Clyde has had little luck with the residents of his screech owl box making it through birth and fledging. You will laugh out loud at the attached videos titled Tree Rat Homemaking and Noon Scratch and Snooze. Turn the volume up.
Find out more about Clyde’s Screech Owls at his website. http://www.crcamp.com
We spend time in our back yard almost every day and sometimes I am quick enough to snap a shot with my phone. Two years ago I took out about 1/4 of the grass and am attempting to get native grass and wildflowers to grow instead. It is slowly starting to change and it seems that nature has started to assist with the remodel. There is a definitely a more robust and diverse population than a few years ago.
It appears that a new family has taken up residence in the vacant house in our back yard. It may get a bit crowded.
The welcoming committee is making up its mind.
While others are looking the other way.
Editor’s Note: While talking to Tom about his backyard wildness, he said when the female blue bird first came to inspect the house, she tried several times to get in but couldn’t. He laughed and said that after seeing the clutch, he understands her inability to enter quickly or comfortably.
Doves are not good nest builders as is apparent from photos from Clyde Camp and Beverly Carpenter.
Beverly’s example is in a hanging plant.
Clyde found a nest on the hose hanger on side of his house.
Remember the Golden crowned night herons that have nested in Jim Dulian’s yard? (See Below for article and photos)
They came back, hung around a bit, decided they did not like the tree trimming and left.
Haven’t been seen again.
At least 615 bird species have been documented in Texas and more than half of those are migratory. Many of them migrate to or through Grayson and Collin Counties. This presentation will provide some insights into why birds migrate, what strategies they use, and when we might see them in our area. Each individual species’ migration story is different. Based on eBird data, we will explore examples of what that looks like for species seen every year at Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge and other Grayson County sites. These same species can also be found at locations in and around Collin County.
Laurie Sheppard is a member of the Texas Master Naturalist Blackland Prairie Chapter (class of 2017) and is a long-time member of and volunteer with the Friends of Hagerman NWR. From the time she was a Girl Scout in her native Massachusetts, she has had a love for the natural world and the amazing creatures within it, especially birds and butterflies. She also enjoys research, writing, and photography, which she uses to share information about the refuge’s inhabitants with the general public by creating visitor handouts and articles for the Friends’ monthly publication, The Featherless Flyer.
By John Garbutt, 2014
To some, winter and Uri are now four letter words never to be spoken again as we enter spring. As a birder, the harbinger of spring, Barn Swallows, have been here since the first of March and are flying past my window. The trees outside are leafing out. This however is about the ducks who visit us in winter.
I always look forward to the annual arrival of wintering ducks. A favorite place to observe and photograph them is Russell Creek Park in Plano. I discovered it a couple of winters ago when using eBird to search the area for Redheads and Canvasbacks. I soon added them to my life list there!
This winter I wanted to get more shots of the ducks as close to their eye level as possible. I enjoy doing photography like this but it strains my arms and shoulders. To alleviate this, I purchased a Platypod Ground Tripod along with a ball head so I could use these tools to support the weight of my camera and lens. Below are some of my favorite memories and moments of this past winter as I tested my gear. I hope you enjoy them also.
The males always get the most attention. For me, the female Lesser Scaup is one of my favorite ducks. It may be part recency and availability bias, but their brown plumage, caramel eyes, and white patch on the base of the bill, make them striking. (For Single photos, CLICK anywhere on the photo for a larger image in a new tab)
This female Northern Shoveler swum by to say hello. You can see her fine comb like lamellae which are used to filter out food. (For Gallery photos, CLICK on “LARGE IMAGE” at the bottom of the photo to view in new tab.)
The Ring-Necked Ducks were diving for breakfast. I was not sure what they were bringing up to eat. It looks like acorns. They will eat mollusk and seeds. Their gizzards will crush the hard shells. (For Single photos, CLICK anywhere on the photo for a larger image in a new tab)
I named this Ring-Necked Duck, Grumpy Duck. He was not amused at the feather on his back. He was constantly reaching for it. (For Gallery photos, CLICK on “LARGE IMAGE” at the bottom of the photo to view in new tab.)
The male Redhead Duck may compete with the Wood Duck for most striking drake to some. I panned my camera as the Redhead outpaced the Lesser Scaup and Ring-Necked ducks until he was in the frame alone. I was able to capture his third eyelid. (For Single photos, CLICK anywhere on the photo for a larger image in a new tab)
I was able to find some ducks after the winter storm. At this time, portions of this pond and others were still frozen. There was a large group of Northern Shovelers. Groups swim in circles to collectively stir up food. They were not quite in full cyclone mode but it was fun to see a larger concentration than normal at this site. #ShovelerSquad
(For Gallery photos, CLICK on “LARGE IMAGE” at the bottom of the photo to view in new tab.)
I also wanted to photograph this beautiful female mallard I had been seeing. She was much lighter colored than normal. A mocha like plumage. I wonder if some domestic mallard duck is in her blood line?
However, her suitor stepped in front to get his shot taken first.
Lastly, another female Lesser Scaup shot. She was preening very near so it provided some candid shots of behavior. (For Single photos, CLICK anywhere on the photo for a larger image in a new tab)
By Bob Mione, 2012
The past three years, Kristin and Mark Payne have incubated and brooded BW quail chicks for us at Connemara. When the BW’s were old enough, normally about 6 to 8 weeks old, they would bring them to the Meadow where they were held in our big “acclimation” pen until they were released at the Meadow, Raptor Center, Bill and Fran Woodfin’s farm or within the City of Plano.
This year, the Payne’s did not have enough room to brood out the BW’s, so I reached out to the Chapter for volunteers to “host” the chicks for 5 weeks, until old enough to move to the Meadow. Using funding from a grant from the City of Allen, we built brood pens for the group, delivered the pens along with a “kit” which contained a heat lamp, a feeder and a “waterer”. We also gave them a thermometer since the BW chicks have to be kept around 100 degrees for the first two weeks or so since they don’t have enough feathers.
We wanted to entire process to begin in early Feb so that we could have two “releases” of adult BW’s before it became too hot this Summer. The severe cold spell in Feb delayed our start by about 10 days, but the eggs were finally placed in the incubator and 23 days later, March 21st, they hatched. That Sunday the folks arrived at the Payne’s and picked up their chicks. Most took home 17. Leah took home 46 since she volunteered for two brood pens and our math was not exactly right for dividing up the chicks. (It is very hard to count them accurately when so small, about the size of a big bumble bee.)
Keith Griffin, who works at the Holifield Science Learning Center, has an incubator so we delivered eggs to him and he was able to “live stream” the hatch to many Plano ISD 5th graders as part of their Science classes.
Although somewhat late in the year, I will be discussing with the group the possibility of completing a second round of brooding soon. Plans are for another session in the early Fall for a late Fall/early Winter release.
We are grateful to these Master Naturalists for volunteering:
BTW: Tony is our official advisor since he has so much experience with raising chickens. Patrick’s son is the one doing the work. Patrick thought it would be a good experience for his son.
From Leah Beck: Photo contributor
We brought home 46 chicks in an Amazon box and split them between 2 brood boxes. I took one picture of a chick in my hand as I transferred him/her to the brooder so we would have a size reference at the end. So far, the chicks spend a lot of time huddled in a group under their heat lamp. The lamp keeps them warm and calm. They have an official feeder and waterer, but since the chicks are small, they struggle a bit to access food and water. So, they can also feed from food on a paper plate and drink from a Tupperware lid.
Curious George arrives at about 20 seconds into the video link and settles in for the day. He’s verbally accosted by a couple of jays and a squirrel about midway through the video. George is the male of the last breeding season (spring, 2020) – a grey-phase Eastern Screech Owl. His mate then was a red-phase female named Hunter. Their breeding attempt was unsuccessful with two clutches of eggs, neither of which hatched.
They are both visiting the box off and on again and probably staking their claim on it in late fall 2020.
You can read about, with photos and videos, that attempt (as well as the 2018/19 attempt by a different pair) at http://crcamp.com/owls
By the time anyone reads this epistle the Backyard Bird Count will be over, the Great Winter Storm will be over, Valentine’s Day will be over, and we will be working on the pandemic to be over! It has been a difficult time for people on so many areas of their lives with survival being uppermost. Actually the GBBC came at a good time because many folks could not do anything else except peep out the draped windows at the birds coming in to find what food they could. Bird feeders came to many of their rescues.
I had the opportunity to listen to a ZOOM talk given by Dr. Drew Lanham who is an author and an ornithologist. He was suggesting that bird watchers get so intent on bird identification and location that they (we) forget to put their binoculars down and view the whole picture. So I did. The birds were coming in close to the window so I could see them well and I had time to sit and observe. I knew that many of the birds I counted at different times were the same birds I had seen before. They live here and come here often for the handouts I give. The male cardinals with their brilliant reds against the snow were spectacular – and they were almost always accompanied or led by a female cardinal who was also very lovely. The red-bellied woodpecker’s red head was exceptionally bright and I could see him clearly on the suet feeder as he went back and forth from the tree to the feeder. It was always the same male. Once or twice I saw a female. On the bird count it would seem I had seen several of these birds but I knew it was the same one each time. I was following directions – counting all that I saw each time.
And the little upstart that took over the feeders and tried to chase everyone else away even though most were bigger than it was. It was a butter butt – a yellow rumped warbler – and every day it would go from feeder to suet to bush to feeder to suet, etc. except when it would chase another bird away. Just one! But according to the bird count I probably saw four or five!
For the very first time I had pine siskins. There were about a half a dozen that came to the thistle feeder and they chased away the few goldfinches that came to the thistle feeder. But the finches were clever and would just wait around and when the siskins flew away they moved in. I saw this because I put my binoculars down and just watched the birds and the trees and the snow. The doves would sit for long periods of time in the trees, fat fluffed bumps on the limbs. Then one must have said ,”GO!” because they would all fly off somewhere or inundate the feeders and throw seed all over.
I know there were rabbits at night because I found tracks everywhere. They would have had a hard time finding food as the snow was about three inches deep. My toes would have been frozen! Why weren’t their feet too cold to hop around?!
I also had time to contemplate. How fortunate I was to have a home, food, electricity, family and friends who were checking on us, a warm blanket and a pair of binoculars to watch the panorama in my own back yard. So like the robin who has been sitting on the banister in the morning sun, I will look at my surroundings and wait for better times.
By: John Garbutt
Watching the five Cooper’s Hawks fledge in mid-June under their mother’s watchful eyes seems like years ago. After that moment, I figured I had possibly seen the last of them, at least as a group. I also had other places to go, The Rio Grande Valley, Fort Davis, and the Bolivar Peninsula. As the calendar turned over to September, I began venturing back out to Frisco Commons on the weekends and on the way to work. The “kids” were missed.
On Sunday, September 13, 7am, I began my usual circuit at Frisco Commons. Baltimore Oriole, Blue-Headed Vireo, White-Eyed Vireo, Eastern Wood Pewee, and a life addition, a Warbling Vireo! Then a family of Downy Woodpeckers moving between a couple of trees. Then everything scattered as an immature Cooper’s Hawk flew in after one of the Downy Woodpeckers! Hello again!
A few days later I witnessed the Cooper’s battling Blue Jays. The jays and hawk swirled around the wood line going in and out of visibility. I tried to capture a few shots as I cheered on my hawk. Nearby the Red-Shouldered Hawks were having issues of their own with the crows.
On Sunday the 20th, the hawk’s frustration seemed at a boiling point and if it was begging me for help. Luckily one of its siblings came to the rescue! The Jays versus Copper’s continued for the next couple of weeks. Occasionally I saw two of the hawks together. Based on visual sightings and sound, at least three Cooper’s Hawks were around.
As October arrived, I was still seeing two of the young hawks together and occasionally hearing calls in the riparian area. Early on the 4th I was observing two in the back and looking for one hawk that flew to my right behind a tree. I could not locate it. Then as I turned to my left, there one was, at eye level, within 15 feet. It sat there for a few minutes as we caught up. Earlier in the year, I watched a Yellow-Crowned Night Heron regurgitate a crawfish skeleton, and the hawk looked as if it was about to have a similar issue. It did produce a pellet. Perhaps a “feather ball” and a score against the jays?
As October turned to November then December, my trips to Commons and sightings lessoned. I look forward to next year and any possible nesting. In my short time of birding, this experience with the Cooper’s Hawk family has been the most enjoyable and memorable.
John W. Garbutt
Class of 2019
