K B Srinivas: Sparrows at Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge

I was back at my favorite bird spot in Dallas. Hagerman's National Wildlife Refuge is the best place to visit during the winter. We get to see hundreds of Snow/Ross's Goose, American White Pelican, Ducks and Sparrows here.

ebird hotspot : https://ebird.org/hotspot/L815117

It's about an hours drive from Richardson. Started at about 6 from home. I was hoping to see some owls on the way. I have been lucky to see Great Horned owls on the way couple of times. So gave myself sometime to drive a during the early dawn to scan the roads close by. This time around there was no sightings of any of the owls. I reached the park around 7 in the morning. I started with the going over the different pads of the lake looking for the ducks and the Sandpipers. I saw there were lot of Northern Shovellers, Northern Pintails, Mallards and Green-winged Ducks in the lake. I also saw lot of Dowitchers, Yellowlegs and Least Sandpipers. Lot of Goose were flying around and some of them were very far from the road. I had usually seen them grazing in the fields but not today. I thought I will come back to see the goose just before I leave. I went to walk the Meadow Pond Trail.

Least Sandpiper

American Avocet

Dowitcher

Lesser Scaup

Great Blue Heron

Pied-billed Grebe

Northern Pintail

Northern Shoveller

Green-winged Teal

When I reached the gates near the trail I saw lot of cars parked here. Usually I see one or 2 cars but today it was different. There were lot of cars parked. I went in wondering the same. I should have paid more attention at the gate and read the notices. It was hunting season. I was told of the same when I returned from the trail. I should have stayed out. I usually avoid going during the hunting season but forgot about the same this visit. The walk in fact was very productive. Saw lot of sparrows during the walk. There were also Goldfinches and Pine Siskins around. There were good number of American Robins too. As I was walking the trail I saw a big bird flyover. The flight pattern looked like that of a Woodpecker. I was hearing the Pileated Woodpecker during the walk but did not expect it to see which is usually the case for me. I had seen this bird only once during my number of visits to the refuge. I always hear the bird but hardly get to see. But today it was different. I had 2 flyby's of the bird. It was great to see the bird. Such a large woodpecker. Also got my first decent photograph of the bird.

White-throated Sparrow

American Goldfinch

Chipping Sparrow

Fox Sparrow

Lincoln Sparrow

Swamp Sparrow

American Goldfinch

Pileated Woodpecker

Harris's Sparrow

American Robin

Song Sparrow

Savannah Sparrow

Pine Siskin

Fox Sparrow

White-throated Sparrow

Harris's Sparrow

Savannah Sparrow

Back in the lake I saw lot of the same ducks. Went near one of the oil wells to get a closer look at the pelicans. Saw good number of pelicans along with Forster's Terns, Franklins Gulls and Ring-billed Gulls. At a bit of distance I saw lot of the goose. As I was about to return one of the fellow birder asked if I had seen Bald Eagle. He had see it earlier but could not locate it again. I had not seen the eagle as well. As I was about to return I saw a big bird flying over the lake. And to my surprise It was the eagle. It was my first sighting of the season. It was good to see the eagle again. I usually get to see the eagle at Hagerman or once in a while at White Rock Lake. Such a majestic bird.

Bald Eagle

Red-shouldered Hawk

American White Pelican

Franklin's Gull

On the way back I saw the Goose were no where near the fields instead all of them were in the lake. Took some record pictures before returning home. There was also couple of American Pipits along the road along with lot of Meadowlarks. There was also a lone American Kestrel around.