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August 19, 2006
One of many good things about the August field trip to Matagorda County Birding Nature Center was the weather; it didn't get hot until almost lunchtime. About 10 birders of all skill levels showed up at this 35 acres of wetlands, woods and prairie on the Colorado River. Our host and bird guide was Marilyn Sitz. She also identified for us the many beautiful flowering shrubs, where hummingbirds were plentiful, mostly Ruby-throats but also some Black-chins. The bird of the day was a Green Kingfisher, first found by Anna Stewart and Karen McBride. They heard it call and saw it zoom away through the thick trees along the Colorado River. We all then looked for the bird, but I was very doubtful about finding it again--there seemed to be miles of riverbank on either side where it could have gone. But found again it was, perched over the water and not far from the center's observation deck, enabling everyone to see it clearly for several minutes. Other birds seen well included a colorful female Summer Tanager and numerous Orchard Orioles of both sexes. A Yellow-billed Cuckoo and Myarcus flycatcher were seen from afar by at least some of the group. White-eyed Vireos sang, but mostly from hidden perches. The remaining participants spent the afternoon birding Matagorda Beach and were treated to good looks at Buff-breasted Sandpipers, Wood Storks, Clapper Rail and Black Terns. In all about 75 species of birds were seen during the trip. A partial list of birds seen during the trip is below.
Anhinga 1
Green Heron 7
Little Blue Heron 2
Great Blue Heron 2
Snowy Egret 2
Great Egret 5
Black-bellied Whistling Duck 2
Black Vulture 1
Turkey Vulture 10
Mississippi Kite 2
Mourning Dove 5
Inca Dove 3
Eurasian Collared Dove 3
Yellow-billed Cuckoo 1
Chimney Swift 1
Ruby-throated Hummingbird 4
Black-chinned Hummingbird 3
Belted Kingfisher 5
Green Kingfisher 1
Downy Woodpecker 5
Red-bellied Woodpecker 2
Pileated Woodpecker 1
Eastern Wood-Pewee 1
Empidonax Flycatcher 2
Scissor-tailed Flycatcher 1
Myarchus Flycatcher 1
Loggerhead Shrike 2
White-eyed Vireo 3 (Heard)
Blue Jay 2
American Crow 5
Barn Swallow 3
Purple Martin 2
Tufted Titmouse 5
Carolina Chickadee 5
Carolina Wren 5
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 3
Eastern Bluebird 1
Northern Mockingbird 8
Northern Cardinal 3
Summer Tanager 1
Orchard Oriole 14
House Sparrow 30
*List does not include birds seen at Matagorda Beach in the afternoon. Birds in italics and Bolded are rare for the area they were seen in.
Participants: Jim Kelly, Geoff Butcher, Dave and Anna Stewart, Raymond and Shirley Mondshine, Claire Moore, Cindy Douglas, Debbie, John Schneider, Karen McBride, Marylin Sitz (leader), and Adam Wood.
~ John Schneider |
