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2011 Sightings:
Name: Kirsti Harms
Date of sighting: Same as date posted
Date posted: Mon Dec 26 17:40:13 2011
Found the two Fox sparrows today, still over by the Platt wetland.
Name: Eric Carpenter
Date of sighting: 17 December 2011
Date posted: Mon Dec 19 20:19:44 2011
The results of Saturday's (17 Dec) Hornsby portion of the Austin CBC follow:
We had a solid group of 24 participants that split into 4 groups in the morning to cover most of the property. At our lunchtime countdown, we had tallied 106 birds already, with the HUGE highlight being a male Mountain Bluebird photographed by Mikael Behrens and his group out in the fields north of Pond 3.
A few folks had to leave after lunch but those that remained went back out in 2 groups - one group hitting the woods downstream of the Black Willow Trail, and the other in a "chase" group to catch up to rarities from the morning. The "chase' group was able to get some good looks at both targets - Rusty Blackbirds along Pond 1W and the Mountain Bluebird. The groups than merged back into a single team to try for LeConte's/Grasshopper Sparrow (unsuccessful, though we did flush what was certainly a where-did-he-go Ammodramus), Sprague's Pipit (success! - in the fields behind the Platt houses) and also both remaining owls (Barred Owl - success, Barn Owl - no, but Kevin was able to hear the pair that evening after things wound down).
Along the way, the afternoon groups were able to add 8 new birds to the day's total to send the Hornsby CBC total to 114 for count day. This is the highest total for this section since I have been participating (since 2005). The best surprise in the afternoon were 2 adult Bald Eagles that were a good consolation of our unsuccessful Ammodramus walk.
In addition to the 114 species on count day, we had a couple noteworthy birds during count week. A Surf Scoter (photo'ed by Kenny Anderson) the day prior to the count plus on the day after the count - 2 Ross's Geese in a flyover group of Snows, a female Greater Scaup on Pond 2 (photo'ed by Chuck Sexton), and an eastern Palm Warbler. The geese and the Palm Warbler were seen by yours truly and a couple other folks as we tried (unsuccessfully) to refind the Mountain Bluebird the day after the count. Though we missed the Mountain Bluebird amongst the still present Eastern Bluebirds that area was still quite birdy with the birds just mentioned plus 5 Pine Warblers, the Lark Bunting seen by Cullen & Lars & group on count day, and a male Lesser Goldfinch - perhaps the same bird seen on count day by Bob & Noreen - a rare bird on the property.
Other not-as-interesting count-week birds for the property that I am aware of include Sandhill Crane (Cullen - day before count) and Canvasback (Pond 2 - day after count). I think this would give us a total of 122 total birds (if I include an Ammodramus) for Hornsby during count-week (14 Dec to 20 Dec). Somewhat expected-but-missed during count day (and perhaps seen during count week) for Hornsby included Wood Duck, Inca Dove, and Blue-headed Vireo (biggest miss). This was the first year in several that we did not get a Solitary Sandpiper, and I am not aware of any wintering birds on the property this fall/winter.
For the overall Austin CBC, I think the count day total is 153 species, plus at least 6 count week additions - both (153, 159 including count week) are records for the count. The Mountain Bluebird was the big highlight but there were a couple other nice finds including a Long-billed Thrasher and a Hutton's Vireo (easily refound on Sunday) at McKinney Falls State Park. Overall numbers of many species were down due to the drought though diversity was obviously up.
A full list for Hornsby (only notable count week birds mentioned) and some comments follow.
-- Eric
Ross's Goose 2** count week - 2 in flock of 25 flyover Snow Geese the day after the count
Gadwall 267
American Wigeon 55
Blue-winged Teal 9
Cinnamon Teal 3
Northern Shoveler 84
Northern Pintail 12
Green-winged Teal 583
Redhead 1
Ring-necked Duck 84
Greater Scaup 1** count week - female photo'ed by Chuck Sexton on Pond 2 day after the count
Lesser Scaup 39
Surf Scoter 1** count week - female/immature photo'ed by Kenny Anderson on Pond 2 day prior to the count; looked for but not found on count day
Bufflehead 10
Ruddy Duck 28
Pied-billed Grebe 5
Eared Grebe 13
Neotropic Cormorant 2 - becoming more expected in winter in small numbers
Double-crested Cormorant 350
American White Pelican 6
Great Blue Heron 3
Great Egret 3
Snowy Egret 2
Little Blue Heron 1
Black Vulture 25
Turkey Vulture 11
Osprey 2
Bald Eagle 2
Northern Harrier 1
Sharp-shinned Hawk 3
Cooper's Hawk 1
Red-shouldered Hawk 7
Red-tailed Hawk 5
"Harlan's" Hawk 1 - 1 immature present since at least 23 November
Crested Caracara 4
American Kestrel 5
Merlin 1
Virginia Rail 1 - calling bird in sw. corner of 1W; 1 of 2 present since October
Sora 3
American Coot 190
Killdeer 20
Spotted Sandpiper 8
Greater Yellowlegs 2
Least Sandpiper 95
Wilson's Snipe 16
Ring-billed Gull 8
Forster's Tern 1 - a rare December find on the property over the ponds in the morning
Rock Pigeon 165
White-winged Dove 25
Mourning Dove 40
Monk Parakeet 14
Barn Owl 2 - Kevin came through with the semi-resident Platt Lane birds after dark
Great Horned Owl 1
Barred Owl 1
Belted Kingfisher 2
Red-bellied Woodpecker 18
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 3
Ladder-backed Woodpecker 2
Downy Woodpecker 11
Northern Flicker 16
"Yellow-shafted" 15
"Red-shafted" 1 - fair numbers around this fall/winter
Eastern Phoebe 29
Scissor-tailed Flycatcher 1 - lingering individual that alternates between the fields and the main ponds
Loggerhead Shrike 4
Blue Jay 6
American Crow 20
Cave Swallow 120
Barn Swallow 1 - lingering bird seen early AM over the ponds; perhaps exclusive for the count
Carolina Chickadee 28
Hybrid Titmouse 16
Brown Creeper 5
Carolina Wren 42
Bewick's Wren 1
House Wren 4
Winter Wren 2
Marsh Wren 3
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 2
Golden-crowned Kinglet 6
Ruby-crowned Kinglet 49
Eastern Bluebird 85
Mountain Bluebird 1 - a really stunner!
Hermit Thrush 17
American Robin 202
Northern Mockingbird 17
European Starling 58
American Pipit 27
Sprague's Pipit 1 - the regular Sprague's Pipit march was successful again this year!
Cedar Waxwing 190
Orange-crowned Warbler 23
Common Yellowthroat 4
Palm Warbler **1 - count week bird seen day after count with the bluebird megaflock; a bright Eastern individual
Pine Warbler 1 - 5 birds seen on the day after the count in the fields north of Pond 3
Yellow-rumped Warbler 118
Spotted Towhee 4
Chipping Sparrow 11
Field Sparrow 7
Vesper Sparrow 9
Lark Bunting 1 - a great find for the property in the field north of Pond 3; refound the day after the count
Savannah Sparrow 61
Fox Sparrow 2 - including a spontaneously singing bird in the PM near the wetlands by Platt Pond
Song Sparrow 18
Lincoln's Sparrow 7
Swamp Sparrow 7
White-throated Sparrow 2
Harris's Sparrow 1 - nice find by Cullen & group - perhaps the first ones this season at Hornsby
White-crowned Sparrow 9
Dark-eyed Junco 2 - se. corner of Pond 2
Northern Cardinal 98
Red-winged Blackbird 87
Eastern Meadowlark 3
Western Meadowlark 3
meadowlark sp. 70
Rusty Blackbird 6 - birds present for over a month now; as many as 10 birds can be seen at times around Pond 1West
Brewer's Blackbird 1 - a surprisingly tough bird to find at Hornsby; seen by Cullen & group behind houses at Platt.
Common Grackle 50
Great-tailed Grackle 113
Brown-headed Cowbird 62
House Finch 12
Lesser Goldfinch 1 - a tough bird to get at Hornsby; found by Bob & Noreen and seen again the day after the count
American Goldfinch 102
House Sparrow 7
Name: Dan Allen
Date of sighting: Same as date posted
Date posted: Mon Dec 19 14:11:51 2011
I ran across a large wild black female pig just south of platt pond.
Name: KennyAnderson
Date of sighting: Same as date posted
Date posted: Fri Dec 16 17:33:09 2011
Surf Scoter on Pond 2
Name: Martin
Date of sighting: 12-14
Date posted: Fri Dec 16 12:30:28 2011
1. Rusty Blackbird, edge of 1 west
4 White pelicans circled pond one, flew west
Name: kenny anderson
Date of sighting: Same as date posted
Date posted: Tue Dec 13 19:23:02 2011
1 Rusty Blackbird
2 Low fly-over adult Bald Eagles (west to east)
Name: kenny anderson
Date of sighting: Same as date posted
Date posted: Tue Dec 13 19:23:01 2011
1 Rusty Blackbird
2 Low fly-over adult Bald Eagles (west to east)
Name: Eric Carpenter
Date of sighting: 10 Dec 2011
Date posted: Mon Dec 12 23:06:58 2011
The Hornsby Monthly Survey this past Saturday (10 December) yielded 92 species. As expected due to the drought, bird numbers seem to be rather low though there is still some diversity about. The most interesting sighting is the continuation of Rusty Blackbirds (at least 10 individuals) around the edges of Pond 1West. Hopefully, these birds continue through the winter...or at least until next Saturday's Christmas Count. Full list follows...
-- Eric
Greater White-fronted Goose 16
Wood Duck 2
Gadwall 239
American Wigeon 61
Blue-winged Teal 1
Cinnamon Teal 3
Northern Shoveler 63
Northern Pintail 9
Green-winged Teal 460
Redhead 6
Ring-necked Duck 19
Lesser Scaup 18
Bufflehead 18
Ruddy Duck 80
Pied-billed Grebe 2
Eared Grebe 8
Double-crested Cormorant 55
Great Blue Heron 4
Great Egret 3
Snowy Egret 6
Black Vulture 8
Turkey Vulture 3
Osprey 2
Northern Harrier 1
Sharp-shinned Hawk 1
Cooper's Hawk 1
Red-shouldered Hawk 3
Red-tailed Hawk 6
Crested Caracara 6
American Kestrel 2
Virginia Rail 2
Sora 2
American Coot 132
Killdeer 14
Spotted Sandpiper 2
Greater Yellowlegs 1
Least Sandpiper 35
Wilson's Snipe 15
Ring-billed Gull 5
Rock Pigeon 105
White-winged Dove 24
Mourning Dove 26
Belted Kingfisher 2
Red-bellied Woodpecker 15
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 1
Ladder-backed Woodpecker 1
Downy Woodpecker 6
Northern Flicker 10
Eastern Phoebe 18
Scissor-tailed Flycatcher 1
Loggerhead Shrike 1
Blue Jay 6
American Crow 9
Carolina Chickadee 29
Bl Crested/Tufted Titmouse 13
Brown Creeper 7
Carolina Wren 22
Bewick's Wren 1
House Wren 2
Marsh Wren 4
Ruby-crowned Kinglet 28
Eastern Bluebird 64
Hermit Thrush 7
American Robin 16
Northern Mockingbird 11
European Starling 55
American Pipit 25
Cedar Waxwing 20
Orange-crowned Warbler 9
Yellow-rumped Warbler 36
Pine Warbler 1
Common Yellowthroat 2
Chipping Sparrow 12
Field Sparrow 1
Vesper Sparrow 14
Savannah Sparrow 25
Song Sparrow 3
Lincoln's Sparrow 2
Swamp Sparrow 4
White-throated Sparrow 3
White-crowned Sparrow 6
Dark-eyed Junco 4
Northern Cardinal 56
Red-winged Blackbird 125
Western Meadowlark 1
meadowlark sp. 150
Rusty Blackbird 10
Common Grackle 9
Great-tailed Grackle 81
Brown-headed Cowbird 6
House Finch 4
American Goldfinch 17
House Sparrow 4
Name: al smith
Date of sighting: 12/4/12
Date posted: Mon Dec 5 13:58:24 2011
About 10 buffleheads including 2 males and Great Horned Owl by the greenhouses.
Name: Kenny Anderson
Date of sighting: Same as date posted
Date posted: Sun Dec 4 21:58:26 2011
Quick drive around the ponds yielded 1 female Common Goldeneye (pond 2) and 7 Rusty Blackbirds on the west end of 1 west.
I HEARD from another birder, as many as 7 Common Goldeneyes were present today, including 2 males.
Name: Eric Carpenter
Date of sighting: Same as date posted
Date posted: Wed Nov 23 19:17:25 2011
A quick trip this morning around the ponds yielded some of the unusual suspects. Unexpected was a dark-morph juv. Red-tailed Hawk along the fence line that north-south on the east side of the ponds. It looked more Harlan's-ish than Western-ish but I did not get great looks at it.
Name: Al Smith
Date of sighting: Same as date posted
Date posted: Sun Nov 20 18:39:50 2011
Bobcat on East side of Pond 2 around 4.30pm , also large dark colored animal on NW of Pond 3. Appeared to be the size of a small deer and either black or very dark brown. Disappeared quickly though the woods , with deer scattering a few minutes later.
Name: kenny anderson
Date of sighting: Same as date posted
Date posted: Tue Nov 15 15:21:27 2011
Made a trip around theponds, hoping the rain would bring some interesting things. A female Red-breasted Merganser floated in the middle of Pond 2. My first Hooded Merganser of the Fall was also present in Pond 2.
Name: kenny anderson
Date of sighting: Same as date posted
Date posted: Mon Nov 14 22:31:20 2011
Worked hard to get the Say's Phoebe; it took three passes today and two yesterday. But, upon the thid today- it was beyond the Rusty Blackbirds as reported. The Rusties put on a show...unbelievable!
Cinnamon Teal drake was first one of the fall for me, as well as possibly 2 female Greater Scaup- or one fast mover.
Name: Pete and Mollie Kloepper
Date of sighting: Same as date posted
Date posted: Mon Nov 14 18:32:35 2011
This morning Rusty Blackbirds were still at west end of 1 West. We heard the Virgina Rail. No Say's Phoebe.
Name: Donna Reed
Date of sighting: Same as date posted
Date posted: Sun Nov 13 16:27:05 2011
Say's phoebe seen in same location as Rusty Blackbirds, just further out.
Name: Eric Carpenter
Date of sighting: Same as date posted
Date posted: Sat Nov 12 21:31:45 2011
November 12th turned out to be a great day of birding for the Hornsby Monthtly survey this month. An overall total for the day of 101 species tells some of the story though there were many quality birds. The big highlight would have to be a Sage Thrasher found (and photo'ed) in the nw. fields area by Mikael Behrens' group in the AM that was relocated again at 5.20pm near the same spot. This is potentially the first record of this species on the property as it not on any Hornsby checklists that I've seen. Also quite exciting was the presence of at least 4 Rusty Blackbirds in the sw corner of 1West, also found (and photo'ed) by Mikael's group in the AM and seen as late as 4.30pm by the afternoon crew. A Lark Bunting seen in the AM along the main plant road that goes along the north edge of 1West was also an unexpected find for Hornsby. Other exciting birds include American Woodcock and Lesser Goldfinch. The complete list and some comments follow.
-- Eric
Wood Duck 3
Gadwall 170
American Wigeon 9
Blue-winged Teal 9
Northern Shoveler 460
Northern Pintail 10
Green-winged Teal 294
Canvasback 19 (on pond2)
Redhead 8
Ring-necked Duck 11
Greater Scaup 1 (female-type in ne corner of Pond 2)
Lesser Scaup 50
Bufflehead 4
Ruddy Duck 510
Pied-billed Grebe 6
Eared Grebe 5
Double-crested Cormorant 142
Great Blue Heron 1
Great Egret 4
Black Vulture 16
Turkey Vulture 12
Osprey 2
Northern Harrier 2
Cooper's Hawk 1
Red-shouldered Hawk 5
Red-tailed Hawk 2
Crested Caracara 2
American Kestrel 3
Virginia Rail 1 (heard-only in sw. corner of 1W)
Sora 2
American Coot 80
Killdeer 19
Spotted Sandpiper 4
Greater Yellowlegs 2
Least Sandpiper 49
Wilson's Snipe 8
American Woodcock 1 (seen downstream from Xeric area on the Platt side of the property)
Rock Pigeon 143
White-winged Dove 48
Mourning Dove 27
Inca Dove 3
Monk Parakeet 6
Barred Owl 1
Belted Kingfisher 4
Red-bellied Woodpecker 9
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 2
Downy Woodpecker 2
Northern Flicker 8
Eastern Phoebe 14
Scissor-tailed Flycatcher 3
Loggerhead Shrike 2
Blue-headed Vireo 1
Blue Jay 5
American Crow 10
Cave Swallow 100 (large flock hovering over the ponds in the AM)
Barn Swallow 15
Carolina Chickadee 28
Bl Crested/Tufted Titmouse 6
Brown Creeper 2 (woods just away from Black Willow parking area)
Carolina Wren 24
Bewick's Wren 1
House Wren 4
Marsh Wren 3
Golden-crowned Kinglet 5
Ruby-crowned Kinglet 18
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 1
Eastern Bluebird 18
Hermit Thrush 14
American Robin 43
Northern Mockingbird 16
Sage Thrasher 1 (photo'ed in nw. fields; likely 1st Hornsby record)
European Starling 42
American Pipit 38
Orange-crowned Warbler 9
Yellow-rumped Warbler 71 (including 1 Audubon's in CER parking lot)
Pine Warbler 1
Spotted Towhee 2
Chipping Sparrow 61
Field Sparrow 4
Vesper Sparrow 25
Lark Bunting 1 (along plant road by north edge of 1W; photo'ed)
Savannah Sparrow 52
Grasshopper Sparrow 1
Song Sparrow 9
Lincoln's Sparrow 7
Swamp Sparrow 4
White-throated Sparrow 1
White-crowned Sparrow 8
Dark-eyed Junco 8 (most were around CER building)
Northern Cardinal 63
Red-winged Blackbird 500
Eastern Meadowlark 2
Western Meadowlark 3
meadowlark sp. 72
Rusty Blackbird 4 (present in sw. corner of 1West; photo'ed)
Common Grackle 15
Great-tailed Grackle 112
Brown-headed Cowbird 155
House Finch 12
Lesser Goldfinch 1
American Goldfinch 3
House Sparrow 12
Name: Matt Colbert
Date of sighting: Sat Nov 5
Date posted: Mon Nov 7 09:58:22 2011
Pileated Woodpecker seen in pecan trees along Platt Ln. Also Brown-creeper in the 'woods' on Platt.
Name: Eric Carpenter
Date of sighting: Same as date posted
Date posted: Fri Nov 4 22:07:00 2011
I've had flyover Gr. White-fronted Geese over Hornsby before but tonight an immature swimming and being quite vocal on Pond 2 was my first on the water. A nice variety of other ducks present, including a female Canvasback and a female Greater Scaup.
Name: Sharon Grimes
Date of sighting: Same as date posted
Date posted: Wed Nov 2 23:19:56 2011
Crested Caracara at 6pm on Crumley Road in Dripping Springs.
Name: Stu Wilson
Date of sighting: Same as date posted
Date posted: Sat Oct 15 15:42:09 2011
George Kerr and I led the monthly bird walk under fair skies and comfortable temps. We concentrated on the ponds and the river trail. There were some recent duck arrivals but otherwise things were pretty slow all the way around. The list (56 spp):
American Wigeon
Blue-winged Teal
Northern Shoveler
Green-winged Teal
Redhead
Ring-necked Duck
Ruddy Duck
Pied-billed Grebe
Eared Grebe
White-faced Ibis
Black Vulture
Turkey Vulture
Accipiter sp (probably Cooper's) on top of Monk Parakeet nest!
Red-shouldered Hawk (HO)
Crested Caracara
Sora (HO)
American Coot
Killdeer
Spotted Sandpiper
Least Sandpiper
Rock Pigeon
Mourning Dove
Monk Parakeet (HO)
Archilochus sp (probably Black-chinned)
Belted Kingfisher (HO)
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker (HO)
Eastern Phoebe
Scissor-tailed Flycatcher
Blue Jay (HO)
American Crow
Cave Swallow
Barn Swallow
Carolina Chickadee
Tufted/Black-crested Titmouse (HO)
Carolina Wren
House Wren
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Eastern Bluebird
Northern Mockingbird
European Starling
Orange-crowned Warbler
Nashville Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler (myrtle)
Common Yellowthroat
Clay-colored Sparrow
Savannah Sparrow
Lincoln's Sparrow
Northern Cardinal
Red-winged Blackbird
Meadowlark sp
Common Grackle
Great-tailed Grackle
Brown-headed Cowbird
House Sparrow
Name: Eric Carpenter
Date of sighting: Same as date posted
Date posted: Fri Oct 14 21:28:01 2011
This evening's (14 Oct) highlight was a single Wilson's Phalarope on Pond 2. Other than that, a lot of new arrivals, including my FOS for Hornsby meadowlarks (19+), Yellow-rumped Warblers, WC Sparrow and a good smattering of ducks including a mega-raft (250+) of coots, as well as a few American Wigeon, Redheads, Gadwalls and a Ring-necked Duck amongst the usual fare.
Name: Eric Carpenter
Date of sighting: 12 Oct 2011
Date posted: Thu Oct 13 10:06:09 2011
Around dusk last evening (12 Oct), there were 2 first-year Red-necked Phalaropes on the western half of Pond 2.
Name: Eric Carpenter
Date of sighting: Same as date posted
Date posted: Sat Oct 8 21:56:10 2011
Today's (8 October) monthly survey showed us that fall is indeed here, as the variety of birds continues to change, temparatures cool, and we even got lucky with a nice downpour of much needed rain in the afternoon. Just less than a dozen folks in the morning corralled 86 species while an afternoon crew of 3 was able to add 7 more for a overall count of 93. Highlights include continuing Virginia Rail, Hooded Warbler and Couch's Kingbird, a small number of Tree Swallows, and Sedge Wren and 9 species of warblers. The afternoon crew was treated to warblers actually landing on the fountain on the CER building "pond" and bathing in it (one Black-throated Green Warbler as well as 6 Nashvilles on the fountain at one time!).
Species, numbers and a few comments follow....
-- Eric
Wood Duck 8
Blue-winged Teal 108
Northern Shoveler 36
Northern Pintail 1 (same bird from this spring that lingered all summer)
Green-winged Teal 16
Ruddy Duck 8
Pied-billed Grebe 5
Eared Grebe 2
Double-crested Cormorant 26
Great Blue Heron 1
Great Egret 2
Snowy Egret 6
Little Blue Heron 1
White-faced Ibis 4 (flew in first thing this morning and seemed to be leaving right as dark fell in the PM)
Black Vulture 5
Turkey Vulture 10
Osprey 2
Cooper's Hawk 1
Red-shouldered Hawk 11
Red-tailed Hawk 1
Crested Caracara 5
American Kestrel 1
Virginia Rail 1 (continuing in se. corner of 1W)
Sora 3
American Coot 24
Killdeer 7
Black-necked Stilt 1
Spotted Sandpiper 5
Solitary Sandpiper 2
Lesser Yellowlegs 1
Western Sandpiper 2
Least Sandpiper 580
Pectoral Sandpiper 1
Rock Pigeon 233
White-winged Dove 56
Mourning Dove 55
Barn Owl 1
Barred Owl 1
Chimney Swift 30
Archilochus sp. 1
Belted Kingfisher 4
Red-bellied Woodpecker 15
Downy Woodpecker 3
Northern Flicker 1
Eastern Wood-Pewee 1
Yellow-bellied Flycatcher 1
Least Flycatcher 2
Eastern Phoebe 15
Great Crested Flycatcher 2
Couch's Kingbird 1 (over by Platt Pond)
Scissor-tailed Flycatcher 132
Loggerhead Shrike 3
American Crow 6
Tree Swallow 9
N. Rough-winged Swallow 11
Bank Swallow 7
Cliff Swallow 20
Cave Swallow 35
Barn Swallow 280
Carolina Chickadee 34
Bl Crested/Tufted Titmouse 7
Carolina Wren 25
Bewick's Wren 2
House Wren 11
Sedge Wren 1 (se. corner of 1W right at dusk)
Marsh Wren 2
Ruby-crowned Kinglet 1
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 11
Eastern Bluebird 9
Gray Catbird 1
Northern Mockingbird 12
Brown Thrasher 1
European Starling 78
Orange-crowned Warbler 6
Nashville Warbler 18
Yellow Warbler 2
Black-throated Green Warbler 1
Black-and-white Warbler 1
American Redstart 1
Common Yellowthroat 5
Hooded Warbler 1 (female continuing on Platt Pond trail near the river)
Wilson's Warbler 2
Clay-colored Sparrow 17
Savannah Sparrow 7
Lincoln's Sparrow 8
Northern Cardinal 76
Indigo Bunting 4
Dickcissel 2
Red-winged Blackbird 317
Common Grackle 10
Great-tailed Grackle 44
House Finch 5
House Sparrow 13
Name: Eric Carpenter
Date of sighting: Same as date posted
Date posted: Tue Oct 4 11:23:49 2011
I spent an hour and half looking for the Lark Bunting this morning with no luck. A very good find for the property - only the 2nd sighting I know of at Hornsby in recent years.
I had my first-of-season Virginia Rail though - a heard-only bird in the se. corner of 1W, mixed in with a half-dozen or more Soras.
Name: Dan Allen
Date of sighting: Same as date posted
Date posted: Mon Oct 3 21:40:09 2011
Lark Bunting on the road between pond 1E and pond 1W near the north end. I have some pictures and posted them on the ebird rarities flickr account. Also saw a marsh wren in pond 1W near the same location.
Name: Stu Wilson
Date of sighting: Same as date posted
Date posted: Sun Oct 2 15:00:14 2011
Ed Fair and I spent a couple of hours on the grounds this morning. Highlights:
Platt: Brown Thrasher at Platt Rd gate, another near Platt trailhead. Gray Catbird and Hooded Warbler (female) along south side of trail along south side of Platt Pond. HOWA likely the same found by Eric C yesterday... listen for the tinny chip note.
Ponds: Merlin overflight at SW corner of Pond #1W. Easily viewed Soras along reedy edges of Pond #1W. Palm Warbler along south side of Pond #2 about even with middle of greenhouse. Warbling Vireo on river trail below bird shelter. Major House Wren pulse everywhere.
Name: Eric Carpenter
Date of sighting: 24-25 Sept 2011
Date posted: Sun Sep 25 18:34:23 2011
Matt Colbert bushwacked from along Platt from Platt Pond down to the river crossing on Saturday (24 Sept). A lot less birds around than a week ago but we still managed 9 warbler species, including 1 fem. Magnolia. A YB Cuckoo (none last weekend for me) and a few FOS for me including a sharp looking Grasshopper Sparrow.. A flushed Eastern Whip-poor-will was the highlight plus another Lesser Goldfinch along the river.
I made a brief stop on Sunday (25 Sept) to check out shorebirds and found mostly Leasts with little variety. A Forster's Tern over the ponds was nice as they don't often frequent the ponds.
Name: Donna Reed
Date of sighting: 9-18-11
Date posted: Sun Sep 25 12:48:54 2011
Sorry for the late posting, but last Sat. I got several good pictures of a female Prairie Warbler on the road between 1W and 2.
Name: Judy Manning
Date of sighting: 23 September 2011
Date posted: Sat Sep 24 15:52:15 2011
A flock of Monk Parakeets by the fence at the entrance.
Name: Eric Carpenter
Date of sighting: 21 Sept 2011
Date posted: Thu Sep 22 10:57:27 2011
Stan VanSandt had 30 Soras on 1W on Saturday so I was out on the ponds last night and decided to pay attention to the sludgy/grassy edges to see what I could find. I ended up with a count of 28 just before dark - w/26 in the se. corner and 2 on the more distant north side.
Most of the good birds from this weekend seem to have been blown out as the diversity and numbers are certainly down. A heard-only Black-bellied Plover that flew over the ponds but didn't land was the only other thing of note.
Name: Eric Carpenter
Date of sighting: Same as date posted
Date posted: Sun Sep 18 21:54:02 2011
An incredible weekend of birding and a lot of folks were out enjoying it. Maggie Burnett and I spent most of the weekend on the property. Saturday morning was spent mostly on the Platt side of the property, bushwacking from Platt Pond downstream to the river crossing, followed by a quick visit to the pond, and then we came back late afternoon/early evening to see what the rainshower might have brought. Sunday we bushwacked along the river from upstream of the Black Willow trail to the greenhouses, and then briefly checked out the pond. Some highlights:
Ring-necked Duck - male on Pond 2 (Sunday)
Northern Pintail - a high count of 49 birds (Sat evening)
Sora - 1 bird on Platt Pond, 2 calling on Pond 1W on Sat evening.
Red-necked Phalarope - continuing juvenile on Pond 2, still there at 2pm Sunday
Empids - numerous birds along the river; mostly Leasts & Trail's-types, with a few Yellow-bellied.
Vireos - 5 species (Red-eyed, White-eyed, Bell's, Blue-headed, Warbling)
Blue-gray Gnatcatchers - everywhere possible!
Warblers - 15 species (14 on Sat, 12 on Sun) with highlights being 1 Magnolia, 1 Ovenbird, 1 Louisiana Waterthrush, 8 or so Canadas. Too-many-to-count of both Wilson's & Yellows with the Yellows being everywhere along the dikes around the ponds.
Clay-colored Sparrow - at least 14 birds on the dike between Pond 2 and 1W.
Savannah Sparrow - 1 on Sunday on dike between 2 and 1W.
Lesser Goldfinch - 1 adult male singing (and photo'ed) near the birding shelter on Sunday.
Name: Jeff McIntyre
Date of sighting: Same as date posted
Date posted: Sun Sep 18 00:24:54 2011
Drove the ponds only in the afternoon about 3:30-5:15. Highlights:
Yellow Warbler - 250-300
Common Yellowthroat, Wilson's Warbler, Nashville Warbler, Mourning Warbler, Baltimore and Orchard Orioles, Tree Swallow, Bank Swallow, Northern Pintail, Wood Duck, Pectoral Sandpiper, Summer Tanager, Savannah Sparrow, Clay-colored Sparrow, and Red-necked Phalarope.
Name: al smith
Date of sighting: Same as date posted
Date posted: Sat Sep 17 14:45:54 2011
Amazing numbers of birds today. Highlight was a Hooded Warbler located half way up the West bank of Pond 3 on the river side of the bank.Thanks to the guys who identified for me.
Name: Eric Carpenter
Date of sighting: 10 Sept 2011
Date posted: Thu Sep 15 22:52:51 2011
Better late than never...Here's the results of the Hornsby monthly survey from last Saturday (10 Sept). A nice variety of birds including 12 species of warblers with an overall count of 98 species for the day.
Black-bellied Whistling-Duck 39
Wood Duck 12
Blue-winged Teal 170
Cinnamon Teal 1
Northern Shoveler 8
Northern Pintail 1
Green-winged Teal 3
Ruddy Duck 1
Least Grebe 1
Pied-billed Grebe 2
Great Blue Heron 2
Snowy Egret 5
Cattle Egret 4
Green Heron 2
Black Vulture 40
Turkey Vulture 8
Cooper's Hawk 1
Red-shouldered Hawk 3
Red-tailed Hawk 3
Crested Caracara 6
American Kestrel 2
American Coot 1
Semipalmated Plover 1
Killdeer 23
Black-necked Stilt 4
Spotted Sandpiper 7
Solitary Sandpiper 2
Upland Sandpiper 12
Semipalmated Sandpiper 2
Western Sandpiper 7
Least Sandpiper 525
Pectoral Sandpiper 6
Buff-breasted Sandpiper 1
Rock Pigeon 59
White-winged Dove 464
Mourning Dove 34
Inca Dove 3
Monk Parakeet 28
Yellow-billed Cuckoo 1
Greater Roadrunner 1
Barn Owl 1
Common Nighthawk 2
Chimney Swift 21
Ruby-throated Hummingbird 1
Belted Kingfisher 3
Red-bellied Woodpecker 13
Downy Woodpecker 5
Eastern Wood-Pewee 2
"Traill's" Flycatcher 15
Least Flycatcher 13
Eastern Phoebe 5
Great Crested Flycatcher 11
Couch's Kingbird 1
Eastern Kingbird 3
Scissor-tailed Flycatcher 32
Loggerhead Shrike 4
White-eyed Vireo 29
Bell's Vireo 1
Blue Jay 3
American Crow 6
N. Rough-winged Swallow 1
Bank Swallow 5
Cliff Swallow 13
Cave Swallow 160
Barn Swallow 99
Carolina Chickadee 29
Bl Crested/Tufted Titmouse 13
Carolina Wren 28
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 14
Eastern Bluebird 1
Northern Mockingbird 17
European Starling 93
Nashville Warbler 9
Northern Parula 1
Yellow Warbler 45
Black-throated Green Warbler 2
Black-and-white Warbler 2
American Redstart 3
Ovenbird 1
Northern Waterthrush 1
Mourning Warbler 3
Common Yellowthroat 1
Wilson's Warbler 7
Yellow-breasted Chat 3
Summer Tanager 2
Clay-colored Sparrow 4
Northern Cardinal 104
Blue Grosbeak 3
Indigo Bunting 1
Painted Bunting 1
Dickcissel 22
Red-winged Blackbird 44
Common Grackle 3
Great-tailed Grackle 65
Orchard Oriole 7
Baltimore Oriole 18
House Finch 4
House Sparrow 18
Name: kevin anderson
Date of sighting: Same as date posted
Date posted: Thu Sep 15 16:19:47 2011
zone-tailed hawk 11am today in trees on the fencelines along the hayfields between the CER and Platt Lane
Name: Eric Carpenter
Date of sighting: Same as date posted
Date posted: Thu Sep 15 10:22:55 2011
I had about an hour this morning (15 Sept) before work to get out and do a shorebird survey, and it was one of those visits where I wish I could have put in some more time. The highlight was a juvenile Red-necked Phalarope on the western half of the big pond (Pond 2), right alongside 2 Wilson's Phalaropes, and with perhaps half a dozen more Wilson's spread over the water. Another surprise was 16 Black-crowned Night-Herons (12 adults, 4 juveniles), likely migrants and birds that I hardly see on the property at any season, certainly never in these numbers. These birds were initially roosting in with a large group of Cattle Egrets near the se. edge of 1West but then flew
over into the trees on the se. corner of Pond 2. Pond 1West had a vocalizing Marsh Wren as well as a calling Willet that skimmed over the sludge but never landed. Lots of ever-present Yellow Warblers, Orchard & Baltimore Orioles, as well as empids along the dike roads but I didn't spend much time with them.
Name: Eric Carpenter
Date of sighting: Same as date posted
Date posted: Fri Sep 9 23:38:06 2011
A early evening stop at the ponds tonight was nice as I thought that 93 degrees actually seemed cool (83 by time I left). The Buff-breasted Sandpiper I found out there yesterday morning was still there (on north edge of 1W this time) and I was able to get a couple photos before it flew off to the fields. Surprising for me was a early Savannah Sparrow on the dike between 1W and 2 which was right after I had a group of 4 Clay-coloreds.
Name: Eric Carpenter
Date of sighting: Same as date posted
Date posted: Thu Sep 8 12:44:19 2011
Good numbers of shorebirds on 1West this cool morning but mostly the typical fare. A Buff-breasted Sandpiper and a Semipal. Plover were amongst the peeps in the se. corner of 1W, as was my first Sora of the fall. A vocalizing Northern Waterthrush was near the sw. corner of the same pond.
Name: Mollie Kloepper
Date of sighting: Same as date posted
Date posted: Wed Sep 7 20:57:43 2011
This noon, between 11 and 2PM, I birded along the road west of pond 3. The most striking thing was how active the birds were until about 1 PM. As to the birds the obvious change was Blue-gray Gnatchers in large numbers. Also, there were several Baltimore Orioles. On pond 1 west, I got very good looks at a immature Black-crowned Night-Heron pond.
Name: Jeff Patterson
Date of sighting: Same as date posted
Date posted: Sun Sep 4 15:39:45 2011
Travis Audubon Field Trip Committee held a shorebird review this morning at Hornsby for 23 people. Sightings included Least, Western, Pectoral, SPotted, Upland (HO flyover) and Solitary Sandpipers, killdeer, White-faced Ibis, Black-necked Stilt, American Avocet, Lesser Yellowlegs, and Wilson's Phalorope. Perhaps most interesting was a Greater Roadrunner on the road east of pond 2 (I have not heard of this bird recently at Hornsby).
Name: Pete and Mollie Kloepper
Date of sighting: Same as date posted
Date posted: Fri Sep 2 22:31:47 2011
Late this morning Pete and I located the Prairie Warbler. He was near the road along the dam or the west side of pond 3 and north of the dry duck pond. A female Vermilion Flycatcher was in the field on one of the farm watering frames. On Aug. 30 we saw the Road-Runner east of pond 2 on the dike.
Name: Eric Carpenter
Date of sighting: Same as date posted
Date posted: Fri Sep 2 21:57:47 2011
The highlight of an early evening visit tonight was 2 juvenile Sanderlings (photo'ed) along the west edge of Pond 1East as you travel on the dike between 1East & 1West. I also ran across a Greater Roadrunner on the dike on the east edge of Pond 2. I have seen roadrunners on the Platt/north portion of the property but this was my first around the main ponds.
Name: Jeff McIntyre
Date of sighting: Same as date posted
Date posted: Sat Aug 27 21:48:01 2011
Hoards of Yellow Warblers (30+) along the roads around the ponds, especially on the south side of pond 2. A Long-billed Curlew on the dike between 1E & 1W. A few avocets, a Stilt Sandpiper, yellowlegs, stilts and the usual. Best birds were two Buff-breasted Sandpipers in an odd place (dry-ish flats on 1W) - tried to talk myself out of these guys given the habitat, but there they were at about 20 yards. Lots of Blue-winged Teal have arrived (about 70), a Wood Duck still hanging around pond 2.
Name: tom toporowski
Date of sighting: aug 25, 2011
Date posted: Fri Aug 26 17:00:55 2011
yesterday, i birded hornsby bend for a few hours. there were 16 monk parakeets on the road between pond 1east and 1west atthe north end. other species that were nice to see (for me at least) included: wilson's phalarope-1, dickcissel-1, bank swallow-2, tree swallow-1, a few purple martins(females), cave swallows, and dozens of barn swallows. also, along the river walk ay plate lane, a female black and white warbler.
Name: tom toporowski
Date of sighting: aug 25, 2011
Date posted: Fri Aug 26 17:00:29 2011
yesterday, i birded hornsby bend for a few hours. there were 16 monk parakeets on the road between pond 1east and 1west atthe north end. other species that were nice to see (for me at least) included: wilson's phalarope-1, dickcissel-1, bank swallow-2, tree swallow-1, a few purple martins(females), cave swallows, and dozens of barn swallows. also, along the river walk ay plate lane, a female black and white warbler.
Name: Eric Carpenter
Date of sighting: 25 August 2011
Date posted: Fri Aug 26 12:26:57 2011
After my shorebird survey last night (25 August), I found (and photographed) a male Prairie Warbler towards Pond 3. If you park at the little make-shift parking area below and west of the main ponds near the greenhouse, you can walk the dike that heads to the river (and around Pond 3) and the bird was about 40-50 yards from where you park, on the north (Pond 3) side of the dike. I had this bird just before 6pm and Kenny Anderson had it again close to 7.45pm.
Name: Pete and Mollie Kloepper
Date of sighting: Same as date posted
Date posted: Thu Aug 25 19:30:08 2011
This morning we found a few Tree and Bank swallows and a single Northern Rough-winged Swallow. There were lots of Yellow Warblers along the center road between ponds 1 and 2.
The must exciting thing we found was a tree, a Sugarberry Anacua (Ehretia anacua). This is a very good tree for birds. It is between 1 east and 2 on the pond two side but close to the road, and about the same size as the mulberries and hackberries growing in that area.
Name: Randy Duncan
Date of sighting: 8/22/11
Date posted: Thu Aug 25 00:44:01 2011
Ducks arriving. about 40 green wing teal and 6 ruddy ducks.
Name: Ken Zaslow
Date of sighting: 8/19/2011
Date posted: Sun Aug 21 18:06:11 2011
I saw the following species during 3 hours of leisurely birding around the ponds. The Upland Sandpipers were seen on the ground in the large field west of the headquarters building and just before entering the ponds area.
Aug 19, 2011 7:30 AM - 10:30 AM
42 species (+1 other taxa)
Mallard (Domestic type) 2
Blue-winged Teal 1
Ruddy Duck 3
Least Grebe 1
Snowy Egret 3
Little Blue Heron 2
Cattle Egret 1
Green Heron 4
Black Vulture 3
Turkey Vulture 2
Red-shouldered Hawk 2
Red-tailed Hawk 1
Crested Caracara 2
American Coot 2
Killdeer 15
Black-necked Stilt 6
Spotted Sandpiper 4
Lesser Yellowlegs 1
Upland Sandpiper 6
Semipalmated Sandpiper 1
Least Sandpiper 65
Baird's Sandpiper 1
Pectoral Sandpiper 5
White-winged Dove 5
Mourning Dove 2
Inca Dove 1
Monk Parakeet 7
Great Crested Flycatcher 1
Western Kingbird 1
Scissor-tailed Flycatcher 4
Cliff Swallow 15
Cave Swallow 35
Carolina Chickadee 2
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 1
Northern Mockingbird 3
European Starling 61
Black-and-white Warbler 2
Yellow Warbler 3
Northern Cardinal 4
Red-winged Blackbird 73
Great-tailed Grackle 48
Orchard Oriole 1
House Sparrow 7
Name: Barry Lyon
Date of sighting: Same as date posted
Date posted: Sat Aug 20 14:12:05 2011
The results of a morning trip to the ponds and Platt Lane demonstrated why the month of August is one of the best times to visit Hornsby Bend. Nothing terribly unsual was noted, but eleven species of shorebirds and a handful of migrant passerines provided plenty of satisfaction. The following shorebirds were seen on pond 1W:
Black-necked Stilt; Killdeer; Least, Western, Semipalmated, Baird's, Pectoral, Solitary and Spotted sandpipers; Lesser Yellowlegs; and Wilson's Phalarope.
The following migrant passerines were seen around the ponds and along the River Trail off Platt Lane:
Cave Swallow (dozens around the west end of pond 2), Great Crested Flycatcher, Least Flycatcher, Yellow Warbler, Dickcissel, and Orchard Oriole.
Lingering summer breeders included two Western Kingbirds, three Scissor-tailed Flycatchers, and two Painted Buntings (1 female, 1 immature).
As for the proverbial "last but not least," two calling Upland Sandpipers were flying over the low-cut grass fields beyond the fence at the very end of Platt Lane.
If heat is a concern, the period from 7-10 A.M. is a good time to be out.
Best,
Barry Lyon
Name: Mollie Kloepper
Date of sighting: Same as date posted
Date posted: Sun Aug 14 22:05:36 2011
I arrived at Hornsby with that little 6PM rainstorm blowing in with a lot of wind and dust. Before it rained Caracaras were doing flying rolls. Eighteen Black-necked Stilts took off and then landed in the road between 1 east and west. About a hour later I located 2 Tricolored Herons on the West end of pond 1 West.
Name: Kenny Anderson
Date of sighting: Same as date posted
Date posted: Sun Aug 14 15:11:38 2011
Pileated Woodpecker @ Pond 3
Name: Pete and Mollie Kloepper
Date of sighting: Same as date posted
Date posted: Thu Aug 11 13:55:57 2011
Flying White-tailed Kite on Platt Lane. Upland Sandpiper in the mowed field at Hornsby Bend.
Name: al smith
Date of sighting: Same as date posted
Date posted: Sun Aug 7 15:13:12 2011
25 Avocets on Pond 3 the most notable siting I had this morning.
Name: Jeff McIntyre
Date of sighting: Same as date posted
Date posted: Sat Aug 6 21:39:14 2011
Quickly around the ponds in mid-afternoon....
Several Solitary Sandpipers (5), quite a few Least (30), Lesser Yellowlegs (4), Baird's Sandpiper (1), stilts, Killdeer, Spotted Sandpipers (3)
Only waterfowl were a family of Black-bellied Whistling Ducks, two Ruddy Ducks, and five Wood Ducks.
Several Little Blue Herons, Snowy Egrets, and a few White Ibis. A single Black Tern at 1W.
A few Orchard Orioles around. Martins seem completely gone around the houses.
Name: Attila Finta
Date of sighting: 7/30/2011
Date posted: Sun Jul 31 19:43:16 2011
I am uncertain about this bird. After consulting several books and web sites I conclude that it was a European starling. The body size and shape are correct for that. Most of the body had coloring much like a common sparrow. But its breast and belley were starkly different: pitch black with brilliant white spots. Is it too early for such "fall/winter" plumage? Or is this a different species?
Name: Randy Duncan
Date of sighting: 7/30/11
Date posted: Sun Jul 31 06:14:56 2011
Male and female black bellied whistling ducks leading 9 fledglings on a swim.... quite possibly the cutest thing ever!
Name: Desha Melton
Date of sighting: Same as date posted
Date posted: Sun Jul 24 15:43:47 2011
4 imm. White Ibis Pond 1W
1 Red Head duck
Many Herons
Name: Kenny Anderson
Date of sighting: Same as date posted
Date posted: Thu Jul 21 15:05:52 2011
Black and White Warbler was by pond 3.
Name: ruby tunney
Date of sighting: same as date posted
Date posted: Wed Jul 20 14:27:37 2011
I am 9 going on 10 I just love birds they are my favorite animal
1 painted bunting
2 eurasian tree sparrow
1 pied-billed grebe
2 black vultures
1 turkey vulture
1 white-throated sparrow
1 tufted titmouse
hundreds of cliff swallows
1 yellow-billed cuckoo
1 great tailed grackle
6 red-winged blackbirds
5 killdeer
1 great egret
2 green herons
1 great blue heron
2 black-necked stilts
3 White-faced ibises
1 redhead
about 30 european starlings
Name: Kenny Anderson
Date of sighting: Same as date posted
Date posted: Sat Jul 16 15:39:26 2011
Echoing Craig Rasmussen's report, a young Yellow-crowned Night-heron was on Pond 1 west. A decent find for Hornsby.
Name: Craig Rasmussen
Date of sighting: Same as date posted
Date posted: Sat Jul 16 14:00:48 2011
Travis Audubon's monthly bird walk found 56 species this am.
Green-winged Teal 1
Redhead 1
Ruddy Duck 1
Great Egret 1
Snowy Egret 7
Little Blue Heron 12
Cattle Egret 3
Green Heron 3
Yellow-crowned Night-Heron 1
White Ibis 9
Black Vulture 8
Turkey Vulture 2
Cooper's Hawk 1
Red-shouldered Hawk 1
Red-tailed Hawk 1
Crested Caracara 4
American Coot 1
Killdeer 15
Black-necked Stilt 35
Solitary Sandpiper 1
Lesser Yellowlegs 1
Western Sandpiper 1
Least Sandpiper 19
Rock Pigeon 20
White-winged Dove 11
Mourning Dove 21
Monk Parakeet 5
Common Nighthawk 1
Chimney Swift 3
Ruby-throated Hummingbird 1
Black-chinned Hummingbird 1
Red-bellied Woodpecker 2
Downy Woodpecker 2
Eastern Phoebe 1
Western Kingbird 6
Scissor-tailed Flycatcher 10
Loggerhead Shrike 1
White-eyed Vireo 4
Red-eyed Vireo 1
American Crow 1
Purple Martin 100
Barn Swallow 61
Cliff Swallow 49
Carolina Chickadee 3
Carolina Wren 6
Eastern Bluebird 2
Northern Mockingbird 5
European Starling 35
Summer Tanager 4
Northern Cardinal 4
Indigo Bunting 1
Painted Bunting 4
Red-winged Blackbird 30
Yellow-headed Blackbird 2
Great-tailed Grackle 21
House Sparrow 6
Name: Mike Thomasson
Date of sighting: July 6, 2011
Date posted: Sat Jul 9 23:06:40 2011
Not HBBO, but significant Austin sighting for early July. Reddish Egret at Barton Springs Pool. Perched on a telecom/electric wire along Robert E. Lee.
Name: kevin anderson
Date of sighting: Same as date posted
Date posted: Fri Jul 8 11:38:45 2011
Green-winged teal still on pond 1 east, 5-6 white ibis on pond 1 west
Name: Jeff McIntyre
Date of sighting: Same as date posted
Date posted: Tue Jun 21 00:32:43 2011
Not much of note: pond ducks - Green-winged Teal (1), Blue-winged Teal (1), Black-bellied Whistling Duck (2), Lesser Scaup (2), Ruddy Duck (1) Northern Shoveler (1). All in pond 2.
Name: Kirsti Harms
Date of sighting: Sat Jun 18, 2011
Date posted: Mon Jun 20 08:05:16 2011
In spite of the heat, about a dozen people joined us for the Hornsby bird walk lead by Craig Rasmussen and Kirsti Harms (with help from George Kerr). Got a respectable 55 species--not bad for a hot, droughty June morning!
Black-bellied Whistling-Duck 2
Wood Duck 1
Mallard (Domestic type) 1
Northern Shoveler 1
Redhead 1
Ruddy Duck 4
Double-crested Cormorant 1
Great Blue Heron 2
Great Egret 1
Snowy Egret 6
Little Blue Heron 6
Cattle Egret 12
Green Heron 2
White Ibis 5
Black Vulture 3
Turkey Vulture 6
Red-shouldered Hawk 1
Red-tailed Hawk 1
American Coot 3
American Golden-Plover 1
Killdeer 6
Black-necked Stilt 10
Rock Pigeon 14
White-winged Dove 10
Mourning Dove 15
Monk Parakeet 1
Yellow-billed Cuckoo 3
Chimney Swift 4
Red-bellied Woodpecker 2
Downy Woodpecker 1
Eastern Phoebe 1
Great Crested Flycatcher 1
Western Kingbird 3
Scissor-tailed Flycatcher 1
White-eyed Vireo 3
Blue-headed Vireo 1
Red-eyed Vireo 4
American Crow 2
Northern Rough-winged Swallow 1
Purple Martin 10
Barn Swallow 15
Cliff Swallow 15
Carolina Chickadee 6
Black-crested Titmouse 1
Carolina Wren 4
Eastern Bluebird 3
Northern Mockingbird 1
European Starling 20
Summer Tanager 1
Northern Cardinal 12
Blue Grosbeak 1
Indigo Bunting 4
Painted Bunting 6
Red-winged Blackbird 10
Great-tailed Grackle 30
Brown-headed Cowbird 6
Name: al smith
Date of sighting: Same as date posted
Date posted: Sun Jun 19 15:12:16 2011
Ibis , stilts , herons and egrets as usual....and a bobcat near the greenhouses ( at 11am ).
Name: Dan Allen
Date of sighting: Same as date posted
Date posted: Fri Jun 17 12:46:42 2011
American Golden-Plover in SE corner of pond 1W. Got some photos of it as well.
Name: Mollie Kloepper
Date of sighting: Same as date posted
Date posted: Fri Jun 17 09:08:48 2011
Sorry other board readers not named Marco.
Marco look at pictures or drawing of a immature White Ibis. Find Texbirds. That is a place to post. They have rules and be sure to follow them. The email link does not work on your post. That is why I am post here which I should not be doing.
Name: Marco Gutierrez
Date of sighting: Same as date posted
Date posted: Wed Jun 15 11:53:23 2011
Hello:
I am a 15 year old photographer living on the anderson mill road area. Recently I have spotted 3 or 4 yellow crowned night herons in the creek that goes through Town and Country optimist club. I see them every day after 6 or 7pm. I have pictures of them and also an unidentified bird: brown, black and white colored in a stripe like pattern with a long neck with an orange bill, medium sized close to the same place as the herons. I will try to identify it and post a sighting.
Name: jeff cohen
Date of sighting: Same as date posted
Date posted: Thu Jun 2 23:01:12 2011
13 juvenile Ibises on pond 1w near the back
Name: Jeff McIntyre
Date of sighting: Same as date posted
Date posted: Wed Jun 1 17:11:23 2011
Quick run around the ponds - the 6 imm. White Ibises still there, one Eastern Kingbird b/t 1W and 2. Nesting stilts and lots of Killdeer were the ONLY shorebirds. Still a lone Eared Grebe; Cinnamon Teal still in NE corner of Pond 2. One imm. Black-bellied Whistling Duck in pond 2.
Name: Pete and Mollie Kloepper
Date of sighting: Same as date posted
Date posted: Tue May 31 16:23:05 2011
The mud is very nice on 1W. This morning there were 6 immature white ibises and some lingering white-rumped sandpipers.
Name: Stu Wilson
Date of sighting: Same as date posted
Date posted: Tue May 24 15:11:17 2011
I spent 90 minutes at Hornsby Bend late this morning, almost all on the river trails below Pond #2. Shorebirds were basically nonexistent despite some patches of habitat on Pond #1W. About the only evidence of migration was a single Empidonax flycatcher along the E edge of Pond #2. Best bird perhaps was the lone Least Grebe in the E half of Pond #1E.
Name: Linda Pendergrass
Date of sighting: 5/19 2011
Date posted: Fri May 20 20:11:22 2011
yellow-crowned night-herron 5/20 -black-bellied whistling-duck -4 of them. around our water retention pond
Name: Eric Carpenter
Date of sighting: 14 May 2011
Date posted: Thu May 19 23:26:02 2011
Last Saturday's (14 May) Hornsby monthly survey showed that there are still a few migrants around. The morning crew tracked down 93 species. Immediately after the morning countdown, three of us returned to the ponds and had 3 nice surprises not there in the morning - 2 Hudsonian Godwits, 2 White Ibis and 5 Black Terns (with only the terns hanging out until the afternoon session). Nobody joined me for the PM session but I still gave it the old college try and added 9 more species. The total for the day was 104 (if you include 2 species found over at the Hornsby Glen retention pond; 102 on the property proper). Bird list and comments below...
-- Eric
Wood Duck 12
Blue-winged Teal 47
Cinnamon Teal 2 (male and female pair; observed copulating)
Northern Shoveler 25
Green-winged Teal 1
Redhead 4 (on Hornsby Glen retention pond)
Lesser Scaup 3
Ruddy Duck 35
Least Grebe 1
Pied-billed Grebe 2 (on Hornsby Glen retention pond, included 1 recently hatched bird)
Eared Grebe 3
Great Blue Heron 7
Great Egret 6
Snowy Egret 6
Little Blue Heron 10
Cattle Egret 11
Green Heron 2
White Ibis 2 (adult and 1-year old bird; flyovers)
Black Vulture 20
Turkey Vulture 8
Cooper's Hawk 1
Red-shouldered Hawk 6
Red-tailed Hawk 3
Crested Caracara 3
Sora 1 (getting-late bird while scanning for shorebirds in the afternoon)
American Coot 35
Killdeer 15
Black-necked Stilt 14
Spotted Sandpiper 7
Solitary Sandpiper 1
Lesser Yellowlegs 28
Hudsonian Godwit 2
Semipalmated Sandpiper 9
Least Sandpiper 60
White-rumped Sandpiper 50
Baird's Sandpiper 20 (on the drying basins, not present in the AM)
Pectoral Sandpiper 45
Stilt Sandpiper 26
Long-billed Dowitcher 6
Wilson's Phalarope 145
Black Tern 5
Rock Pigeon 36
White-winged Dove 122
Mourning Dove 23
Inca Dove 1
Yellow-billed Cuckoo 10
Barn Owl 1
Barred Owl 1
Common Nighthawk 2
Chimney Swift 26
Archilochus sp. 3
Belted Kingfisher 2
Red-bellied Woodpecker 16
Downy Woodpecker 4
Willow Flycatcher 1 (vocalizing bird near se. corner of Pond 2)
Least Flycatcher 5
Eastern Phoebe 2
Great Crested Flycatcher 8
Western Kingbird 5
Eastern Kingbird 2
Scissor-tailed Flycatcher 12
White-eyed Vireo 27
Bell's Vireo 1 (singing bird near se. corner of Pond 2)
Warbling Vireo 2 (found by Mikael's group in the morning; found again in the afternoon further upstream including a singing, perhaps territorial bird)
Red-eyed Vireo 6
American Crow 5
Purple Martin 48
N. Rough-winged Swallow 14
Bank Swallow 1
Cliff Swallow 260
Cave Swallow 1
Barn Swallow 37
Carolina Chickadee 43
Bl Crested/Tufted Titmouse 10
Carolina Wren 36
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 4
Eastern Bluebird 4
Northern Mockingbird 6
European Starling 22
Cedar Waxwing 6
Yellow Warbler 18
Magnolia Warbler 1
Yellow-rumped Warbler 1 (a stunning alternate plumaged Audubon's between 1W and 2)
Blackburnian Warbler 1
American Redstart 1
Common Yellowthroat 3
Wilson's Warbler 2
Summer Tanager 4
Chipping Sparrow 1
Lark Sparrow 1
Savannah Sparrow 4
Lincoln's Sparrow 1
Northern Cardinal 113
Blue Grosbeak 2
Indigo Bunting 6
Painted Bunting 37
Dickcissel 4
Red-winged Blackbird 25
Yellow-headed Blackbird 15
Great-tailed Grackle 82
Brown-headed Cowbird 58
Orchard Oriole 10
House Finch 5
House Sparrow 10
Name: Sherry Mason
Date of sighting: Same as date posted
Date posted: Tue May 17 17:15:36 2011
15 Wilson's Phalaropes in NE corner of Pond 2; several Black-necked Stilts Pond 3
Name: Pete and Mollie Kloepper
Date of sighting: Same as date posted
Date posted: Thu May 12 17:06:08 2011
Single Black Tern. Also, a dark ibis. Because of rain in the catch basins the mud is mostly gone in 1 West.
Name: jeff patterson
Date of sighting: 5/11/11
Date posted: Thu May 12 07:05:40 2011
30 Wilson's Phalaropes,1 Dunlin and what the Kleoppers and I finally decided was a Sanderling sitting still among other shorebirds on Pond 1W last evening.
Name: al smith
Date of sighting: Same as date posted
Date posted: Sun May 8 17:23:54 2011
Mid afternnon on a hot and windy sunday... birds of note - wilsons phalaropes , lesser yellowlegs , dunlin , stilt sandpipers , nesting stilts x 4 pairs , and the domestic mallard.
Name: Liz Torgersen
Date of sighting: Same as date posted
Date posted: Sat May 7 15:30:21 2011
Today I saw two Painted Buntings. They were in the underbrush on the east side of the road along the east side of pond 2.
Name: Eric Carpenter
Date of sighting: Same as date posted
Date posted: Thu May 5 23:52:13 2011
Two Dunlins, one mostly in alternate plumage, amongst the throngs of shorebirds late this afternoon on Pond 1West.
Name: Steve S.
Date of sighting: May 1
Date posted: Wed May 4 09:59:46 2011
I found a zoom lens for a camera. If you recently lost such a lens at Hornsby Bend, send an email to me at sigmanse@hotmail.com. Include a description of the lens to prove ownership, along with your contact information.
Name: Eric Stager
Date of sighting: Same as date posted
Date posted: Tue May 3 19:46:14 2011
I spent about 3 hours birding this afternoon. The wind was brutal and the swirling clouds of dillo dirt made birding the ponds difficult. I did find the Lazuli Bunting on my third trip back to the NE corner of 1W. Also had 3 Hudsonian Godwits and a few Am. Golden Plovers.
In the relative shelter of the woods I found a few warblers, including Chestnut-sided, Black-thr. Green, Mourning, N. Waterthrush, Magnolia, several Am. Redstarts, and many Common Yellowthroats. Also lots of empids, E. Wood-Pewee.
I had a memorable Hornsby moment along the trail to Platt Pond. A rattlesnake had curled up right next to the trail, and I saw it just as it struck at my leg...unsuccessfully. I can still jump pretty good!
Name: Eric Carpenter
Date of sighting: Same as date posted
Date posted: Tue May 3 18:31:39 2011
I could only manage a very hurried run-thru at Hornsby Bend before work this morning and definitely wish I could have spent most of the day there. In just 2 hours, I had 86 species and only hit the main ponds plus a section of woods off the Platt Lane entrance downstream from Platt Pond. Shorebird-wise, the same makeup of birds that has been out there since my last visit Sunday night, including 3 Hudsonian Godwits, plus the addition of a few Stilt Sandpipers. A mass of Cliff Swallows are perhaps hardest hit by the unexpected cold temperatures with many skimming over the big pond and many more perched in the bushes and on the roads searching desperately for bugs; a smaller flock of Banks along the river doing the same. Other highlights on the pond are a male Lazuli Bunting in the ne. corner of Pond 1West (undoubtedly the same bird found by Ronnie Kramer on Sunday) and a singing Sedge Wren near the se. corner of the same pond. The woods on Platt had a good mix of warblers and I know I walked past a few flocks that I didn't have time to pick through. Nice numbers of catbirds and N. Waterthrushes plus a handful of Ovenbirds amongst a few other warblers were nice. A flushed Chuck-will's-widow, my first Yellow-bellied and (calling) Alder Flycatcher of the season, a Gray-cheeked Thrush and a lingering American Goldfinch were also there.
A most interesting sight was coming up behind a Bobcat between Platt Pond and the old Platt house. I was apparently upwind of it as it was stalking a group of Brown-headed Cowbirds quite intently. For whatever reasons, the cowbirds were quite slow on understanding what was about to happen and got to watch the Bobcat walk off with a male cowbird in its mouth after it pounced at them.
Name: Ronnie Kramer
Date of sighting: Same as date posted
Date posted: Sun May 1 22:47:49 2011
Lazuli Bunting, northeast corner of Pond 1 West. Photo available.
Name: Chris Layden
Date of sighting: Same as date posted
Date posted: Sun May 1 15:47:20 2011
I ended up with 8 warbler species for the day. Eric and I should have birded together as I added Yellow-rumped, American Redstart and Black Throated Green. Other birds of interest were Am Wigeon, a single Redhead, Buff-Breasted SP, Am Golden and Semipalmated Plovers. Sparrows inlcluded Clay-colored (lots), Lincoln, Savannah, Chipping, White Crowned, Lark and a single Vesper. A couple of Orchard Orioles and a E Wood Pewee were nice additions. Also had a N Harrier off Platt.
Name: Eric Stager
Date of sighting: Same as date posted
Date posted: Sun May 1 14:58:53 2011
I birded this morning from 7:00 to 12:30, starting at Platt Lane, then the river trail below the birding shelter, ending with a quick spin around the ponds.
Highlights included 10 warbler species (Orange-crowned, Yellow, Nashville, Chestnut-sided, Magnolia, Black-and-white, Ovenbird, Common Yellowthroat, Wilson's, Yellow-breasted Chat), Peregrine Falcon, Wood Thrush, lots of singing Clay-colored Sparrows, Eastern Kingbird. Around the ponds there were lots of Wilson's Phalaropes, a couple of Baird's Sandpipers, and a Semipalmated Plover.
Name: Matt Colbert
Date of sighting: Same as date posted
Date posted: Sat Apr 30 18:53:25 2011
Birded this morning from 6:50AM to just after noon. Alot of warblers on the ridge-line below the Platt fields. Following list from ebird report.
Wood Duck - Aix sponsa 3
Mallard (Domestic type) - Anas platyrhynchos (Domestic type) 1
Blue-winged Teal - Anas discors 50
Cinnamon Teal - Anas cyanoptera 1
Northern Shoveler - Anas clypeata 80
Lesser Scaup - Aythya affinis 1
Ruddy Duck - Oxyura jamaicensis 20
Neotropic Cormorant - Phalacrocorax brasilianus 7
Double-crested Cormorant - Phalacrocorax auritus 3
Great Blue Heron - Ardea herodias 2
Great Egret - Ardea alba 4
Snowy Egret - Egretta thula 2
Cattle Egret - Bubulcus ibis 1
Black Vulture - Coragyps atratus 15
Turkey Vulture - Cathartes aura 4
Osprey - Pandion haliaetus 1
Mississippi Kite - Ictinia mississippiensis 1
Northern Harrier - Circus cyaneus 1
Red-shouldered Hawk - Buteo lineatus 3
Broad-winged Hawk - Buteo platypterus 1
Red-tailed Hawk - Buteo jamaicensis 1
American Coot - Fulica americana 60
American Golden-Plover - Pluvialis dominica 3
Semipalmated Plover - Charadrius semipalmatus 1
Killdeer - Charadrius vociferus 10
Black-necked Stilt - Himantopus mexicanus 8
Spotted Sandpiper - Actitis macularius 2
Solitary Sandpiper - Tringa solitaria 1
Lesser Yellowlegs - Tringa flavipes 2
Least Sandpiper - Calidris minutilla 250
Baird's Sandpiper - Calidris bairdii 10
Pectoral Sandpiper - Calidris melanotos 8
Stilt Sandpiper - Calidris himantopus 1
Wilson's Phalarope - Phalaropus tricolor 35
Rock Pigeon - Columba livia 2
White-winged Dove - Zenaida asiatica 50
Mourning Dove - Zenaida macroura 30
Yellow-billed Cuckoo - Coccyzus americanus 2
Chimney Swift - Chaetura pelagica 10
Belted Kingfisher - Megaceryle alcyon 1
Red-bellied Woodpecker - Melanerpes carolinus 6
Downy Woodpecker - Picoides pubescens 5
Least Flycatcher - Empidonax minimus 1
Eastern Phoebe - Sayornis phoebe 3
Great Crested Flycatcher - Myiarchus crinitus 2
Western Kingbird - Tyrannus verticalis 1
Eastern Kingbird - Tyrannus tyrannus 1
Scissor-tailed Flycatcher - Tyrannus forficatus 5
White-eyed Vireo - Vireo griseus 10
Blue-headed Vireo - Vireo solitarius 1
Warbling Vireo - Vireo gilvus 1
American Crow - Corvus brachyrhynchos 3
Northern Rough-winged Swallow - Stelgidopteryx serripennis 1
Purple Martin - Progne subis 7
Barn Swallow - Hirundo rustica 15
Cliff Swallow - Petrochelidon pyrrhonota 10
swallow sp. - Hirundinidae sp. 60
Carolina Chickadee - Poecile carolinensis 5
Tufted x Black-crested Titmouse (hybrid) - Baeolophus bicolor x atricristatus 2
Carolina Wren - Thryothorus ludovicianus 5
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher - Polioptila caerulea 2 (heard only)
Eastern Bluebird - Sialia sialis 3
Northern Mockingbird - Mimus polyglottos 6
European Starling - Sturnus vulgaris 10
Cedar Waxwing - Bombycilla cedrorum 20
Nashville Warbler - Oreothlypis ruficapilla 4
Yellow Warbler - Dendroica petechia 1
Magnolia Warbler - Dendroica magnolia 2
Black-and-white Warbler - Mniotilta varia 1
American Redstart - Setophaga ruticilla 1
Mourning Warbler - Oporornis philadelphia 1
Wilson's Warbler - Wilsonia pusilla 1
Spotted Towhee - Pipilo maculatus 1 (only had a glimpse of this bird near Platt Ln.)
Clay-colored Sparrow - Spizella pallida 10
Savannah Sparrow - Passerculus sandwichensis 15
Lincoln's Sparrow - Melospiza lincolnii 5
Summer Tanager - Piranga rubra 4
Northern Cardinal - Cardinalis cardinalis 35
Indigo Bunting - Passerina cyanea 3
Painted Bunting - Passerina ciris 13
Red-winged Blackbird - Agelaius phoeniceus 50
Common Grackle - Quiscalus quiscula 1
Great-tailed Grackle - Quiscalus mexicanus 15
Brown-headed Cowbird - Molothrus ater 30
House Finch - Carpodacus mexicanus 3
House Sparrow - Passer domesticus 4
Name: tom toporowski
Date of sighting: Same as date posted
Date posted: Fri Apr 29 18:18:21 2011
spent much of the day at hornsby today. about 45 wilson phalaropes were on pond 2. also singing painted buntings. on the road by the blind at pond 2 saw one male painted b. a couple of dicksissals were seen on the road between 1 and 2. 2 pectoral sandpipers, an american golden plover, and a few bairds sandpipers on 1west along with the more expected blacknecked stilts7, many least sandpipers. nice weather until the wind picked up around 9:30. 40 species in all.
Name: Matt Colbert
Date of sighting: Thu Apr 28
Date posted: Fri Apr 29 10:49:13 2011
Birding from about 6:30 to 7 PM between Pond 1W and Pond 2.
Highlights included a Bald Eagle, 17 American Avocets, 9 Willets, a Buff-breasted Sandpiper, a Semi-palmated Plover, Baird's and Least Sandpipers, 2 American Golden-Plover, a Yellow-headed Blackbird, and an Eastern Kingbird.
Name: Pete and Mollie Kloepper
Date of sighting: Same as date posted
Date posted: Thu Apr 28 23:31:37 2011
Early this afternoon 22 American Avocets and 5 Willets on 1 west. A single Dickcisel was singing between 1 west and 2.
Name: Chris Layden
Date of sighting: Same as date posted
Date posted: Sat Apr 23 22:11:31 2011
A couple of hours spent on a windy late afternoon produced few surprises with the exception of an Anhinga soaring over the field adjacent to Platt Lane.
Name: Jeff McIntyre
Date of sighting: Same as date posted
Date posted: Sat Apr 23 20:39:31 2011
Took a drive around the ponds and very brief walk down the path from Platt Ln. in the middle of the afternoon. Not surprisingly with the time of day and strong winds, the woods were very quiet. Flyovers were a few Swainson's Hawks and about 25 Franklin's Gulls. At the ponds, nothing really special:
several Eared Grebes (10), a few Redhead and L. Scaup still around. Shorebirds included hundreds of Least, reasonably sure I picked out 3-4 Semipalmated Sands, 8-10 Wilson's Phalaropes, still several Pectoral, both yellowlegs (one Lesser), and singles each of Stilt and White-rumped Sandpipers. Seemed odd to see one White-rumped....
Along the roads, Clay-colored Sparrows have shown up to join with Savannah, White-crowned and Lincoln's. Still pipits.
Name: Mike Thomasson
Date of sighting: Same as date posted
Date posted: Sat Apr 23 13:26:10 2011
This morning saw a large dark duck at the very northwest corner of pond 2. Swimming with, but slightly larger than a N Shovler. In certain light a greenish irridescence on the back of the head, but head was generally very dark. Bill was olive gray. Back only slightly lighter (toward brown) than dark 'dove' gray sides. No white showing. In Sibley, most resembled the American Black Duck/Mallard Hybrid except for the bill.
Anyone else see this bird today, or have a suggestion as to ID?
Name: Jeff patterson
Date of sighting: 4/20/11
Date posted: Thu Apr 21 21:10:29 2011
Quick spin round the ponds revealed 3 semipalmated plovers, 4western sandpipers, 1swainsons hawk overhead, 3 redhead, 3 ring necked duck, shovlers, teal and 4 lesser scaup.
Name: Jessie Hazelwood
Date of sighting: Same as date posted
Date posted: Fri Apr 15 18:44:36 2011
While walking between pond1 west and pond 2, we were following three black-necked stilts in flight. They landed on the southwest end of pond 1 west. That is when we noticed a dozen egrets standing all along the west end of pond 1 west. We set up our spotting scope for a closer view than our binoculars could afford. Lo and behold, we saw a lone male glossy ibis among the egrets along the grassy bank!!
Jessie Hazelwood
Mike & Nancy Christman
Name: Eric Carpenter
Date of sighting: Same as date posted
Date posted: Mon Apr 11 11:19:02 2011
A quick stop by the ponds this morning (11 April) before work to see what the change in winds might have brought us. The make-up of the ponds was mostly the same as Saturday’s survey with a couple exceptions. A nice flock of 22 American Avocets in the middle of 1West and I was able to squeeze one Semipal. Sandpiper (and 1 Western) out of the large Least flock. A Semipal. Plover is still around as is L. Yellowlegs. Other new arrivals included 3 Franklin’s Gulls, a male Yellow-headed Blackbird and fly-over White-faced Ibis.
Name: Al Smith
Date of sighting: Same as date posted
Date posted: Sun Apr 10 14:26:49 2011
Of note , 20 white faced Ibis.
Name: Eric Carpenter
Date of sighting: 9 April 2011
Date posted: Sun Apr 10 09:05:05 2011
Rather strong south winds were present the entire day yesterday (9 April), especially so in the afternoon, for the Hornsby Monthly Survey. I know this surely hampered the efforts of the dozen+ morning participants and the two of us that made a go of it at 4pm (who added 3 species to the day's count), but we still came away with a very respectable 98 species for the day. No great surprises except for perhaps a Cassin's Sparrow flushed at the entrance to the Lower Island View trail, but it was good to see a few of our spring & summer birds showing up even if many of the migrants were being blown right over Hornsby. Shorebird numbers continue to be impressive on the nice sludgeflats on Pond 1West even with the south winds. Totals for the day follow:
-- Eric
Wood Duck 8
Blue-winged Teal 115
Cinnamon Teal 7
Northern Shoveler 673
Green-winged Teal 18
Redhead 5
Lesser Scaup 3
Ruddy Duck 106
Least Grebe 1
Pied-billed Grebe 3
Eared Grebe 22
Neotropic Cormorant 1
Double-crested Cormorant 2
Great Blue Heron 5
Great Egret 4
Snowy Egret 6
Little Blue Heron 2
Cattle Egret 10
Green Heron 1
Black Vulture 35
Turkey Vulture 12
Osprey 2
Northern Harrier 1
Red-shouldered Hawk 8
Broad-winged Hawk 1
Swainson's Hawk 2
Red-tailed Hawk 1
Crested Caracara 3
American Coot 132
American Golden-Plover 4
Semipalmated Plover 1
Killdeer 13
Black-necked Stilt 9
Spotted Sandpiper 4
Western Sandpiper 4
Least Sandpiper 750
Baird's Sandpiper 21
Pectoral Sandpiper 32
Wilson's Snipe 3
Rock Pigeon 54
White-winged Dove 29
Mourning Dove 17
Inca Dove 2
Monk Parakeet 1
Barn Owl 1
Great Horned Owl 3
Barred Owl 1
Chimney Swift 35
Archilochus sp. 1
Red-bellied Woodpecker 12
Ladder-backed Woodpecker 1
Downy Woodpecker 1
Eastern Phoebe 3
Scissor-tailed Flycatcher 15
Loggerhead Shrike 1
White-eyed Vireo 31
Red-eyed Vireo 1
American Crow 9
Purple Martin 45
N. Rough-winged Swallow 1
Cliff Swallow 125
Cave Swallow 2
Barn Swallow 45
Carolina Chickadee 25
Bl Crested/Tufted Titmouse 15
Carolina Wren 29
House Wren 8
Marsh Wren 2
Ruby-crowned Kinglet 3
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 5
Eastern Bluebird 6
Hermit Thrush 1
Northern Mockingbird 4
European Starling 38
American Pipit 12
Cedar Waxwing 244
Orange-crowned Warbler 2
Nashville Warbler 10
Yellow-rumped Warbler 31
Summer Tanager 2
Cassin's Sparrow 1
Chipping Sparrow 6
Field Sparrow 3
Vesper Sparrow 1
Savannah Sparrow 52
Grasshopper Sparrow 8
Song Sparrow 1
Lincoln's Sparrow 42
Swamp Sparrow 1
White-crowned Sparrow 15
Northern Cardinal 156
Red-winged Blackbird 178
meadowlark sp. 12
Common Grackle 28
Great-tailed Grackle 40
Brown-headed Cowbird 42
House Finch 2
House Sparrow 10
Name: Pete and Mollie Kloepper
Date of sighting: Same as date posted
Date posted: Fri Apr 8 23:55:30 2011
Wild Turkey flying over trail to upper island view.
Name: Pete and Mollie Kloepper
Date of sighting: Same as date posted
Date posted: Thu Mar 24 15:52:56 2011
The mud on 1 West is great. New year birds for us were three Short-billed Dowitchers and a few Semipalmated Sandpipers.
Name: Kim Wallace
Date of sighting: March 15, 2011
Date posted: Mon Mar 21 16:29:04 2011
Between Pond 1 and 2 on south side watched an Osprey for 30 min trying to hold on to the kill he had on top of a telephone pole.
Pond 2 south east corner busted a bobcat trying to get to the ducks. He/she wasn’t to scared of me, watched me for about 4-5 min. Beautiful!
And Jeff McIntyre had posted about the “Seemingly ridiculous numbers of YR Warblers” that was a good word. So again there was a ridiculous numbers of YR Warblers.
Name: Ken Zaslow
Date of sighting: 3/19/2011
Date posted: Sun Mar 20 10:12:27 2011
There were 21 participants on today's monthly public bird walk at Hornsby Bend. It was a beautiful Spring morning and we saw 54 species of birds as well as a great variety of butterflies. Highlights were the American Golden-Plover, the large group of Eared Grebes, the Cinnamon Teal, and the Sora. Below is a copy of the list I submitted to eBird.
Location: Hornsby Bend (HOTE 037)
Observation date: 3/19/11
Gadwall 3
American Wigeon 2
Blue-winged Teal 28
Cinnamon Teal 2
Northern Shoveler 750
Green-winged Teal 16
Redhead 17
Lesser Scaup 7
Ruddy Duck 45
Pied-billed Grebe 1
Eared Grebe 8 Seen in Pond 2
Great Blue Heron 1
Great Egret 2
Snowy Egret 1
Little Blue Heron 3
Black Vulture 3
Turkey Vulture 2
Swainson's Hawk 1
Sora 4 Marsh area of Pond 1 West.
American Coot 25
American Golden-Plover 1 SW side of Pond 1 West.
Killdeer 15
Spotted Sandpiper 2
Least Sandpiper 115
Pectoral Sandpiper 2
Wilson's Snipe 5 Mudflats of Pond 1 West.
Rock Pigeon 9
White-winged Dove 1
Mourning Dove 5
Monk Parakeet 1
Red-bellied Woodpecker 6
Scissor-tailed Flycatcher 1
White-eyed Vireo 6
American Crow 2
Purple Martin 15
Barn Swallow 2
Carolina Chickadee 3
Tufted x Black-crested Titmouse (hybrid) 2
Carolina Wren 7
Marsh Wren 1 Heard in the Pond 1 West marsh.
Ruby-crowned Kinglet 3
Eastern Bluebird 1
Northern Mockingbird 2
European Starling 25
American Pipit 19
Orange-crowned Warbler 1
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) 17
Chipping Sparrow 4
Field Sparrow 5
Lark Sparrow 1
Savannah Sparrow 25
Northern Cardinal 20
Red-winged Blackbird 35
meadowlark sp. 1
Great-tailed Grackle 15
House Sparrow 7
Name: Meredith O'Reilly
Date of sighting: 15 March 2011
Date posted: Thu Mar 17 12:12:29 2011
There's a leucistic sparrow between Pond1West and Pond 2. It was difficult to ID it, possibly a Savannah? I do have pictures I can share with HBBO.
Name: Eric Carpenter
Date of sighting: 15 March 2011
Date posted: Wed Mar 16 10:29:01 2011
Yesterday (15 March) afternoon (5-6pm) I did my first International Shorebird Survey (ISS) count to see what sort of migrants were coming through. Pond 1West is still looking quite ideal, habitat-wise, for visiting shorebirds and I was encouraged by the numbers I found:
American Golden-Plover 2
Killdeer 19
Spotted Sandpiper 3
Least Sandpiper 585
Baird's Sandpiper 2
Pectoral Sandpiper 13
Long-billed Dowitcher 1 (vocalizing)
Wilson's Snipe 16
Many folks don't tend to think of Least Sandpipers as migrants, but they obviously come through here in large numbers, and the number of those on the ponds now is an significant increase from our wintering flock. The next ISS count will be on March 25th.
Besides shorebirds, I watched a light blue Taiga'ish male Merlin crusing low over Pond 1West, hunting around (unsuccessfully) for something to eat. The number of ducks on Pond 2 also seems to be increasing and 52 Redheads is a good count for the ponds. I got a glimpse of the male Northern Shoveler X Mallard hybrid that has been around for a few years, but this was the first time I had seen in him in many months.
Name: Jeff McIntyre
Date of sighting: Same as date posted
Date posted: Sun Mar 13 20:15:24 2011
A quick run around the ponds only.....many swallows: Cave, Cliff, N. Rough-winged, Tree, Barn.
Least Grebe on pond 1E. Eared Grebes into breeding plumage mostly.
Pectoral Sandpipers, one LB Dowitcher, many snipe.
A Grasshopper Sparrow along the S edge of pond 2.
Seemingly ridiculous numbers of YR Warblers - even for them.
A single Ring-billed Gull on the breakwater.
Name: Eric Carpenter
Date of sighting: 12 March 2011
Date posted: Sun Mar 13 15:10:15 2011
As yesterday's (12 March) well attended monthly survey participants can attest, spring is definitely here! A standing-room only crowd of 22 participants in the morning session tracked down 96 species. The Balinskys and others building out the new Purple Martin gourds assisted with a flock of American White Pelicans, and then 2 others joined me in the afternoon to mop up, locating an additional 4 species (Cinnamon Teal, Northern Harrier, Cooper's Hawk, Golden-crowned Kinglet). The end result was 101 species. Several migrants were noted including a Swainson's Hawk, Pectoral Sandpipers, 5 species of swallows, and a Grasshopper Sparrow. Lesser Goldfinches continue in the riparian areas upstream from the ponds and there were some unusual missing-in-action birds including Snowy Egret, American Kestrel, and Hermit Thrush. All in all, a great day of birding, even with the strong south winds all day. The full list follows:
-- Eric
Black-bellied Whistling-Duck 2
Wood Duck 1
Gadwall 44
American Wigeon 15
Blue-winged Teal 70
Cinnamon Teal 3 (2 males, 1 female - on Pond 2 in afternoon)
Northern Shoveler 905
Green-winged Teal 58
Redhead 47
Ring-necked Duck 14
Lesser Scaup 8
Bufflehead 5
Ruddy Duck 116
Least Grebe 1 (newly veiwable loam pit pond off Platt Lane)
Pied-billed Grebe 14
Eared Grebe 24
American White Pelican 40 (flyover flock seen by the Purple Martin gourd group)
Neotropic Cormorant 4
Double-crested Cormorant 27
Great Blue Heron 4
Great Egret 6
Black Vulture 46
Turkey Vulture 25
Osprey 2
Northern Harrier 1
Sharp-shinned Hawk 1
Cooper's Hawk 1
Red-shouldered Hawk 8
Swainson's Hawk 1
Red-tailed Hawk 6
Crested Caracara 4
Sora 2 (nice looks from the sw corner of Pond 1West)
American Coot 95
Killdeer 22
Spotted Sandpiper 6
Solitary Sandpiper 1
Greater Yellowlegs 3
Least Sandpiper 285
Pectoral Sandpiper 6
Wilson's Snipe 9
Ring-billed Gull 1
Rock Pigeon 115
White-winged Dove 5
Mourning Dove 27
Monk Parakeet 20
Great Horned Owl 1
Barred Owl 1
Belted Kingfisher 3
Red-bellied Woodpecker 8
Downy Woodpecker 3
Northern Flicker 1
Eastern Phoebe 11
Loggerhead Shrike 3
White-eyed Vireo 17 (back in numbers and singing!)
Blue Jay 1
American Crow 9
Purple Martin 35
Tree Swallow 1
N. Rough-winged Swallow 2
Cliff Swallow 14
Cave Swallow 35
Barn Swallow 30
Carolina Chickadee 38
Bl Crested/Tufted Titmouse 8
Brown Creeper 1 (picked out by Mark on the Upper Island View trail)
Carolina Wren 47
House Wren 4
Winter Wren 1
Marsh Wren 2
Golden-crowned Kinglet 1 (afternoon downstream from Black Willow Trail)
Ruby-crowned Kinglet 30
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 2
Eastern Bluebird 6
American Robin 7
Northern Mockingbird 8
European Starling 6
American Pipit 55
Cedar Waxwing 269
Orange-crowned Warbler 8
Yellow-rumped Warbler 165
Common Yellowthroat 1
Chipping Sparrow 34
Field Sparrow 30
Vesper Sparrow 11
Savannah Sparrow 45
Grasshopper Sparrow 1 (morning Platt Lane find)
Song Sparrow 1
Lincoln's Sparrow 27
Swamp Sparrow 2
White-crowned Sparrow 6
Northern Cardinal 129
Red-winged Blackbird 525
Eastern Meadowlark 1
Western Meadowlark 7
meadowlark sp. 73
Common Grackle 150
Great-tailed Grackle 35
Brown-headed Cowbird 205
House Finch 3
Lesser Goldfinch 3
American Goldfinch 3
House Sparrow 8
Name: Pete and Mollie Kloepper
Date of sighting: Same as date posted
Date posted: Sun Mar 13 14:37:12 2011
Least Grebe on east end of pond 1E.
Name: Pete and Mollie Kloepper
Date of sighting: Same as date posted
Date posted: Thu Mar 10 16:07:16 2011
Some very early birds at Hornsby included a single male Yellow-headed Blackbird. a Semipalmated Plover and two winter plumage White-rumped Sandpipers (picking in their feathers and showing off their rumps). Also, right on time, Pectoral Sandpipers.
Raptors included Sharp-shinned, Coopers, and a Merlin.
Name: Pete and Mollie Kloepper
Date of sighting: Same as date posted
Date posted: Mon Mar 7 20:09:20 2011
One American golden plover on pond 1W.
Name: Barry Lyon
Date of sighting: Same as date posted
Date posted: Sun Mar 6 14:33:18 2011
As if receiving a warm welcome after a long absence, the birding at Hornsby Bend was decidedly excellent this morning. I had not been to the Hornsby facility since the start of the new year, so a trip to Platt Lane and the ponds on a beautiful late, late winter morning seemed like a good idea.
March, especially early March, is famous almost everywhere as a transistion period where the birds of winter give way to the first northbound migrants of spring. Depending on conditions and the specific movements of indvidual birds or groups of birds, March birding can be fairly uneventful or very exciting.
Today was a day where waterfowl and sparrows were present in impressive numbers, suggesting that wintering birds from further south were moving northward through the region.
The highlight of the morning was the discovery of a female Lark Bunting on the dirt track that extends between the ponds and Platt Lane. This is not an official road per se, but a track through a pasture that is well known among regular Hornsby birders. The bird was discovered by the ageing decaying metal barn close to Platt Lane. While Lark Buntings are often remarkably approachable, this bird was very elusive. After the initial discovery, it moved off into the grass, where we tracked it as long as we could before it disappeared. We were unable to refind the bird after about a 10-minute search. Lark Bunting is a rare, but not unprecedented, bird in occurrence at Hornsby Bend.
Aside from the excitement of seeing a Lark Bunting, the overall sparrow total included many Savannahs, White-crowneds, Vespers, and Fields, along with lesser numbers of Songs, Lincoln's, and Chippings noted.
Among the waterfowl at the ponds were still huge numbers of Shovelors, while a flock of 20 Gadwall and 40 Readheads on Pond 2 almost certainly represented staging northbound birds.
Finally, I saw a female Lesser Goldfinch along the River Trail just north of the old river crossing. This area is accessed from Platt Lane. As noted by Eric Carpenter in prior posts, Lesser Goldfinches have been noted in small numbers along the River Trail for the past couple of months.
I later heard from another birder who saw 2 adult Bald Eagles soaring over the parking area at the start of Platt Lane.
Good Birding,
Barry Lyon
Name: jeff patterson
Date of sighting: 2/23/11
Date posted: Thu Feb 24 06:41:52 2011
A pair of Cinnamon Teal on east end of pond 2 yesterday evening. Also Redhead, Green-winged teal, Blue-winged Teal, Lesser Scaup, Ring-necked and other ducks reported recently.
Name: Bill Matthews
Date of sighting: February 19, 2011
Date posted: Sun Feb 20 22:28:27 2011
Sat Feb 19, 2011 8:00 - 10:00
Overcast day, no direct sun and increasing mist from 9-10
Nothing unusual but greater variety of ducks seen at Lower and Upper Island View trails and in pond just ouside than in settling ponds. HBBO Ponds mostly Ruddy (100+) although observed 5 buffleheads and 4 green winged teal in Pond 2 on western side. In the river island view trails were several green winged teals and also 3-4 gadwalls. Gadwalls much shyer than others. Just outside the HBBO there is a small pond on FM 973 on the north/east side and before the Colorado River bridge. Here were appox 30 ring necked ducks with 4 redheads.
Other birds sighted:
Common Snipe - 2 seen alongsouth bank Pond 1 West
Least sandpipers as above
American Pipit - single bird in road between Pond 1 West/ Pond 2
Savannah Sparrows along road above
Ruby Crowned Kinglet at SW side of Pond 1 West
Little Blue Heron and Great Blue Heron at Upper Island view
Loggerhead Shrike - Platt Lane
Name: Stu Wilson
Date of sighting: Same as date posted
Date posted: Sat Feb 19 16:25:42 2011
On a misty morning, nine participants joined Eric Stager and me on the monthly walk. We began at Platt Lane, moved over to the ponds, then finished up with a foray down to the river below the birding shelter. We tallied 60 species, the best find perhaps the Audubon's race Yellow-rumped Warbler at the CER, undoubtedly the same bird noted by Eric C. In addition, all but one or two participants were able to get a good Sora visual. The full list follows:
Gadwall
American Wigeon
Northern Shoveler
Northern Pintail
Green-winged Teal
Ring-necked Duck
Bufflehead
Ruddy Duck
Eared Grebe
Double-crested Cormorant
Great Blue Heron
Great Egret
Turkey Vulture
Red-shouldered Hawk (HO)
Red-tailed Hawk
Crested Caracara
Sora
American Coot
Killdeer
Spotted Sandpiper
Greater Yellowlegs (HO)
Least Sandpiper
Wilson's Snipe
Rock Pigeon
Mourning Dove
Monk Parakeet
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Downy Woodpecker
Eastern Phoebe
Loggerhead Shrike
American Crow
Purple Martin
Carolina Chickadee
HYBRID Titmouse (HO)
Carolina Wren
House Wren (HO)
Marsh Wren
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Eastern Bluebird
Hermit Thrush
Northern Mockingbird
European Starling
American Pipit
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle & Audubon's)
Pine Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
Chipping Sparrow
Savannah Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Lincoln's Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow (completing the Melospiza trifecta)
White-crowned Sparrow
Northern Cardinal
Red-winged Blackbird
Western Meadowlark
Common Grackle
Great-tailed Grackle
House Sparrow
Name: Eric Carpenter
Date of sighting: 12 February 2011
Date posted: Fri Feb 18 22:30:27 2011
This past Saturday's (12 February) Hornsby monthly survey was another good one. Eight participants in the morning located 88 species and then Matt Colbert and I stayed the entire day, joined by 5 others for the afternoon portion. Along with some help from other visiting groups, the final tally for the day was 93 species. The species list (which follows) is very much the same as the results of the January survey, with many of the same species present and in similar numbers, though there were a few surprises, including at least 3 Neotropic Cormorants along the river. Lesser Goldfinches continue to be found along the river trail, and I wonder if this will be a permanent change or if this is an invasion of sorts that will fade as spring approaches. Unusual for the dead of winter was the presence of 6 species of warblers. There were the 4 "regulars" of Orange-crowned, Myrtle, Pine and Common Yellowthroat but the surprises were a Black-and-white along the river upstream from the Black Willow Trail and a bright eastern Palm Warbler seen in the afternoon by Matt and I just downstream from the old river crossing. I guess you could say we even had 7 species (or at least 6.5) if you include the bright yellowy-throated Audubon's Warbler that seems to be hanging around the CER parking area.
The full list for the day follows.
-- Eric
Gadwall 89
American Wigeon 23
Blue-winged Teal 4
Northern Shoveler 320
Northern Pintail 12
Green-winged Teal 78
Ring-necked Duck 3
Lesser Scaup 1
Bufflehead 10
Ruddy Duck 437
Pied-billed Grebe 5
Eared Grebe 5
Neotropic Cormorant 3
Double-crested Cormorant 19
Great Blue Heron 5
Great Egret 5
Snowy Egret 8
Little Blue Heron 1
Black Vulture 3
Turkey Vulture 8
Osprey 1
Northern Harrier 2
Sharp-shinned Hawk 1
Cooper's Hawk 1
Red-shouldered Hawk 6
Red-tailed Hawk 2
Crested Caracara 7
American Kestrel 3
Sora 4
American Coot 240
Killdeer 16
Spotted Sandpiper 6
Greater Yellowlegs 7
Least Sandpiper 18
Wilson's Snipe 5
Ring-billed Gull 49
Rock Pigeon 392
White-winged Dove 2
Mourning Dove 17
Monk Parakeet 2
Barred Owl 1
Belted Kingfisher 4
Red-bellied Woodpecker 11
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 3
Downy Woodpecker 6
Northern Flicker 5
Eastern Phoebe 29
Loggerhead Shrike 1
Blue-headed Vireo 4
Blue Jay 2
American Crow 10
Purple Martin 2
Cave Swallow 3
Carolina Chickadee 32
HYBRID Titmouse 17
Carolina Wren 51
House Wren 13
Winter Wren 5
Marsh Wren 3
Golden-crowned Kinglet 2
Ruby-crowned Kinglet 16
Eastern Bluebird 6
Hermit Thrush 4
American Robin 61
Northern Mockingbird 17
European Starling 18
American Pipit 9
Cedar Waxwing 125
Orange-crowned Warbler 16
Yellow-rumped Warbler 69
Pine Warbler 2
Palm Warbler 1
Black-and-white Warbler 1
Common Yellowthroat 2
Chipping Sparrow 10
Field Sparrow 3
Vesper Sparrow 20
Savannah Sparrow 19
Song Sparrow 7
Lincoln's Sparrow 16
Swamp Sparrow 2
White-throated Sparrow 2
White-crowned Sparrow 8
Northern Cardinal 139
Red-winged Blackbird 54
Western Meadowlark 1
meadowlark sp. 17
Common Grackle 7
Great-tailed Grackle 167
Brown-headed Cowbird 2
House Finch 2
Lesser Goldfinch 9
American Goldfinch 1
House Sparrow 9
Name: Pete and Mollie Kloepper
Date of sighting: Same as date posted
Date posted: Fri Feb 11 19:00:28 2011
During the last two winters we have spent a good deal of time watching the swamp in 1W early in the morning or with rain dripping in the window. Finally, this afternoon in the bright sunlight, we got very good looks at a Virginia Rail. I think the reason many birds were so active then, is that the insects and pond worms had gotten warm enough to move around after the weather has been so cold for several days.
Name: Ronnie Kramer
Date of sighting: Same as date posted
Date posted: Sun Jan 30 00:29:13 2011
Today at Hornsby Bend I had one heck of a day. It started with a Sharp-shinned Hawk staying just out of reach until he caught a bird. Then I was able to get a ton of photos.
3 hours later as I was leaving an Osprey started circling so I stopped and started shooting. Then a Bald Eagle started circling so I shot some more. Then a Peregin Falcon passed through between them. Got a few identifiable shots of the falcon, but nothing decent.
Then I noticed the osprey basically shadowing the eagles moves as they moved further and further away. Staying just above, the osprey matched the eagle turn for turn. By the time he dived they were a good bit off.
Name: James Giroux
Date of sighting: Sunday Jan. 16th
Date posted: Tue Jan 18 08:42:56 2011
I also saw the 4 geese reported by Kenny Anderson on Sunday the 16th. Time of sighting was about 5pm, and in the same location. I took photos with a 400mm lens, but the quality is not so good, since the birds were several hundred yards away.
Name: Kenny Anderson
Date of sighting: Same as date posted
Date posted: Mon Jan 17 15:13:20 2011
4 Cackling Geese were in the northeast corner of pond 2.
Name: Jeff McIntyre
Date of sighting: Same as date posted
Date posted: Sun Jan 9 21:07:30 2011
Just a quick run around the ponds late this afternoon. Usual ducks - one pintail and several Eared Grebes. Sora, a few Marsh Wrens, 2 yellowthroats, and several Swamp Sparrows in the SW corner of 1W. Highlight was a Merlin along the tree line of the north field as the road goes up to the ponds. One Hermit Thrush seen in tree line on east side of road of 1E. No Virginia Rails heard/seen.
Jeff McIntyre
Pflugerville, TX
Name: Eric Carpenter
Date of sighting: 8 Jan 2011
Date posted: Sun Jan 9 16:28:15 2011
January's edition of the Hornsby Monthly Survey (Saturday, January 8th) proved to be another good day to be out and about. Ten participants, all top-notch survey veterans, in the morning racked up 88 species, including a Peregrine Falcon over the river, continuing (heard-only) Virginia Rails in the sw. corner of 1West, 4 Cave Swallows, and 5 Lesser Goldfinches on the trails by Platt. Non-avian highlights would have to be a pair of Bobcats across the river at the Upper Island View trail. Tom Toporowski stayed thru early afternoon and was able to add Solitary Sandpiper (wintering bird on Platt Pond). I stayed all day and was able to hunt down a couple others missed in the morning and then was joined by Amy Silver for the afternoon session, where we were able to add a few more, including refinding her Scissor-tailed Flycatcher along the river at the Upper Island View tail. All told, 98 species were detected, a strong total for early January. List and some comments follow.
-- Eric
Wood Duck 15
Gadwall 100
American Wigeon 10
Blue-winged Teal 10
Cinnamon Teal 3
Northern Shoveler 823
Northern Pintail 3
Green-winged Teal 318
Ring-necked Duck 12
Lesser Scaup 8
Bufflehead 19
Ruddy Duck 429
Pied-billed Grebe 5
Eared Grebe 1 (low number for mid-winter, likely more present in the area)
Double-crested Cormorant 34
Great Blue Heron 6
Great Egret 5
Snowy Egret 6
Black Vulture 45
Turkey Vulture 9
Osprey 2
Northern Harrier 1 (immature bird over the ponds)
Sharp-shinned Hawk 1
Cooper's Hawk 1 (Robin & I watched this bird drown a duck on 1East by submerging most of its body over it for several minutes)
Red-shouldered Hawk 12
Red-tailed Hawk 7
Crested Caracara 8
American Kestrel 1
Peregrine Falcon 1 (adult bird seen by the Platt Lane group)
Virginia Rail 2 (heard-only birds continuing in the sw. corner of 1West)
Sora 2 (same as Virginia Rail)
American Coot 101
Killdeer 22
Spotted Sandpiper 6
Solitary Sandpiper 1 (wintering at its normal Platt Pond location)
Greater Yellowlegs 3
Least Sandpiper 25
Wilson's Snipe 17
Bonaparte's Gull 1 (nice afternoon addition on 1East)
Ring-billed Gull 17
Rock Pigeon 275
White-winged Dove 35
Mourning Dove 38
Inca Dove 3 (upstream from the river crossing instead of its reliable'ish location around Pond 3)
Monk Parakeet 2
Barn Owl 1
Belted Kingfisher 2
Red-bellied Woodpecker 11
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 1
Downy Woodpecker 4
Northern Flicker 3
Eastern Phoebe 19
Scissor-tailed Flycatcher 1
Loggerhead Shrike 3
Blue-headed Vireo 1
American Crow 15
Cave Swallow 4
Carolina Chickadee 30
HYBRID Titmouse 10
Carolina Wren 28
Bewick's Wren 1
House Wren 13
Winter Wren 5
Marsh Wren 4
Golden-crowned Kinglet 8
Ruby-crowned Kinglet 31
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 3
Eastern Bluebird 12
Hermit Thrush 1
American Robin 17
Northern Mockingbird 20
European Starling 6
American Pipit 18
Cedar Waxwing 17 (numbers starting to pick up for the winter)
Orange-crowned Warbler 16
Yellow-rumped Warbler 77
Pine Warbler 1
Common Yellowthroat 6
Spotted Towhee 1
Chipping Sparrow 23
Field Sparrow 42
Vesper Sparrow 8
Savannah Sparrow 25
Song Sparrow 4
Lincoln's Sparrow 8
Swamp Sparrow 5
White-throated Sparrow 2
White-crowned Sparrow 4
Northern Cardinal 89
Red-winged Blackbird 137
Eastern Meadowlark 14
Common Grackle 47
Great-tailed Grackle 785
Brown-headed Cowbird 1
House Finch 3
Lesser Goldfinch 5 (present now for over a month but still eluding me!)
American Goldfinch 27
House Sparrow 9
Name: victor emanuel
Date of sighting: january 1,2011
Date posted: Mon Jan 3 11:37:14 2011
at 3:15 pm a bobcat flushed a group of shovelers that were resting on the northwest concrete bank of pond 2
Name: al smith
Date of sighting: Same as date posted
Date posted: Sat Jan 1 22:06:50 2011
Saw 2 bobcats beside the ponds at 5pm today - both about 10 yards from the car , and about 300 yards apart. One was quite a bit smaller than the other.
Name: Pete and Mollie Kloepper
Date of sighting: Same as date posted
Date posted: Sat Jan 1 20:02:27 2011
Pete and I saw a gray Bobcat there this afternoon.
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