Big Webberville to Howard Lane, Bastrop, Texas, US
Feb 4, 2017 9:15 AM – 2:45 PM
Protocol: Traveling
9.0 mile(s)
Comments: EPISODE 129:  ON A COLD AND GRAY CHICAGO MORNING

That song has been stuck in my head all day. Yet on a cold and gray Bastrop morning the
river floating could not have been better.  This was one of those great days to be a nature
observer. We were entertained all the way through our nine miles of river with activity and
new sightings.

Entertainment in the form of Green Kingfisher, 6 woodpecker species, Barred Owls, and I think
our first-of-survey Harris Sparrows.  How often do we get to say American White Pelican,
Marsh Wren and loads of Yellow-rumped Warblers.  That right there is plenty of entertainment
all by itself.

But we continued to have fun.  At least three Coyotes, squirrels and a Nutria Rat were listed
today. We were all very surprised with the lack of ducks.  All we saw were a few flights of ducks at
a distance.

Helping with all this fun was Wilda Campbell, Sharon Richardson, Katrina Jencks, Cris Chapa,
Rick Taylor, Bobby Hughes, Jeff Richardson, CR Smith, Bob West, Denis Brenning, and John
Barr. Also there may have been an Elvis sighting, or maybe he was just there in spirit.

Don’t forget to like the Austin Bastrop River Corridor Partnership Facebook page. Here you will find more information about the river and water issues in central Texas. Learn more about the Austin-Bastrop River Corridor Partnership at the CER website.

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54 species (+1 other taxa)

Double-crested Cormorant  8
American White Pelican  3
Great Blue Heron  9
Great Egret  2
Black-crowned Night-Heron  1
Black Vulture  35
Turkey Vulture  15
Osprey  2
Sharp-shinned Hawk  1
Red-shouldered Hawk  5
Red-tailed Hawk  3
Killdeer  8
Spotted Sandpiper  12
Inca Dove  1
White-winged Dove  22
Mourning Dove  7
Barred Owl  2
Belted Kingfisher  8
Green Kingfisher  1
Red-bellied Woodpecker  12
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker  1
Ladder-backed Woodpecker  1
Downy Woodpecker  4
Northern Flicker  1
Pileated Woodpecker  4
Crested Caracara  4
American Kestrel  1
Eastern Phoebe  7
White-eyed Vireo  1
Blue Jay  1
American Crow  11
Carolina Chickadee  22
Tufted Titmouse  4
House Wren  2
Marsh Wren  1
Carolina Wren  18
Bewick’s Wren  1
Ruby-crowned Kinglet  4
Eastern Bluebird  4
Northern Mockingbird  3
European Starling  1
Cedar Waxwing  27
Orange-crowned Warbler  2
Yellow-rumped Warbler  45
Field Sparrow  2
White-crowned Sparrow  7
Harris’s Sparrow  6
Song Sparrow  8
Lincoln’s Sparrow  15
Northern Cardinal  75
Red-winged Blackbird  100
Western/Eastern Meadowlark  28
Brewer’s Blackbird  20
Common Grackle  8
Great-tailed Grackle  30