Black-bellied Whistling Duck

[Gigi]

Today we had a most unusual duck type bird awkwardly flying in our tree tops looking for a place to land. It finally did ( I believe there were two of them but I could only see one in the tree top).

It looked like a duck with a looong neck, mohawk kinda of head, white rings around it's eyes and very bright orange beak. When it looked straight at me it looked like it was wearing white lips. I looked it up and it appears to be a black-bellied whistling duck. I have never seen one. Never seen anything quite like it. It stayed about 3 minutes then flew over the house Eastward.

Are these ducks migrating right now or are they common here? I am in Colleyville area along a creek. I didn't see it fish or anything like that but maybe it will come back.

Any info you may have is appreciated.

[Larry S]

Here's a shot of a pair of Black-bellied Whistling ducks I got at the Drying Beds May 15th, so they are/were in the area. Pretty cool-looking birds!

http://www.fwas.org/picture.php?albumid=8&pictureid=198

[Kiwi]

that's one terrific photo!

[Administrator]

They are native to the coastal area of Texas but we have a small population of them here. Back in the "70s" both the Fort Wort Zoo and Dallas Zoos had a lot of them breed and a lot of them became feral.

The drying beds have had them around since 1970 or before. They always have babies in the summer and are a lot of fun to watch.

Last winter I counter over 75 of them in the marsh area on the east end of the park in what we call the forbidden zone.

[Gigi]

Larry, that's them! Thanks for the info!

[Elaine]

Bob, I have a question about the Forbidden Zone. I've never had the opportunity to stroll into that area, and am now dealing with a recently broken foot, "almost" healed. Can you tell me how far the walk from the parking area into the F.Z. might be? Looking forward to checking it out, but definitely will have to work up to it if we're talking 'miles'. Thanks for any and all info.

Elaine

[dpbronze]

Elaine - Your walk in the FZ would be a piece of cake. It is the east section of River Legacy Park... parking area off 157/ Collins St about a quarter mile north of Green Oaks Rd & the Trinity River Bridge. You can't miss it. The paved trail Is wide & flat... just now the last 1 mile is " off limits" due to a pipeline construction under way at mile post 6. But from the parking you have about three & a half miles one way... then if you want to walk around the construction barrier at 6 miles that whole last mile of overgrown sidewalk will be all yours. Dp

[Elaine]

Thank you so much, this is the exact info I needed.

[gail]

NEWS FLASH!
The paved bike trail at the east end of the park near Mile Marker 6 is now open! The Trinity River Authority has completed construction along this portion of the trail.

[sipiora]

Went out there on Thursday (6/4). Least Terns are still present on the lake adjacent to milepost 3. The breeding plumage avocet was in the same area but close enough that you really didn't need a scope.

Mallard 3
Great Egret 6
Little Blue Heron 3
Yellow-crowned Night-Heron 2
White Ibis 1
Black Vulture 1
Turkey Vulture 5
Red-tailed Hawk 4
American Kestrel 1
American Avocet 1
Least Sandpiper 1
White-rumped Sandpiper 29
Franklin's Gull 1
Least Tern 2
Rock Pigeon 4
Mourning Dove 1
Yellow-billed Cuckoo 3
Chimney Swift 3
Red-bellied Woodpecker 3
Downy Woodpecker 2
Western Kingbird 4
White-eyed Vireo 11
Blue Jay 3
American Crow 5
Purple Martin 1
Cliff Swallow 25
Barn Swallow 3
Carolina Chickadee 10
Tufted Titmouse 2
Carolina Wren 8
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 4
European Starling 15
Summer Tanager 2
Northern Cardinal 28
Indigo Bunting 4
Painted Bunting 2
Red-winged Blackbird 3
Great-tailed Grackle 10
Brown-headed Cowbird 3
House Sparrow 3

[Larry S]

Is the trail thru the forbidden zone for hiking only or are bicycles permitted?

[Administrator]

bycycles are ok

[compmom42]

The ducks fly over my house every night heading back to VCDB. Pretty neat to see and hear.