Pine Warbler

Purple Finch (female) 

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker

Caddo Lake SP—January 1, 2018—D Day.  Well the day finally arrived to kick off our Texas Big Year.  Deb set the alarm on her phone to wake us at 5 AM to head for our first day.  As I sat drinking my first cup of coffee I glanced at the clock on the wall and it said 4:20.  What? 4:20!  Well come to find out Deb’s  phone had not changed back to CST after our trip to Georgia so we now had plenty of time to get ready and head to Carthage to meet our host for the Tenaha CBC, Betty Gullette and Peggy Harding.  We took a moment to stop at Walmart to use their rest room facilities before heading on to Betty’s.  There we saw the first bird for our Big Year list.  No it wasn’t a grackle (I call them Walmart birds).  Instead our first bird was a House Sparrow.  Wow! Glad to get that one out of the way.  We arrived at Betty’s about 7 and soon we were loading up her car with our gear for the day.  We started on the west end of Lake Marvaul by around 7:30.   Deb and I got out of the car on the long bridge that spans the lake here and crossed the metal barrier where we proceed to walk along side the lake looking at birds in the brush and trees that line the road.  Some of the birds seen along this area included Pine Warbler and Purple Finch (pictures included) before heading on to scour the back roads and neighborhoods.  While walking along the lake we noticed a group of ducks but they were a long way off.  So Deb went for the scope so we could try to identify them.  After getting all set up I scoped the line of ducks.  I noticed immediately that they were decoys.  What a let down.  The only ducks we found this day were a large number of Ruddy’s and two Canvasbacks.    Some of the better birds we encountered included Golden-crowned Kinglet, Brown Creeper & Thrasher, Red-headed, Downy, Red-bellied & Piliated Woodpecker, Bald Eagle  and surprisingly a Blue-gray Gnatcatcher (the only one found on the entire count).  Later we finally found a couple of hawks, Red-shouldered and Red-tailed but we could not find American Robins until the end of the day.  We did have a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker and Northern Flicker by day’s end as well.  In all we tallied 50 species, not bad for a count that has only 90 species so far reported.  Thanks to our host Betty and Peggy for a great day and a great start for our Big Year.  Tomorrow we are heading for the reported Fork-tailed Flycatcher with an old friend Bob Metzler.  As a side note the Fork-tailed Flycatcher was my 700^th ABA species found near Austin a few years ago.

Texas Big Year

Caddo Lake SP—D Day -1—December 31, 2018—Tomorrow is the day we kick off our Texas Big Year.  Hopefully we can get an owl or two to start it off with a hoot!  But this blog is about today.  The morning started with rain still falling.  It rained most of yesterday afternoon, all night and until about 8 this morning.  We headed to Marshall to get our propane tanks filled before the cold sets in again.  A short visit to Walmart for some groceries and to fill up the gas tank, then get the propane and finally, I found a hearing aid office to check on my left hearing aid which is not working.  Unfortunately, we were not able to fix it so I guess I will have to wait until I get back to Georgetown to get it fixed.  Then we headed back to the campground for lunch.  We used the newly renovated showers that were just completed at the park then headed out to do some birding.

Once again we went to the Caddo Lake NWR nearby.  We planned to do some serious sparrow studying there.  Deb is trying to get sparrows down and that is no easy task.  While there we had the chance to study Swamp Sparrows, something I rarely get to do in central and south Texas.   Today, with the sun out, birds were pretty active.  The refuge produced 21 species: Sparrows—Swamp, Chipping, Field, and White-throated—Warblers—Orange-crowned, Yellow-rump, and Pine—Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Northern Cardinal, Northern Mockingbird, Eastern Bluebird, Purple Finch, Eastern Phoebe, Cedar Waxwing, Northern Flicker, Carolina Chickadee, House Wren, Hermit Thrush, Carolina Wren and, a real plus for me, Eastern Towhee.  Where I live we rarely get the Eastern Towhee.  Instead we get the Spotted Towhee.  In a short drive into neighboring Marion County added Red-shouldered Hawk, American Crow, Piliated Woodpecker and Dark-eyed Junco. 

We then went to a local Mexican Food restaurant.  They were closed and only taking take out orders which we did.  Now its time to get ready for tomorrow and our drive to meet Betty Gullette and Peggy Harding for the Tanaha CBC which kicks off our Big Year.

Texas Big Year—2019

Caddo Lake SP—December 30, 2018—D Day -2.  We arrived back in Texas this morning and headed to Caddo Lake SP to camp for a few days.  We will begin our Big Year count by doing another Christmas Bird Count.  We are joining Becky Gullette and Peggy Harding who have done our section of the Tenaha CBC, the west end of Lake Muravul, for the last 25 years.  This should get us off to a good start.

Today we did a little birding in Caddo Lake NWR that is just down the road from our campground.  The temperature was in the mid 40’s and the sky was overcast.  Not long after we began it commenced raining and has been doing so ever since, even as I write this at 8 PM.  However, we were able to find a few species before the weather changed for the worst.  At the NWR entrance, in the weedy fields on either side of the road, there were a many small birds moving about.  I was able to find White-throated Sparrows (and there were many feeding on berries throughout the refuge), a Lincoln’s Sparrow, Dark-eyed Juncos were abundant, a few Savannah Sparrows, and two Swamp Sparrows.  While standing in the road we witnessed a Piliated Woodpecker fly by, several American Crows, two Northern Cardinals and several Field Sparrows.  The rain cut short our field time today but I certainly know where to find some sparrows for our list.

Tomorrow, weather permitting, we will do some more birding, make a trip to Marshall, Texas for a Walmart stop and to get a refill of one of our propane tanks.  The cold weather here and in Georgia have gone thorough one whole bottle in a week.  Looks like we will have good weather for the upcoming CBC. 

Texas Big Year—2019

Caddo Lake SP—December 30, 2018—D Day -2.  We arrived back in Texas this morning and headed to Caddo Lake SP to camp for a few days.  We will begin our Big Year count by doing another Christmas Bird Count.  We are joining Becky Gullette and Peggy Harding who have done our section of the Tenaha CBC, the west end of Lake Muravul, for the last 25 years.  This should get us off to a good start.

Today we did a little birding in Caddo Lake NWR that is just down the road from our campground.  The temperature was in the mid 40’s and the sky was overcast.  Not long after we began it commenced raining and has been doing so ever since, even as I write this at 8 PM.  However, we were able to find a few species before the weather changed for the worst.  At the NWR entrance, in the weedy fields on either side of the road, there were a many small birds moving about.  I was able to find White-throated Sparrows (and there were many feeding on berries throughout the refuge), a Lincoln’s Sparrow, Dark-eyed Juncos were abundant, a few Savannah Sparrows, and two Swamp Sparrows.  While standing in the road we witnessed a Piliated Woodpecker fly by, several American Crows, two Northern Cardinals and several Field Sparrows.  The rain cut short our field time today but I certainly know where to find some sparrows for our list.

Tomorrow, weather permitting, we will do some more birding, make a trip to Marshall, Texas for a Walmart stop and to get a refill of one of our propane tanks.  The cold weather here and in Georgia have gone thorough one whole bottle in a week.  Looks like we will have good weather for the upcoming CBC. 

Texas Big Year—2019

Caddo Lake SP—December 30, 2018—D Day -2.  We arrived back in Texas this morning and headed to Caddo Lake SP to camp for a few days.  We will begin our Big Year count by doing another Christmas Bird Count.  We are joining Becky Gullette and Peggy Harding who have done our section of the Tenaha CBC, the west end of Lake Muravul, for the last 25 years.  This should get us off to a good start.

Today we did a little birding in Caddo Lake NWR that is just down the road from our campground.  The temperature was in the mid 40’s and the sky was overcast.  Not long after we began it commenced raining and has been doing so ever since, even as I write this at 8 PM.  However, we were able to find a few species before the weather changed for the worst.  At the NWR entrance, in the weedy fields on either side of the road, there were a many small birds moving about.  I was able to find White-throated Sparrows (and there were many feeding on berries throughout the refuge), a Lincoln’s Sparrow, Dark-eyed Juncos were abundant, a few Savannah Sparrows, and two Swamp Sparrows.  While standing in the road we witnessed a Piliated Woodpecker fly by, several American Crows, two Northern Cardinals and several Field Sparrows.  The rain cut short our field time today but I certainly know where to find some sparrows for our list.

Tomorrow, weather permitting, we will do some more birding, make a trip to Marshall, Texas for a Walmart stop and to get a refill of one of our propane tanks.  The cold weather here and in Georgia have gone thorough one whole bottle in a week.  Looks like we will have good weather for the upcoming CBC. 

Texas Big Year—2019

Caddo Lake SP—December 30, 2018—D Day -2.  We arrived back in Texas this morning and headed to Caddo Lake SP to camp for a few days.  We will begin our Big Year count by doing another Christmas Bird Count.  We are joining Becky Gullette and Peggy Harding who have done our section of the Tenaha CBC, the west end of Lake Muravul, for the last 25 years.  This should get us off to a good start.

Today we did a little birding in Caddo Lake NWR that is just down the road from our campground.  The temperature was in the mid 40’s and the sky was overcast.  Not long after we began it commenced raining and has been doing so ever since, even as I write this at 8 PM.  However, we were able to find a few species before the weather changed for the worst.  At the NWR entrance, in the weedy fields on either side of the road, there were a many small birds moving about.  I was able to find White-throated Sparrows (and there were many feeding on berries throughout the refuge), a Lincoln’s Sparrow, Dark-eyed Juncos were abundant, a few Savannah Sparrows, and two Swamp Sparrows.  While standing in the road we witnessed a Piliated Woodpecker fly by, several American Crows, two Northern Cardinals and several Field Sparrows.  The rain cut short our field time today but I certainly know where to find some sparrows for our list.

Tomorrow, weather permitting, we will do some more birding, make a trip to Marshall, Texas for a Walmart stop and to get a refill of one of our propane tanks.  The cold weather here and in Georgia have gone thorough one whole bottle in a week.  Looks like we will have good weather for the upcoming CBC. 

Texas Big Year—2019

Caddo Lake SP—December 30, 2018—D Day -2.  We arrived back in Texas this morning and headed to Caddo Lake SP to camp for a few days.  We will begin our Big Year count by doing another Christmas Bird Count.  We are joining Becky Gullette and Peggy Harding who have done our section of the Tenaha CBC, the west end of Lake Muravul, for the last 25 years.  This should get us off to a good start.

Today we did a little birding in Caddo Lake NWR that is just down the road from our campground.  The temperature was in the mid 40’s and the sky was overcast.  Not long after we began it commenced raining and has been doing so ever since, even as I write this at 8 PM.  However, we were able to find a few species before the weather changed for the worst.  At the NWR entrance, in the weedy fields on either side of the road, there were a many small birds moving about.  I was able to find White-throated Sparrows (and there were many feeding on berries throughout the refuge), a Lincoln’s Sparrow, Dark-eyed Juncos were abundant, a few Savannah Sparrows, and two Swamp Sparrows.  While standing in the road we witnessed a Piliated Woodpecker fly by, several American Crows, two Northern Cardinals and several Field Sparrows.  The rain cut short our field time today but I certainly know where to find some sparrows for our list.

Tomorrow, weather permitting, we will do some more birding, make a trip to Marshall, Texas for a Walmart stop and to get a refill of one of our propane tanks.  The cold weather here and in Georgia have gone thorough one whole bottle in a week.  Looks like we will have good weather for the upcoming CBC.