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November 19, 2005
Steve Gross led 25 participants for a great day of birding on the Katy Prairie on the November 19, 2005. Temperature was cool but not too cold and there was no wind. Perfect birding conditions although skies were overcast. We started at 6:00 am to try and pick up some owls before first light. All we managed was a semi descent look at one Short-eared Owl. After first light we were treated to a huge flock of Snow Geese with Ross's Geese mixed in that almost stretched from one horizon to the other and was three layers deep. It was estimated that there were about 50,000 geese in all with about a 50/50 split of white and blue phase. We found it to be a rather high percentage of blue phase Snow Geese. Other highlights included: Barred Owl, Barn Owl, Dark-eyed Junco, a lingering Dickcissel, four Harris's Sparrows, Krider's Red-tailed Hawk, Bald Eagle, and a Vermillion Flycatcher. We wrapped the day up back at the Short-eared Owl spot hoping for a better look then we got in the morning at 6 pm. A complete trip list is below. We totaled about 81 birds for the day. I want to thank everybody who came out on this field trip. I was surprised by the number of people that attended this trip and hope to see similar numbers on future trips. A list of species seen on the trip is below.
Pied-billed Grebe
Double-crested Cormorant
Great Egret: 4
Great Blue Heron: 4
Northern Pintail
Green-winged Teal
Mallard: 4
Gadwall
American Wigeon
Ring-necked Duck
Black-bellied Whistling Duck
Blue-winged Teal
Ruddy Duck
Lessser Scaup
Northern Shoveler
Ross’s Goose: 5
Greater White-fronted Goose: 200
Snow Goose: 50,000
Turkey Vulture: 50
Black Vulture: 30
Northern Harrier: 15
Bald Eagle: 1
White-tailed Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk: 25 (including 1 Krider's)
American Kestrel: 12
Crested Caracara: 15
Northern Bobwhite: 2 ( Heard)
Sora: 3 (Heard)
American Coot
Sandhill Crane: 9
Killdeer: 12
Long-billed Curlew: 5
Mourning Dove: 15
Rock Pigeon: 1
Common-ground Dove: 8
Short-eared Owl: 3
Barred Owl: 1
Barn Owl: 4
Belted Kingfisher: 2
Downy Woodpecker: 6
Red-bellied Woodpecker: 3
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker: 2
Pileated Woodpecker: 1
Vermillion Flycatcher: 1
Eastern Phoebe: 4
Loggerhead Shrike: 12
Carolina Chickadee: 6
Marsh Wren: 1
Sedge Wren: 5 (Heard)
House Wren: 6
Carolina Wren: 2
Golden-crowned Kinglet: 5
Ruby-crowned Kinglet: 8
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher: 1
Northern Mockingbird: 12
American Pipit: 5
Orange-crowned Warbler: 8
Pine Warbler: 8
Common Yellowthroat: 1 (Heard)
Lincoln’s Sparrow: 6
Savannah Sparrow: 25
Song Sparrow: 4
Field Sparrow: 6
Harris Sparrow: 4
Chipping Sparrow: 6
White-crowned Sparrrow: 10
Swamp Sparrow: 2
Dark-eyed Junco: 1
Northern Cardinal: 10
Dickcissel: 1
Brown-headed Cowbird: 1,500
Meadowlark sp.: 8
Red-winged Blackbird: 250
House Sparrow: 15
Participants: Greg Lavaty, Joanne Kamo, Wayne Wendel, Fred Cambell, Jim Winn, Layton Guinn, Gordon White, Howard Smith, Jim Hinson, Anna Stewart, Bernice Hotman, Mary Dodson, John Schneider, Steve Higginis, Peg McNealy, Nancy Hannan, Kay Piper, Cindy Douglas, Margret and Albert Swarts, Kathy Swarts, Bob and Tanya Binkin, Adam Wood, and Steve Gross (leader).
~Adam Wood, Field Trip Coordinator, birdman_570@yahoo.com, 713-515-1692
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