[fb_button]Tarcoola to Fisherman’s Park, Bastrop, US-TX (6 miles)
Observation date: February 1, 2014 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM
Number of species: 46 (+2 other taxa)
EPISODE 93: A Break From Winter
For the first time in several years we are having a real winter. Yet today we got a break. 17 of us took advantage that and did a trip on the river. We even got ourselves a new mascot. Max is the second dog we have had along on a trip. Max became an unofficial mascot.
We had a good day birding collecting 48 species. Leading the list was Bald Eagle. Another surprise was a Green Kingfisher. We also had Black-bellied Whistling Ducks, Swallows, and a Horned Owl to mention the more unusual ones.
Some other notes on birds include the number of Kestrels we saw; 3. When we get Kestrels it is only one, three was an excellent number for us. I was expecting Pileated Woodpeckers, yet none. Again we got a large number of Eastern bluebirds. It was such a nice day on the river we were hearing Northern Cardinals, Carolina Wren, and Carolina Chickadee all the way downstream.
In the other critter department we found squirrels, a few turtles (Map and Red-eared Sliders) and some signs of beaver.
Those of us enjoying the nice weather were Peg Gavin, Lee Charlton, Stacey Bucklin, Sharon Richardson, Anne Birlin, Maura Ambrose, Ron Armbruster, Duncan Charlton, Stuart Bailey, Dennis Benning, Bob West, Jim Rankin, Bobby Hughes, Chap Ambrose, Brian Maddix and Max. Thanks people, your company was appreciated.
(Click any image below to view larger. Photo of Great egret and River Bank Vegetation by Bob West. Photo of Great Blue Heron and River Bank vegetation (6) by Stuart Bailey)
46 species (+2 other taxa)
Black-bellied Whistling-Duck 3
Gadwall 14
Green-winged Teal 8
Double-crested Cormorant 3
Great Blue Heron 8
Great Egret 1
Black Vulture 38
Turkey Vulture 47
Osprey 1
Bald Eagle 1
Red-shouldered Hawk 1
Red-tailed Hawk 3
American Coot 22
Killdeer 4
Spotted Sandpiper 3
Greater Yellowlegs 4
White-winged Dove 20
Mourning Dove 16
Great Horned Owl 1
Belted Kingfisher 6
Green Kingfisher 1
Red-bellied Woodpecker 7
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 1
Downy Woodpecker 2
Northern Flicker 1
Crested Caracara 6
American Kestrel 3
Eastern Phoebe 5
American Crow 24
Cliff/Cave Swallow 16
Carolina Chickadee 38
Carolina Wren 25
Ruby-crowned Kinglet 7
Eastern Bluebird 20
European Starling 100
American Pipit 2
Cedar Waxwing 80
Yellow-rumped Warbler 4
Savannah Sparrow 6
Song Sparrow 1
Lincoln’s Sparrow 6
Northern Cardinal 75
Red-winged Blackbird 100
Eastern/Western Meadowlark 18
Brewer’s Blackbird 100
Great-tailed Grackle 22
Brown-headed Cowbird 24
American Goldfinch 60
