K B Srinivas: May 2015

Since this is a migration season for Warblers, it's a good time to make early morning visit to the parks. The chances of seeing these passing through warblers is high from end of april till early may in texas here. And most of these warblers seen here are very colorful but as with warblers they are always high up in the trees and busy hopping from branch to branch.

I made 2 visits to the park over the weekend. Saturday morning and Sunday morning. On Saturday I did bird walk with a new friend here Siva. It was good to have some company for bird walk after a long time. Hope to have many more with you Siva.

We decided to start at 7. Before Siva had reached I started early and went for a walk. The first bird that I saw was this sparrow which looked like Savannah sparrow but need to confirm the same. In the lake I saw few Mallards and couple of Blue Winged teals too. There were couple of Eastern Kingbirds chasing each other. Saw couple of western kingbird too. And there were Barn Swallows swooping on the water catching their morning breakfast.

Savannah Sparrow

Blue Winged Teal

Eastern Kingbird

Barn Swallow

As I went ahead saw the titmouses and woodpeckers being busy. Then saw my first sighting of Blue-gray Gnatchers. There were lot of them high up in the trees. Also saw Yellow Warbler there on the trees. Couple of Baltimore Oriole were seen trying to catch caterpillars. We saw these orioles flying around the park through out the morning.

Titmouse

Red-bellied Woodpecker

Blue-gray Gnatcher

Yellow Warbler

Baltimore Oriole

Then met siva and we started birding together. We saw Nashville Warblers high up in the trees and then saw this yellow Warbler again but this time he was patient and gave me sometime to take photos :-) waxwings were seen throughout the day. We also saw this Black and White warbler there. A long hummingbird was trying to back in the sun. I just cannot take a humming bird in flight photo :-) Near the parula bridge we kept hearing the call of Northern Parula but it evaded the sighting. So we decided to head towards the learning center.

Nashville Warbler

Yellow Warbler

Flycatcher ID?

Cedar Waxwing

Black and White Warbler

Hummingbird ID?

On the trails near learning center we saw Lincolns sparrow, Eastern Pheobe and Carolina Wrens. On our way back checked out the spot where siva had earlier seen the great horned owl. This time we had no luck with the owl. So we headed back towards the bridge.

Lincoln's Sparrow

Eastern Pheobe

This time near the Parula bridge, the Northern Parula showed us some mercy and gave us a good look at it :-) we were so elighted to see this bird. Best way to end our bird walk for the morning. It was time to head back.

Northern Parula

Eastern Pheobe

ebird : http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S23212613

On sunday morning I visited the park alone. Siva decided to go to Hagerman wildlife sanctuary. I hope to make it to that sanctuary next week. They run a bird walk every second saturday of the month. Again I started the morning with Mallards, teals and Kingbirds. In the tress I saw Gnatchers and a new bird which I was seeing for the first time, Blue-headed Vireo. Pretty little bird.

Eastern Kingbird

Blue-gray Gnatcher

Blue-headed Vireo

As such the activity in the morning was very less. Not many warblers around. So decided to head towards parula bridge a little early than planned.Near the Parula bridge I saw the female Painted bunting hiding in the under growth. After waiting for Parulas's to show up I headed towards learning center. And in the trails near learning center I saw White eyed vireos, carolina wrens and eastern Pheobes.

White-eyed Vireo

Eastern Pheobe

On the way back to Parula bridge came across Nashville Warbler, Great Crested Flycatcher and another unknown bird.

Nashville Warbler

ID?

Great-crested Flycatcher

But the interest sighting of the day was the Painted bunting Male first. Very colorful bird. And then saw the Wilson's warbler. After these sightings headed back to home after completing very eventful day.