-billed Cuckoo
Common Nighthawk
Chimney Swift
Hummingbird species
Downy Woodpecker 2
Great Crested Flycatcher 2
Western Kingbird
Scissor-tailed Flycatcher
White-eyed Vireo
Purple Martin
Cliff Swallow
Barn Swallow
Carolina Chickadee
Tufted/Black-crested Titmouse
Carolina Wren
Eastern Bluebird
European Starling
Northern Cardinal
Painted Bunting
Red-winged Blackbird
Great-tailed Grackle
Brown-headed Cowbird
Orchard Oriole
Name: Philip Smith
Date of sighting: Sunday, July 11
Date posted: Mon Jul 12 09:33:07 2010
American Bittern, about 9:30 AM on west bank of Pond 3; clear view from about 40'. Watched for about 15 minutes.
Name: Tim Fennell
Date of sighting: Same as date posted
Date posted: Sat May 15 18:38:17 2010
Jean Martin, Byron Stone and I led nine birders on the monthly bird walk this morning and we had 20 shorebird species dropping out from the early morning storms. The shorebirds attracted the attention of an adult Peregrine Falcon (the last species of the day) that took a “peep” and scattered the shorebird flocks. The day list follows (very rough number estimates for most species).
5/15/10; 7:30 am – noon; 60’s-70’s, cloudy to PC, E 15 mph to calm; 81 species
Black-bellied Whistling-Duck 2
Blue-winged Teal 12+
Northern Shoveler 8
Green-winged Teal 1 drake
Redhead 1 drake
Ruddy Duck 12
Eared Grebe 2
American White Pelican 14
Great Blue Heron 2
Snowy Egret 3
Little Blue Heron 1
Osprey 1
Red-shouldered Hawk 2
Swainson's Hawk 3
Black Vulture 1
Crested Caracara 1
Peregrine Falcon 1 adult
American Coot 30+
Black-bellied Plover 10 (mostly full alternate)
Semipalmated Plover 1
Killdeer 6+
Black-necked Stilt 6+
American Avocet 8
Lesser Yellowlegs 12+
Solitary Sandpiper 1
Spotted Sandpiper 5+
Hudsonian Godwit 5
Ruddy Turnstone 1
Sanderling 3
Semipalmated Sandpiper 15+
Least Sandpiper 30+
White-rumped Sandpiper 200+
Baird's Sandpiper 1
Pectoral Sandpiper 30+
Dunlin 6 alternate
Stilt Sandpiper 40+
Long-billed Dowitcher 1
Dowitcher species 1
Wilson's Phalarope 250+
Franklin's Gull 6
Forster's Tern 8
Black Tern 30+
White-winged Dove 40+
Mourning Dove 5
Yellow-billed Cuckoo 2
Chimney Swift 6
Hummingbird species 1
Red-bellied Woodpecker 2
Empidonax species 2
Great Crested Flycatcher 2
Western Kingbird 1
Eastern Kingbird 3
Scissor-tailed Flycatcher 10
White-eyed Vireo 2
Red-eyed Vireo 2
American Crow 2
Purple Martin 20+
Cliff Swallow 40+
Cave Swallow 2
Barn Swallow 20+
Carolina Chickadee 8
Carolina Wren 4
Eastern Bluebird 3
Swainson's Thrush 1
Northern Mockingbird 5
European Starling 10+
Tennessee Warbler 1
Yellow Warbler 10
Magnolia Warbler 2
American Redstart 1
Common Yellowthroat 1
Summer Tanager 1
Northern Cardinal 10+
Rose-breasted Grosbeak 1
Indigo Bunting 3
Painted Bunting 3
Dickcissel 30+
Red-winged Blackbird 10+
Great-tailed Grackle 10+
Brown-headed Cowbird 2
Orchard Oriole 3
House Sparrow 10+
Name: Pete and Mollie Kloepper
Date of sighting: Same as date posted
Date posted: Fri May 14 16:45:31 2010
Black Terns and a Hudsonian Godwit and 1W.
Name: Pete and Mollie Kloepper
Date of sighting: Same as date posted
Date posted: Tue May 11 22:32:16 2010
Hudsonian Godwit on 1W. We saw the bird several times and locations.
Name: Jeff Patterson
Date of sighting: 5/1/10
Date posted: Mon May 3 13:49:34 2010
2 yellow-headed blackbirds (females) and a Willet on pond 1W at 6:00pm May 1. Other shorebirds present were Lesser Yellowlegs, Solitary Sandpiper, Spotted Sandpiper, Long-billed Dowitcher, Least Sandpiper, Baird's Sandpiper, Pectoral Sandpiper and Wilson's Phalarope.
Name: Laurie Foss
Date of sighting: Saturday, May 1
Date posted: Mon May 3 09:43:39 2010
Sorry for the late post. On our Travis County Big Day we found two Red-breasted Mergansers on pond 2. They mostly kept to themselves but could sometimes be seen on the company of the Eared Grebes.
Name: Ronnie Kramer
Date of sighting: 4/24/2010
Date posted: Mon Apr 26 22:06:44 2010
Sorry, previous link may not work. This one should.
Cassin's Kingbird seen on the fence line just inside the main gates on Saturday 4/28
Photos at
www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=20413&id=100000073513495&l=f510b5a66e
Note buffy tail tips.
Name: Ronnie Kramer
Date of sighting: 4/28/2010
Date posted: Mon Apr 26 22:02:25 2010
Cassin's Kingbird seen on the fence line just inside the main gates on Saturday 4/28
Photos at
www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000073513495&ref=profile
Note buffy tail tips.
Name: Barry Lyon
Date of sighting: Same as date posted
Date posted: Sun Apr 25 17:38:11 2010
Yesterday morning I birded the ponds with TaV Garvin for approximately an hour from 8:00-9:00 a.m. Among the many birds present were fourteen species of shorebirds. This is an outstanding time to see and compare the various species present. They were:
1)Killdeer
2)Semipalmated Plover
3)American Golden Plover (1)
4)Black-necked Stilt
5)Lesser Yellowlegs
6)Solitary Sandpiper (2)
7)Spotted Sandpiper
8)Long-billed Dowitcher
9)Least Sandpiper
10)Semipalmated Sandpiper (1)
11)Baird's Sandpiper
12)Pectoral Sandpiper
13)Wilson's Phalarope (flock of about 20)
14)Upland Sandpiper (heard in flight)
Other notable sightings included a group of three White-faced Ibis, fly-over Franklin's Gulls, as numbers of Dickcissels and Lark Sparrows in flight as well. The field immediately to the north of the northeast corner of pond 1E held numerous singing Grasshopper Sparrows.
Good birding,
Barry Lyon
Name: Matt Colbert
Date of sighting: Same as date posted
Date posted: Sat Apr 24 13:13:52 2010
Birded for 1.75 hours this morning starting about 6:45 around Pond 3. Saw my first of season Painted Bunting and Dickcissels, as well as a singing Swainson's Thush.
List from ebrid as follows:
Wood Duck - Aix sponsa 2
Blue-winged Teal - Anas discors 25
Northern Shoveler - Anas clypeata 25
Great Blue Heron - Ardea herodias 1
Great Egret - Ardea alba 60
Red-shouldered Hawk - Buteo lineatus 1
American Coot - Fulica americana 45
American Golden-Plover - Pluvialis dominica 1
Killdeer - Charadrius vociferus 5
Black-necked Stilt - Himantopus mexicanus 4
Spotted Sandpiper - Actitis macularius 3
Greater Yellowlegs - Tringa melanoleuca 4
Least Sandpiper - Calidris minutilla 35
Rock Pigeon - Columba livia 60
Mourning Dove - Zenaida macroura 5
Common Nighthawk - Chordeiles minor 1
Chimney Swift - Chaetura pelagica 2
Eastern Phoebe - Sayornis phoebe 2
Western Kingbird - Tyrannus verticalis 4
White-eyed Vireo - Vireo griseus 1
Cliff Swallow - Petrochelidon pyrrhonota 5
Barn Swallow - Hirundo rustica 2
swallow sp. - Hirundinidae sp. 15
Carolina Wren - Thryothorus ludovicianus 2
Swainson's Thrush - Catharus ustulatus 1
European Starling - Sturnus vulgaris 25
American Pipit - Anthus rubescens 5
Cedar Waxwing - Bombycilla cedrorum 40
Lincoln's Sparrow - Melospiza lincolnii 2
Northern Cardinal - Cardinalis cardinalis 5
Painted Bunting - Passerina ciris 1
Dickcissel - Spiza americana 4
House Sparrow - Passer domesticus 4
Name: Matt Colbert
Date of sighting: Thurs Apr 22 (5:45PM)
Date posted: Fri Apr 23 09:44:54 2010
Arrived at about 5:45 PM to find the Hudsonian Godwit, and was not disappointed. Bird is an adult female. Other highlights included a large flock of almost 300 White Pelican, flyovers of large groups of Franklin's Gulls, and White-face Ibis, Wilson's Phalarope, Semipalmated Plover, and a Western Kingbird. Only birded ponds.
Blue-winged Teal - Anas discors 25
Northern Shoveler - Anas clypeata 20
Redhead - Aythya americana 5
Bufflehead - Bucephala albeola 1
Ruddy Duck - Oxyura jamaicensis 20
Eared Grebe - Podiceps nigricollis 3
American White Pelican - Pelecanus erythrorhynchos 294
Great Egret - Ardea alba 4
Snowy Egret - Egretta thula 5
Cattle Egret - Bubulcus ibis 15
White-faced Ibis - Plegadis chihi 1
American Coot - Fulica americana 50
Semipalmated Plover - Charadrius semipalmatus 1
Killdeer - Charadrius vociferus 15
Black-necked Stilt - Himantopus mexicanus 4
Spotted Sandpiper - Actitis macularius 1
Solitary Sandpiper - Tringa solitaria 1
Greater Yellowlegs - Tringa melanoleuca 5
Hudsonian Godwit - Limosa haemastica 1
Least Sandpiper - Calidris minutilla 50
Pectoral Sandpiper - Calidris melanotos 15
Wilson's Phalarope - Phalaropus tricolor 1
Franklin's Gull - Leucophaeus pipixcan 350
White-winged Dove - Zenaida asiatica 2
Common Nighthawk - Chordeiles minor 1
Western Kingbird - Tyrannus verticalis 1
Scissor-tailed Flycatcher - Tyrannus forficatus 6
American Crow - Corvus brachyrhynchos 1
Cliff Swallow - Petrochelidon pyrrhonota 15
Barn Swallow - Hirundo rustica 10
Marsh Wren - Cistothorus palustris 1
European Starling - Sturnus vulgaris 10
Savannah Sparrow - Passerculus sandwichensis 10
Northern Cardinal - Cardinalis cardinalis 2
Red-winged Blackbird - Agelaius phoeniceus 5
Name: Chris Layden and Craig Rasmussen
Date of sighting: Same as date posted
Date posted: Wed Apr 21 17:11:31 2010
Passerine migrants are still scarce. Heard a few Nashville Warblers and that was about it. Some nice birds included the following:
Swainson Hawk (small mixed groups with Turkey Vultures over Platt)
Lark Sparrow (Platt Ln)
Long-Billed Dowitcher (several)
Hudsonian Godwit (a single bird on Pond 1 West)
Wilson's Phalarope
Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs
Solitary SP
Pectoral SP
Western Kingbird
Name: robin doughty
Date of sighting: Sun April 18, 2010, 9-11.30 am
Date posted: Tue Apr 20 15:44:09 2010
A full plumage Hudsonian Godwit dropped into One west (the mud end) close to equally handsome American Avocets about 9.30 am and remained for at least an hour when seen by a group of UT birders. It proved the bird of note among ten shorebird species.
Name: Stu Wilson
Date of sighting: Same as date posted
Date posted: Sat Apr 17 16:23:28 2010
Ed Fair and I led the monthly walk where we were joined by over 20 hearty souls on a misty morning with occasional spits of drizzle. We spent half the time on the ponds and the other half on the river trail below Pond #2. Evidence of passerine migration remained scant but, before the hard stuff hit about 11:15am, the following species were detected by at least some members of the group (61 spp):
Black-bellied Whistling-Duck (flying flock of 7)
Wood Duck (called out by someone?)
American Wigeon (a couple)
Blue-winged Teal (lots)
Northern Shoveler (dozens)
Redhead (2-3)
Ruddy Duck (lots)
Eared Grebe (20)
Double-crested Cormorant
Great Blue Heron (a couple)
Snowy Egret (several)
Little Blue Heron (a couple fly-throughs)
Cattle Egret (a few small flocks in flight)
Black Vulture (1-2)
Turkey Vulture (1-2)
Sora (heard only)
American Coot (lots)
American Golden-Plover (3-4)
Semipalmated Plover (1)
Killdeer (just 1 or 2...)
Black-necked Stilt (several)
Spotted Sandpiper (a couple)
Solitary Sandpiper (several)
Lesser Yellowlegs (at least a dozen)
Least Sandpiper (the dominant peep)
Pectoral Sandpiper (several)
Wilson's Snipe (just one fly-off...)
Franklin's Gull (several migrating flocks)
Rock Pigeon
White-winged Dove
Morning Dove
Monk Parakeet (at least 2)
Black-chinned Hummingbird (1 or 2)
Red-bellied Woodpecker (1)
Downy Woodpecker (1 or 2)
Eastern Phoebe (a few)
Scissor-tailed Flycatcher (at least a dozen)
White-eyed Vireo (heard only)
Red-eyed Vireo (everyone got good looks!)
American Crow (several)
Purple Martin (lots)
Cliff Swallow (dominant swallow over ponds)
Barn Swallow (a few)
Carolina Chickadee (just a couple)
Tufted/Black-crested Titmouse (hybrid)
Carolina Wren (heard only)
Eastern Bluebird (a few)
European Starling
American Pipit (2-3)
Cedar Waxwing (dozens)
Orange-crowned Warbler (2-3)
Nashville Warbler (2-3)
Yellow-rumped Warbler (myrtle)
Savannah Sparrow (dominant sparrow on ponds)
Lincoln's Sparrow (a few, incl 1 in scope for 5 min!)
White-crowned Sparrow (1)
Northern Cardinal (lots)
Indigo Bunting (4-5)
Red-winged Blackbird (dozens, mostly females)
Great-tailed Grackle (just a few...)
House Sparrow
Name: Pete and Mollie Kloepper
Date of sighting: Same as date posted
Date posted: Fri Apr 16 19:50:46 2010
There were at least 2 Semipalmated Plovers on pond 1w.
Name: Eric Carpenter
Date of sighting: 10 April 2010
Date posted: Sun Apr 11 16:33:01 2010
Saturday's (10 April) monthly survey showed us that migration is clearly underway. 15 participants in the morning session tracked down 99 species while 3 birders in the afternoon session added 6 species to the list to bring the overall total for the survey to 105. Noticeable were the decrease or absence of some wintering species, an obvious increase in the number & variety of shorebirds, as well as a few first-of-season sightings (Indigo Buntings, Red-eyed Vireos) indicating that our breeding birds are just starting to return.
The full list for the day follows.
-- Eric
-------------
-------------
Wood Duck 2
Gadwall 2
American Wigeon 1
Blue-winged Teal 240
Cinnamon Teal 3
Northern Shoveler 265
Green-winged Teal 45
Redhead 1
Lesser Scaup 6
Bufflehead 2
Ruddy Duck 70
Pied-billed Grebe 1
Eared Grebe 25
Neotropic Cormorant 13
Double-crested Cormorant 25
Great Blue Heron 2
Great Egret 4
Snowy Egret 15
Little Blue Heron 3
Cattle Egret 61
Black Vulture 6
Turkey Vulture 10
Osprey 3
Northern Harrier 1
Accipiter sp. 1
Red-shouldered Hawk 3
Broad-winged Hawk 1
Swainson's Hawk 24
Red-tailed Hawk 2
Crested Caracara 5
Sora 5
American Coot 285
American Golden-Plover 42
Killdeer 17
Black-necked Stilt 7
Spotted Sandpiper 7
Solitary Sandpiper 3
Greater Yellowlegs 1
Lesser Yellowlegs 5
Upland Sandpiper 2
Semipalmated Sandpiper 1
Western Sandpiper 1
Least Sandpiper 820
Baird's Sandpiper 22
Pectoral Sandpiper 28
Wilson's Snipe 4
Rock Pigeon 55
White-winged Dove 6
Mourning Dove 18
Inca Dove 2
Monk Parakeet 2
Barn Owl 1
Barred Owl 2
Chimney Swift 4
Ruby-throated Hummingbird 1
Archilochus sp. 2
Red-bellied Woodpecker 3
Eastern Phoebe 2
Scissor-tailed Flycatcher 6
Loggerhead Shrike 1
White-eyed Vireo 21
Red-eyed Vireo 2
Blue Jay 2
American Crow 5
Purple Martin 50
Tree Swallow 1
N. Rough-winged Swallow 1
Cliff Swallow 111
Cave Swallow 1
Barn Swallow 13
Carolina Chickadee 13
HYBRID Titmouse 8
Carolina Wren 40
House Wren 10
Sedge Wren 1
Marsh Wren 5
Ruby-crowned Kinglet 4
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 9
Eastern Bluebird 13
Northern Mockingbird 9
European Starling 6
American Pipit 25
Cedar Waxwing 265
Orange-crowned Warbler 4
Nashville Warbler 1
Yellow-rumped Warbler 97
Common Yellowthroat 1
Chipping Sparrow 7
Vesper Sparrow 4
Lark Sparrow 2
Savannah Sparrow 106
Grasshopper Sparrow 11
LeConte's Sparrow 1
Song Sparrow 2
Lincoln's Sparrow 19
Swamp Sparrow 3
White-throated Sparrow 1
White-crowned Sparrow 7
Northern Cardinal 110
Indigo Bunting 2
Red-winged Blackbird 120
meadowlark sp. 14
Great-tailed Grackle 20
Brown-headed Cowbird 11
House Finch 4
House Sparrow 8
Name: Chris Layden
Date of sighting: April 5, 2010
Date posted: Tue Apr 6 11:19:08 2010
A few nice birds included:
A pair of Canvasbacks on Pond 2
A Couch's Kingbird on Platt Lane
Solitary Sandpiper
Male Vermillion Flycatcher (not at Hornsby but worth a stop at the Walnut Creek treatment facility on the way out).
A couple of bonus "birds" were a B25 and a B17 that flew into the airport. Truly awesome sight at 200 feet above the deck!
Name: Pete and Mollie Kloepper
Date of sighting: Sun Apirl 4
Date posted: Mon Apr 5 16:36:31 2010
About 30 minutes before sunset a lot of white pelicans (maybe a hundred or so) landed after much inspection on pond 1E.
Name: Andrew Dickinson
Date of sighting: Fri Mar 26
Date posted: Fri Apr 2 17:52:51 2010
Male Vermillion FLycatcher, in NW field just past the fenceline as you are going in the direction of Platt Ln.
Other birds of note: Least Grebe in Pond 2; Male Cinnamon Teal in Pond 1 W.
Name: Kenny Anderson
Date of sighting: Same as date posted
Date posted: Thu Apr 1 16:56:31 2010
I forgot to add that the hybrid Northern Shoveler x Mallard returned on 1 East. It is the 3rd year that I have seen it. This is a different bird than the domestic Mallard that is always around.
Name: Kenny Anderson
Date of sighting: Same as date posted
Date posted: Thu Apr 1 15:01:59 2010
A Peregrine Falcon was putting on a remarkable display of its flight power: terrorizing shorebirds, coots, and ducks on 1 West. Eventually, a Killdeer slipped-up and was eaten on the wing.
1 Solitary Sandpiper, 1 American Golden Plover, 1 Greater Yellowlegs, and several Pectoral Sandpipers were seen before the chaos began.
20+ Swainson's Hawks were over the Platt Fields.
Name: Jeff Patterson
Date of sighting: Same as date posted
Date posted: Wed Mar 31 22:48:53 2010
My FOS American Golden Plover and Pectoral Sandpiper (1 of each) on Pond 1W this afternoon. Might have been 2 or 3 Shovelers too.
Name: kevin anderson
Date of sighting: Same as date posted
Date posted: Mon Mar 29 17:30:17 2010
Swainson's hawks [14 roosted overnight in trees at Platt Lane] and other hawks, caracaras, etc. gather on fields as spring hay cutting has begun.
Name: Robert Anderson
Date of sighting: Same as date posted
Date posted: Sat Mar 27 14:46:51 2010
Solitary surf scoter in first pond . Pictures sent to Travis County Audobon Society .
Name: Kenny Anderson
Date of sighting: Same as date posted
Date posted: Fri Mar 26 16:28:53 2010
A Virginia Rail was at the northeast corner of Pond 1 West. It was volunteering a constant kadick, kadick...- which is something I have only heard one other time.
Name: Noreen Baker
Date of sighting: 14 March 2010
Date posted: Mon Mar 15 23:06:17 2010
Birded Hornsby from 10am to 1pm and had many of the same birds as those posted during the monthly survey on Saturday but wanted to add that we had a male Yellow-headed Blackbird at the first pond as you drive in.
Name: kevin anderson
Date of sighting: 14 March 2010
Date posted: Mon Mar 15 10:57:53 2010
Counted 3000+ Sandhill cranes passing over Hornsby Bend Sunday afternoon between 2pm and 4pm
Name: Eric Carpenter
Date of sighting: 13 March 2010
Date posted: Sun Mar 14 11:15:18 2010
Spring is here. Saturday (13 March) was a great day for the monthly survey with sunny skies and moderate temperatures (reaching the upper 70s). Our biggest survey team (23) of the year was able to find the largest survey total for the year, clearing the century mark with 105 species recorded. Twenty-three participants in the morning were able to find 100 species, with an additional species (Virginia Rail) added just after the morning countdown. Two others joined me for the afternoon session, and we were able to add 4 more to the day's total. Unfortunately, we are likely just ahead of the first big push of migrants, as few were noted. Highlights would have to be the Virginia Rail (heard and seen) just west of the (new) hawkwatch area on the edge of Pond 1West and a Ringed Kingfisher heard along the river behind Pond 3.
The full results for the day follow...
-- Eric
--
--
Black-bellied Whistling-Duck 10
Wood Duck 4
Gadwall 91
American Wigeon 25
Blue-winged Teal 8
Cinnamon Teal 2
Northern Shoveler 1850
Green-winged Teal 175
Ring-necked Duck 25
Lesser Scaup 5
Bufflehead 8
Ruddy Duck 308
Least Grebe 1
Pied-billed Grebe 13
Eared Grebe 22
Neotropic Cormorant 5
Double-crested Cormorant 42
Great Blue Heron 4
Great Egret 4
Snowy Egret 15
Little Blue Heron 3
Black Vulture 19
Turkey Vulture 11
Osprey 2
Northern Harrier 1
Cooper's Hawk 1
Red-shouldered Hawk 13
Red-tailed Hawk 3
Crested Caracara 5
American Kestrel 2
Virginia Rail 1
Sora 4
American Coot 806
Killdeer 45
Spotted Sandpiper 6
Greater Yellowlegs 2
Least Sandpiper 152
Wilson's Snipe 11
Bonaparte's Gull 1
Ring-billed Gull 8
Rock Pigeon 117
White-winged Dove 2
Mourning Dove 12
Inca Dove 3
Monk Parakeet 6
Barn Owl 1
Ringed Kingfisher 1
Belted Kingfisher 2
Red-bellied Woodpecker 7
Ladder-backed Woodpecker 1
Downy Woodpecker 6
Northern Flicker 2
Eastern Phoebe 12
Loggerhead Shrike 3
White-eyed Vireo 4
Blue-headed Vireo 3
Blue Jay 1
American Crow 11
Purple Martin 35
Tree Swallow 2
Cliff Swallow 8
Barn Swallow 7
Carolina Chickadee 17
HYBRID Titmouse 19
Carolina Wren 35
House Wren 6
Winter Wren 1
Marsh Wren 4
Ruby-crowned Kinglet 40
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 6
Eastern Bluebird 8
Hermit Thrush 3
American Robin 6
Northern Mockingbird 12
European Starling 9
American Pipit 30
Sprague's Pipit 1
Cedar Waxwing 18
Orange-crowned Warbler 13
Yellow-rumped Warbler 171
Common Yellowthroat 1
Spotted Towhee 1
Chipping Sparrow 12
Field Sparrow 12
Vesper Sparrow 19
Savannah Sparrow 78
Grasshopper Sparrow 1
LeConte's Sparrow 1
Song Sparrow 9
Lincoln's Sparrow 16
Swamp Sparrow 17
White-throated Sparrow 4
Harris's Sparrow 5
White-crowned Sparrow 18
Northern Cardinal 114
Red-winged Blackbird 105
Eastern Meadowlark 2
Western Meadowlark 2
meadowlark sp. 80
Common Grackle 3
Great-tailed Grackle 39
Brown-headed Cowbird 4
House Finch 1
American Goldfinch 2
House Sparrow 10
Name: Stu Wilson
Date of sighting: Sat Mar 6
Date posted: Mon Mar 8 12:41:27 2010
Eric Stager and I were scouting for the CAMN group on Saturday and had just a brief glimpse of what looked like a Stilt Sandpiper at the SW corner of Pond #1W. This would be an unusually early occurence for this species. Soras were out and about at this corner and I believe before the day was out all 30+ budding Master Naturalists had gotten a visual.
Name: Lucy Anderson
Date of sighting: Same as date posted
Date posted: Fri Feb 26 15:22:10 2010
I lost my digital camera case, a small gray one, along the River Trail. My Dad and I spent a lot of time looking for it but couldn't relocate it. I would love to get it back, please let me know if you should find it.
Thanks
Lucy
Name: Ken Zaslow
Date of sighting: Same as date posted
Date posted: Sat Feb 20 18:15:47 2010
Ingrid Huskey and I along with Eric Stager led today's monthly bird walk at Hornsby Bend. The morning was overcast with minimal wind and temperatures in the high 50's to low 60's. By far the most numerous and active land birds were Yellow-rumped Warblers which seemed to be everywhere. The number of duck individuals and species were down from the February 13th Bird Count. The best sign of spring was a single singing Pine Warbler and several singing White-eyed Vireo's.
The following birds were seen and/or heard:
Gadwall
American Wigeon
Blue-winged Teal
Cinnamon Teal
Northern Shoveler
Green-winged Teal
Lesser Scaup
Bufflehead
Ruddy Duck
Least Grebe
Eared Grebe
Double-crested Cormorant
Great Blue Heron
Great Egret
Black Vulture
Turkey Vulture
Red-shouldered Hawk
Crested Caracara
Sora
American Coot
Killdeer
Spotted Sandpiper
Greater Yellowlegs
Least Sandpiper
Rock Pigeon
Mourning Dove
Monk Parakeet
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Eastern Phoebe
White-eyed Vireo
American Crow
Purple Martin
Carolina Chickadee
Tufted Titmouse
Carolina Wren
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Eastern Bluebird
American Robin
Northern Mockingbird
European Starling
Cedar Waxwing
Orange-crowned Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Pine Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
Chipping Sparrow
Savannah Sparrow
Lincoln's Sparrow
Northern Cardinal
Red-winged Blackbird
Meadowlark species
Great-tailed Grackle
House Finch
House Sparrow
-------- STATISTICS --------
Species seen - 57
Name: Martin
Date of sighting: Same as date posted
Date posted: Fri Feb 19 19:45:19 2010
Least Grebe. I saw one Least Grebe on pond 2 about thirty feet offshore. I was standing near the three way intersection of pond 1 west, pond 1 east, and pond 2 at around 2:30 PM.
Name: robin doughty
Date of sighting: Same as date posted
Date posted: Thu Feb 18 15:01:37 2010
at 6am an American Robin was singing at the intersection of Mesa Drive and Spicewood Springs Road. In 2009, birds of this species occupied the same site.
Name: Celia
Date of sighting: Same as date posted
Date posted: Wed Feb 17 12:19:24 2010
Eastern Phoebe
Last year a single pleaded here for weeks to bring in a mate to our usual backporch nest to no avail. Today I have a pair checking out the ready made nest I enjoy the family of phoebes every year
Name: Eric Carpenter
Date of sighting: 13 Feb 2010
Date posted: Sun Feb 14 19:11:45 2010
Saturday's (13 Feb) monthly survey attracted some 17 participants (14 in the morning, 6 in the afternoon). The morning started off slow with fog lingering for a couple hours and cooler-than-expected temperatures. The winds picked up a little bit in the afternoon though the sky was clear and temps had warmed up to the mid 50s.
Between the morning and afternoon efforts, a total of 92 species were identified. Nothing really unusual though a Ringed Kingfisher was somewhat unexpected as it chattered and flew over the ponds. This may be the first count where a White-winged Dove wasn't found!
-- Eric
The day's results follow:
Wood Duck 2
Gadwall 46
American Wigeon 32
Blue-winged Teal 14
Cinnamon Teal 1
Northern Shoveler 230
Green-winged Teal 52
Canvasback 9
Redhead 35
Ring-necked Duck 13
Lesser Scaup 4
Bufflehead 9
Ruddy Duck 167
Least Grebe 1
Pied-billed Grebe 5
Eared Grebe 9
American White Pelican 15
Neotropic Cormorant 1
Double-crested Cormorant 26
Great Blue Heron 4
Great Egret 3
Snowy Egret 3
Black Vulture 12
Turkey Vulture 6
Osprey 2
Northern Harrier 3
Red-shouldered Hawk 6
Red-tailed Hawk 2
Crested Caracara 7
American Kestrel 4
Sora 3
American Coot 260
Killdeer 14
Spotted Sandpiper 4
Greater Yellowlegs 3
Least Sandpiper 126
Wilson's Snipe 2
Ring-billed Gull 2
Rock Pigeon 85
Mourning Dove 8
Inca Dove 2
Monk Parakeet 1
Ringed Kingfisher 1
Belted Kingfisher 1
Red-bellied Woodpecker 13
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 2
Downy Woodpecker 2
Northern Flicker 4
Eastern Phoebe 32
Loggerhead Shrike 3
Blue-headed Vireo 3
Blue Jay 5
American Crow 16
Purple Martin 1
Carolina Chickadee 21
HYBRID Titmouse 17
Carolina Wren 30
Bewick's Wren 1
House Wren 13
Winter Wren 3
Marsh Wren 1
Ruby-crowned Kinglet 42
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 7
Eastern Bluebird 19
Hermit Thrush 3
American Robin 257
Northern Mockingbird 12
European Starling 23
American Pipit 30
Cedar Waxwing 103
Orange-crowned Warbler 22
Yellow-rumped Warbler 133
Pine Warbler 3
Common Yellowthroat 5
Chipping Sparrow 1
Field Sparrow 1
Vesper Sparrow 43
Savannah Sparrow 93
LeConte's Sparrow 2
Song Sparrow 12
Lincoln's Sparrow 47
Swamp Sparrow 15
White-throated Sparrow 1
Harris's Sparrow 10
White-crowned Sparrow 10
Northern Cardinal 146
Red-winged Blackbird 145
Eastern Meadowlark 1
Western Meadowlark 3
meadowlark sp. 58
Great-tailed Grackle 16
House Finch 18
House Sparrow 5
Name: Pete and Mollie Kloepper
Date of sighting: Same as date posted
Date posted: Fri Feb 12 17:42:30 2010
Lots of Soras, Marsh Wrens, and Swamp Sparrows on 1W. Best bird of the day was a 3rd year Bald Eagle hunting that pond.
Name: Tim Fennell
Date of sighting: Same as date posted
Date posted: Sun Feb 7 21:17:37 2010
While doing a bird workshop with my high school students this morning, 18 Bonaparte's Gulls visited Pond 2 for about 20 minutes before they moved on. A Least Grebe and 10+ Eared Grebes were also present on Pond 2. The Decker Lake Long-tailed Duck was also cooperative when I stopped by after I left Hornsby.
Name: Roger Shaw
Date of sighting: Sun Jan 31 07:05:00 2010
Date posted: Tue Feb 2 11:23:57 2010
Had amazing looks at a Short-eared Owl at dawn, between Pond 1 West and Pond 2. First observed sitting on the road, then flushed and landed in the brush on the side of the road, about 50 ft further. Flushed upon approach, and again landed 50 ft further. Upon further approach, finally flew up, circled me several times, then flew off to the north, disappearing behind the dirt piles. Great bird!
Also had at least two, possibly three Sedge Wrens around Pond 1 West. Had one bird on the north side of the pond, and later saw two at the southwest corner, unknown if the first individual was among them.
Name: Gary Newgord
Date of sighting: Same as date posted
Date posted: Sat Jan 23 17:15:54 2010
Located a Virginia rail at about 8:30 am at the hawkwatch location in Pond 1 East. Probably one of the two being see this winter. It was about ten feet out from the gray metal float which is on the edge of the grass. Went back at 10:15 am and a sora came out of the same hole in the reeds that the Virginia rail was in before.
Name: Jeff Patterson
Date of sighting: 1/16/10
Date posted: Mon Jan 18 11:30:05 2010
George Kerr and I led a crowd of 2 birders on the monthly walk yesterday. Highlight was a Couch's Kingbird in the treetops north of the greenhouse.
Couch’s Kingbird
Gadwall
American Wigeon
Cinnamon Teal
Northern Shoveler
Green-winged Teal
Bufflehead
Ruddy Duck
Pied-billed Grebe
Eared Grebe
Double-crested Cormorant
Great Blue Heron
Great Egret
Black Vulture
Turkey Vulture
Osprey
Red-shouldered Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
American Kestrel
Sora
American Coot
Killdeer
Spotted Sandpiper
Least Sandpiper
Mourning Dove
Belted Kingfisher (HO)
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Ladder-backed Woodpecker
Northern Flicker (HO)
Eastern Phoebe
Loggerhead Shrike
American Crow
Carolina Chickadee
HYBRID Titmouse
Carolina Wren
House Wren (HO)
Marsh Wren
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Eastern Bluebird
Hermit Thrush
American Robin
Northern Mockingbird
European Starling
Cedar Waxwing
Orange-crowned Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Common Yellowthroat (HO)
Chipping Sparrow
Savannah Sparrow
LeConte's Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Lincoln's Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow
Harris's Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
Northern Cardinal
Red-winged Blackbird
meadowlark sp.
Common Grackle
Great-tailed Grackle
House Finch
House Sparrow
Jeff Patterson
Name: James Giroux
Date of sighting: Same as date posted
Date posted: Sun Jan 17 23:37:31 2010
My stepfather and I were out at Platt pond around 5:30 this evening and saw a Bald Eagle fly over. A few minutes later we heard a Barred Owl.
Name: Eric Carpenter
Date of sighting: 9 Jan 2010
Date posted: Sat Jan 9 22:12:47 2010
Ten very hardy birders showed up for this morning's (9 Jan) monthly survey. I suspect the official temperature may have been lower, but my car showed it to be 17 degrees when we started and it stayed that cold for much of the morning. A layer of ice completely covered Pond 1West as well as pockets of 1East and Pond 3. Still, it was nice and sunny with no wind at all so it didn't feel quite as chilling as it might have. By the afternoon, it had warmed up to the low 40s/high 30s for the 4 afternoon participants, but temperatures again descended as dusk approached.
It was fairly birdy with 95 species found during the day. Most of the usuals were tracked down as well as some interesting finds including 2 Neotropic Cormorants, 2 Virginia Rail (1 each in NE and SW corners of Pond 1West), a horde of Ring-billed Gulls, a Sedge Wren on 1West and 3 or more LeConte's Sparrows in the area behind the houses on Platt.
The full list for the day follows.
-- Eric
Wood Duck 7
Gadwall 80
American Wigeon 46
Blue-winged Teal 17
Cinnamon Teal 4
Northern Shoveler 830
Northern Pintail 32
Green-winged Teal 220
Ring-necked Duck 29
Bufflehead 14
Hooded Merganser 3
Ruddy Duck 399
Least Grebe 2
Pied-billed Grebe 1
Eared Grebe 10
Neotropic Cormorant 2
Double-crested Cormorant 23
Great Blue Heron 5
Great Egret 2
Snowy Egret 3
Black Vulture 6
Turkey Vulture 6
Osprey 2
Red-shouldered Hawk 6
Red-tailed Hawk 6
Crested Caracara 3
American Kestrel 2
Virginia Rail 2
Sora 2
American Coot 445
Killdeer 21
Spotted Sandpiper 3
Greater Yellowlegs 5
Least Sandpiper 14
Wilson's Snipe 1
Bonaparte's Gull 5
Ring-billed Gull 94
Forster's Tern 3
Rock Pigeon 255
White-winged Dove 16
Mourning Dove 13
Inca Dove 10
Belted Kingfisher 2
Red-bellied Woodpecker 8
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 3
Ladder-backed Woodpecker 1
Downy Woodpecker 6
Northern Flicker 5
Eastern Phoebe 26
Loggerhead Shrike 4
White-eyed Vireo 1
Blue-headed Vireo 1
Blue Jay 4
American Crow 10
Cave Swallow 1
Carolina Chickadee 15
HYBRID Titmouse 9
Carolina Wren 50
House Wren 15
Winter Wren 1
Sedge Wren 1
Marsh Wren 3
Golden-crowned Kinglet 2
Ruby-crowned Kinglet 34
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 6
Eastern Bluebird 15
Hermit Thrush 9
American Robin 21
Northern Mockingbird 18
European Starling 18
American Pipit 12
Cedar Waxwing 57
Orange-crowned Warbler 12
Yellow-rumped Warbler 49
Pine Warbler 2
Common Yellowthroat 4
Chipping Sparrow 26
Field Sparrow 32
Vesper Sparrow 11
Savannah Sparrow 125
LeConte's Sparrow 3
Song Sparrow 24
Lincoln's Sparrow 37
Swamp Sparrow 3
White-throated Sparrow 6
Harris's Sparrow 7
White-crowned Sparrow 8
Northern Cardinal 86
Red-winged Blackbird 116
meadowlark sp. 94
Common Grackle 1
Great-tailed Grackle 48
House Finch 7
American Goldfinch 2
House Sparrow 5
Name: Kenny Anderson
Date of sighting: Same as date posted
Date posted: Wed Jan 6 16:55:30 2010
Platt Pond had a lot of nice birds on it, including: 4 American White Pelicans, 3 Snowy Egrets, 1 Cattle Egret, 2 Mallards, 7 Hooded Mergansers, and ~7 Greater Yellowlegs.
I didn't spend as long as I would have liked looking for sparrows, but I was struck by multiple Harris's Sparrows at several locations.
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