lulubelle
06-02-2009, 01:11 PM
Susan Thrower and I left Friday May 30 and drove to Junction, Texas. Our stops included Pedernales Falls SP, Junction (tennis courts, city park, Flatrock Rd, high school), S. Llano SP, MO-Ranch, Kerr WMA, & Enchanted Rock SNA.
Let me preface the rest of the post with the fact that the BG Gnatcatchers were the absolute trashbirds of the trip and Painted Buntings ran a close 2nd!!!
We stayed at the Legends Inn in Junction for Fri & Sat nights and at MO-Ranch Sun night. Rhandy Helton guided us around the city and S. Llano SP Saturday morning, after that we were on our own. As we opened the door to leave the hotel to meet Rhandy, we were greated by a beautiful male Painted Bunting sitting atop a tree directly acroos from the hotel, singing it's heart out! What a way to start the day! The weather was great while were there, although a bit warm midday (no humidity - yeah!!!). If you haven't been to MO-Ranch, I really recommend it- at least as a day trip if you are driving through. The grounds are beautiful and the birds are good!
I don't want to make a long post, but I think we got some great birds - so if you can bear with me! 71 species total!
N. Bobwhite - heard
Great Blue Heron
Turkey Vulture
Black Vulture
Red-shoulder hawk
Red-tailed hawk
Eurasian Collared Dove
White-winged Dove
Mourning Dove
Inca Dove
Yellow-billed Cuckoo
Greater road-runner
Common Nighthawk
Chuck-wills-widow
Chimney Swift
Black-chinned Hummer
Golden-fronted Woodpecker
Ladder-backed Woodpecker
E. Wood Pee-wee - seen gathering nesting materials!
Acadian Flycatcher- heard
Black Phoebe - 2 sitting side by side on the river bank
Vermillion Flycatcher - male & female
Great-creasted Flycatcher
Brown-crested Flycatcher
W. Kingbird
Scissor-tailed Flycatcher
White-eyed Vireo
Bell's Vireo
Black-capped Vireo: 1 at S. Llano SP & 3 seen, plus heard at least 1 more at Kerr WMA!! Great views!
Yellow-throated Vireo : Mo-ranch
Red-eyed Vireo
Blue Jay
W. Scrub Jay - heard
Purple Martin
Cliff Swallow
Barn Swallow
Cave Swallow
C. Chcikadee
Black-crested Titmouse
Verdin
Canyon Wren
Carolina Wren
Bewick's Wren
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher - 2 on nest, feeding young at Pedernales Falls SP; seen & heard everywhere else!
Am. Robin - Hunt, Tx
N. Mockingbird
Golden-cheeked Warbler - S. Llano Sp & poss heard at Kerr
Yellow-breasted Chat - and were they chatty!!
Summer Tanager - male & female
Cassin's Sparrow - great views and heard song!
Canyon Towhee
Chipping Sparrow
Field Sparrow
Lark Sparrow - awesome looks!! One with nest near by!
Black-throated Sparrow
N. Cardinal
Blue Grosbeak
Indigo Bunting - 3 male & 1 female
Painting Bunting - everywhere singing away!
Bronzed Cowbird
Brown-headed Cowbird
Orchard Oriole - male & female gathering nesting materials at tennis courts! Building nest in trree across from Bullock's nest!
Bullocks Oriole - male & female with active nest - watched them feeding young!
House finch
Lesser goldfinch
House Sparrow
E. Starling
Rhandy said to tell Mary Lee hello! We picked up a Kimble County visitors guide and as I was looking through I found an article by Ann Lemons about birding. The article included a photo of a group of birders and as I was looking at it, I realized that I recognized several people in the photo!! Susan confirmed that it was a shot of the FWAS field trip group!!:) She was in the photo, as well as Mary Lee, Carol Culin, Rhandy and all the others!! You guys are famous - you made the paper!! :DWe brought home a couple of copies and will bring one to the fall meeting.
Let me preface the rest of the post with the fact that the BG Gnatcatchers were the absolute trashbirds of the trip and Painted Buntings ran a close 2nd!!!
We stayed at the Legends Inn in Junction for Fri & Sat nights and at MO-Ranch Sun night. Rhandy Helton guided us around the city and S. Llano SP Saturday morning, after that we were on our own. As we opened the door to leave the hotel to meet Rhandy, we were greated by a beautiful male Painted Bunting sitting atop a tree directly acroos from the hotel, singing it's heart out! What a way to start the day! The weather was great while were there, although a bit warm midday (no humidity - yeah!!!). If you haven't been to MO-Ranch, I really recommend it- at least as a day trip if you are driving through. The grounds are beautiful and the birds are good!
I don't want to make a long post, but I think we got some great birds - so if you can bear with me! 71 species total!
N. Bobwhite - heard
Great Blue Heron
Turkey Vulture
Black Vulture
Red-shoulder hawk
Red-tailed hawk
Eurasian Collared Dove
White-winged Dove
Mourning Dove
Inca Dove
Yellow-billed Cuckoo
Greater road-runner
Common Nighthawk
Chuck-wills-widow
Chimney Swift
Black-chinned Hummer
Golden-fronted Woodpecker
Ladder-backed Woodpecker
E. Wood Pee-wee - seen gathering nesting materials!
Acadian Flycatcher- heard
Black Phoebe - 2 sitting side by side on the river bank
Vermillion Flycatcher - male & female
Great-creasted Flycatcher
Brown-crested Flycatcher
W. Kingbird
Scissor-tailed Flycatcher
White-eyed Vireo
Bell's Vireo
Black-capped Vireo: 1 at S. Llano SP & 3 seen, plus heard at least 1 more at Kerr WMA!! Great views!
Yellow-throated Vireo : Mo-ranch
Red-eyed Vireo
Blue Jay
W. Scrub Jay - heard
Purple Martin
Cliff Swallow
Barn Swallow
Cave Swallow
C. Chcikadee
Black-crested Titmouse
Verdin
Canyon Wren
Carolina Wren
Bewick's Wren
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher - 2 on nest, feeding young at Pedernales Falls SP; seen & heard everywhere else!
Am. Robin - Hunt, Tx
N. Mockingbird
Golden-cheeked Warbler - S. Llano Sp & poss heard at Kerr
Yellow-breasted Chat - and were they chatty!!
Summer Tanager - male & female
Cassin's Sparrow - great views and heard song!
Canyon Towhee
Chipping Sparrow
Field Sparrow
Lark Sparrow - awesome looks!! One with nest near by!
Black-throated Sparrow
N. Cardinal
Blue Grosbeak
Indigo Bunting - 3 male & 1 female
Painting Bunting - everywhere singing away!
Bronzed Cowbird
Brown-headed Cowbird
Orchard Oriole - male & female gathering nesting materials at tennis courts! Building nest in trree across from Bullock's nest!
Bullocks Oriole - male & female with active nest - watched them feeding young!
House finch
Lesser goldfinch
House Sparrow
E. Starling
Rhandy said to tell Mary Lee hello! We picked up a Kimble County visitors guide and as I was looking through I found an article by Ann Lemons about birding. The article included a photo of a group of birders and as I was looking at it, I realized that I recognized several people in the photo!! Susan confirmed that it was a shot of the FWAS field trip group!!:) She was in the photo, as well as Mary Lee, Carol Culin, Rhandy and all the others!! You guys are famous - you made the paper!! :DWe brought home a couple of copies and will bring one to the fall meeting.