Claude’s River Survey: July 7, 2012

Location: Big Webberville to Howard Lane, Bastrop, US-TX

Observation date: 7/7/2012

Number of species: 34 (+ 2 other taxa)

EPISODE 74: Aerial Warfare

That is pretty much what it looks like when you have a smaller bird diving down on a larger bird. We flushed a Bald Eagle from its roost on the side of the river. Then out of the blue here comes a smaller bird and starts to harass the eagle. It was an aerial spectacle. We did not get a positive ID on the smaller bird but it was the size of a hawk or Crow. (EDIT: Bruce Atwell’s photo of the aerial warfare shows that a Swainsons Hawk is the attacker on the Bald Eagle.)

Of course the falcon and Bald Eagle were two of our better species of the day. We also found Pileated Woodpeckers, Green Kingfisher, Prothonotary Warblers and lots of Red-Eyed Vireos to round out our list of 36 species.

We have a long list of people who helped with the survey today. We had Joan Bishop, Lea and Duncan Charlton, Bruce and his son Eric, Glen Coleman, Roger Shaw, JT Stewart, Jim Burk, Ron Armbruster, Bob West, John Barr, and Dennis Breining. Thanks to all for your help today.

(Click any image below to view larger. Fungus and sunflower photos by Claude Morris. All others by Bruce Atwell.)

Number of species: 34 (+ 2 other taxa)

Double-crested Cormorant  1
Great Blue Heron 4
Great Egret 2
Snowy Egret 1
Little Blue Heron 4
Green Heron 4
Black Vulture 35
Turkey Vulture 40
Bald Eagle 2
Red-shouldered Hawk 6
Swainson’s Hawk 1
Mourning Dove 6
Inca Dove 2
Yellow-billed Cuckoo 8
hummingbird sp. 1
Green Kingfisher 1
Red-bellied Woodpecker 12
Downy Woodpecker 1
Pileated Woodpecker 1

Eastern Phoebe 3
Great Crested Flycatcher 2
Eastern Kingbird 1
Scissor-tailed Flycatcher 3
White-eyed Vireo 22
Red-eyed Vireo 6
American Crow 10
Northern Rough-winged Swallow 18
Purple Martin 2
Barn Swallow 2
Cliff Swallow 50
Carolina Chickadee 18
Tufted x Black-crested Titmouse (hybrid) 4
Carolina Wren 8
Prothonotary Warbler 6
Summer Tanager 3
Northern Cardinal 48
Painted Bunting 24

Click here for previous episodes of Claude’s River Survey!