K B Srinivas: Returning to Hagerman NWR

After year long hiatus from birding I got back to my favorite past time last week. I have been wanting to start again but kept pushing for multiple reasons. With onset of spring I wanted to start spending some time behind my Camera/Binoculars. I started with Hagerman NWR to see if I can see some of our wintering Geese but as luck would have it most have already left apart from a lone "Snow Goose". They are in hundreds and sometime in thousands at this refuge but usually they don't stay this late. I got to see atleast one for the year which is not a bad start.

Snow Goose

The water did not have huge number of waterfowl we see for the winter here. Since the spring has already started the birds have started migrating north. The only winter fowl I was able to see were some "Northern Shovellers", "Blue-winged Teal", "Lesser scaups", "Ring-necked Ducks", "Rudy Ducks", "Wigeons" and "Gadwall". I missed the Pintails for the season :-(

Northern Shoveller

Blue-winged Teal

Ring-necked Duck

Gadwall

The water also had lot of "Egrets", "Great Blue Herons" and few "American white Pelicans" on the far side. I did get to see some of the waders the "Yellow legs", "Spotted and Least Sandpipers" along with some "Killdeers".

There is a bridge while driving towards the Deavers pond trails and this has been the best place to see the "Belted Kingfisher". I have been able to spot this kingfisher in almost all my visits to this refuge. Even this visit the kingfisher did not disappoint. He was there waiting to catch its morning meal.

Yellowlegs

Great-blue Heron

GBH

Belted Kingfisher

Apart from this I wanted to see our wintering sparrows. I wanted to see the "Fox sparrow" and the best place is at one of the trails(Deaver's pond) at this park. Every winter I walked this trail I have this seen this sparrow. It's a large sized wintering sparrow for us here in Texas. I also saw the "Harris, Lincoln, Song and Savannah sparrows". Missed out on rest of the wintering sparrow species for the year. Along the trails I saw rest of the usual suspects("Hermit Thrush", "Carolina Wren", "Eastern Bluebird", "Chickadee's", "Tufted Titmouse", "Eastern Phoebe", "Downy and Red Bellied Woodpecker" and "Brown Thrasher"). "Carolina Wrens" were singing throughout the trail walk.

"American Pippit"

"Savannah Sparrow"

"Hermit Thrush"

Cardinal

"Fox Sparrow"

"Carolina Wren"

"Yellow-rumped Warbler"

"Tufted Titmouse"

"Eastern Phoebe"

"Harris Sparrow"

"Carolina Chickadee"

"Downy Woodpecker"

"Eastern Bluebird"

"Carolina Wren"

"Brown Thrasher"

"Red-bellied Woodpecker"

I also used to see a Northern Harrier at the refuge all the time. But this visit I did not see him but did get to see the Red-shouldered and Red-tailed Hawks. Both Turkey and Black Vultures could be seen all around the refuge. On my way back I got to see the "Loggerhead shrike".