December 5:

                                                                   2007 Archives

One-Eleven Ranch Park nr Rowlett Creek in Garland, not far north 

of Spring Creek Forest, yielded six species of woodpeckers this afternoon from

3-4pm :  Red-Headed (immature), Red-Bellied, Yellow-Bellied Sapsucker, Hairy, Downy,

and Northern Flicker. Other birds of note included Red-Breasted and White-

Breasted Nuthatches and a Brown Creeper.  One-Eleven is a mature stand of 

bottomland hardwoods and this years abundant crop of nuts and insects has 

favored these birds...the Red-Headed Woodpecker, for example, gather acorns

and other nuts in the fall and stores them for the winter.

November 20:

Ring-billed Gulls at Hinton Landfill

While scouting for next month's Lake Ray Hubbard CBC,
my dad and I found an adult Lesser Black-backed Gull
at the Hinton Landfill northeast Dallas County.  It
was loafing with several hundred Ring-billed, 3
Herring, and a couple dozen Franklin's Gulls.  This is
probably the same leucistic individual that has
wintered at Ray Hubbard for the past several years, as
it showed very showy white patches on the upperside of
the wings in flight (esp. the primary coverts).
Weather was very mild, mostly cloudy, warm, breezy. 
Water levels were high in the local wetlands and ducks
were notably absent except for a handful of Mallard. A
few uncommon winterers and lingering migrants from
today

Neotropic Cormorant - 1 n. end of lake
Lesser Black-backed Gull - 1 ad. Hinton Landfill
Sora - 2 heard along Rowlett Trail; 1 in a private
marsh
Tree Swallow ~ 20 in a few scattered groups
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher - pair along Rowlett Trail,
molting outer retrices
Common Yellowthroat ~4 in private marsh
Brewer's Blackbird - 1 Hinton Landfill

Herps:
Texas Garter Snake - 1 good sized individual disturbed
while attempting to eat a hefty adult Leopard Frog
(both escaped unscathed)
Southern Leopard Frog - numerous in appropriate
habitat
Blanchard's Cricket Frog - ditto
Red-eared Slider - ditto

Leps:
checkered-skipper sp. (Pyrgus sp.)
Clouded Skipper (Lerema accius)
*BROAD-WINGED SKIPPER (Poanes viator) - 1 on cutgrass
at south end of Rowlett Trail
Orange Sulphur (Colias eurytheme)
Cloudless Sulphur (Phoebis sennae)
Little Yellow (Pyrisitia lisa)
Dusky-blue Groundstreak (Calycopis isobeon)
Gulf Fritillary (Agraulis vanillae)
Pearl Crescent (Phyciodes tharos)
Texan Crescent (Anthanassa texana)
Common Buckeye (Junonia coenia)
Question Mark (Polygonia interrogationis)
Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta)

Derek

Short field trip Nov. 17.

Spring Creek Preserve

Song, Lincolns, Savannah, White Throated, and Field Sparrows; three Hermit Thrushes; Red-tailed hawk; Great Horned Owl feather

Rough Green Snake, and discovery of Indian Grass (Sorghastrum nutans) growing on the Preserve in the Maple Ridge section by Derek.  What is interesting is that this native prairie grass has appeared this season for the first time in at least 15 years along with several patches of Big Bluestem where there was none seen before...apparently the rhizomes can remain dormant for years until conditions are ripe for growth.  Butterfly list soon.

Left to Right: weathered membranous Ballonvine seed capsule, Little Bluestem, Milkweed pod and seeds, Indian Grass!

More fall images from Spring Creek Preserve:

Left to Right:

Chest high Little Bluestem blowing in the wind

Old seed heads (Basket Flower) with Broomweed

Spring Creek riffle

Fall solo walk at Spring Creek...a good mast crop this year for our trees can be seen along the trails...

Left to right:

Black Walnut/Osage Orange, Bur Oak/Pecan, Chinkapin Oak

Dr. Peter Assman listed birds the Plano Outdoor Learning Center, for early September and includes some fall migrants!

He includes images of copperheads in a rarely seen challenge display.  The Plano Outdoor Learning Center and Bob Woodruff Park are located along Rowlett Creek the main channel that Spring Creek drains into in the city limits of Garland, Texas.

13-Oct-07 / 14-Oct-07
Plano Outdoor Learning Center/Bob Woodruff Park

Migrants: Gray Catbird, House Wren, female Blue Grosbeak
Indigo Buntings, 4 warblers; no vireos;
FOS Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, White-throated Sparrow,
Brown Creeper, Red-breasted Nuthatches both days.

Highlight was a pair of Copperheads in ritualized combat
 http://www.utdallas.edu/~assmann/polc_101407.html

Double-crested Cormorant 5/2
Great Blue Heron  0/1
Green Heron 1/0 
Great Egret 0/2
Mallard x
Turkey Vulture  0/2
Sharp-shinned Hawk 2/0 
Cooper's Hawk 1/0 
Red-shouldered Hawk 1/1
Red-tailed Hawk 2/1
American Kestrel 1/1
Killdeer 5/0
Rock Pigeon 88/36
Mourning Dove 3/3
White-winged Dove 11/2
Eurasian Collared Dove 1/2
Barred Owl 0/1
Chimney Swift 1/2
Belted Kingfisher 1/0
Red-bellied Woodpecker 5/9
Northern Flicker 6/7
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 4/0 
Downy Woodpecker 4/6
Hairy Woodpecker 1/3
Scissor-tailed Flycatcher 13/1
Eastern Phoebe 9/4
Blue Jay 6/10
American Crow 2/2
Tufted Titmouse 8/11
Carolina Chickadee 7/9
Red-breasted Nuthatch 1/2
Brown Creeper 0/1
House Wren 0/2
Carolina Wren 7/6
Ruby-crowned Kinglet 1/6
Eastern Bluebird 3/0 
American Robin 90/120
Brown Thrasher 1/1
Gray Catbird 2/0
Northern Mockingbird 3/2
European Starling 77/74
Orange-crowned Warbler 1/1
Nashville Warbler 6/3
Common Yellowthroat 1/0 
Northern Parula 1/0
Indigo Bunting 3/5
Blue Grosbeak 0/1
Northern Cardinal 6/16
White-throated Sparrow  0/1
Red-winged Blackbird 2/0
Great-tailed Grackle 58/50
Common Grackle 235/30
Brown-headed Cowbird 9/0
House Sparrow 5/3
House Finch 8/4

10/6/07 and 10/7/07 
Plano Outdoor Learning Center/ Bob Woodruff Park 

Highlights: Red-breasted Nuthatch, Marsh Wren, Bell's Vireo,
 American Redstart
Nuthatch photo: http://www.utdallas.edu/~assmann/polc_100707.html

Rained out Sat AM just when it started to get lively.. 
still fairly active Sunday. 

Mallard  x  
Great Blue Heron  1/1
Great Egret 2/2  
Green Heron 1/1  
Sharp-shinned Hawk 0/2  
Red-shouldered Hawk 2/3  
Red-tailed Hawk 2/1  
American Kestrel 0/1  
Killdeer 3/1  
Rock Pigeon 135/30  
Eurasian Collared-Dove 1/0  
White-winged Dove 16/2  
Mourning Dove 4/6  
Chimney Swift 43/22  
Belted Kingfisher 1/1  
Red-bellied Woodpecker 6/7  
Downy Woodpecker 5/6  
Hairy Woodpecker 0/2  
Northern Flicker 0/4  
Least Flycatcher 2/1  
Empidonax sp. 2/1  
Eastern Phoebe 8/3  
Scissor-tailed Flycatcher 9/2  
White-eyed Vireo 2/3  
Bell's Vireo 0/1  (bright yellow sides, grayish face, light
 wing-bars, whitish eye ring)
Blue Jay 7/7
American Crow 7/4  
Carolina Chickadee 6/10  
Tufted Titmouse 5/10  
Red-breasted Nuthatch 0/1  (last recorded here Feb 2005)
White-breasted Nuthatch 1/0 
Carolina Wren 8/8  
House Wren 1/3  
Marsh Wren 1/0  
(popped up at same spot where I found the Sora last
 month)
Ruby-crowned Kinglet 1/2  
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 3/0  
Eastern Bluebird 7/2  
American Robin 6/55  
Northern Mockingbird 3/4  
Brown Thrasher 0/2  
European Starling 55/65  
Nashville Warbler 1/3  
Black-throated Green Warbler 0/1  
Black-and-white Warbler 1/1  
American Redstart 0/1  
Common Yellowthroat 1/3  
Wilson's Warbler 1/1  
Northern Cardinal 10/12  
Indigo Bunting 5/2  
Dickcissel 1/0  
Common Grackle 2/0    
Great-tailed Grackle 28/58  
Baltimore Oriole 1/0    
House Finch 24/4  
House Sparrow 3/4  

Revisited escarpment prairie near President George Bush Tollway.... We visited this remnant prairie in June, 2006 with

Dr. Ken Steigman, Dr. Bob O'Kennon, and Richard Freihelt of LLELA.  Unfortunately now it is slated for development just north of the Tollway along a frontage road in Garland.  These rare escarpment prairies, located on shallow rocky soils, are home to many globally significant forbs and grasses.  Many of these species are adapted for life in shallow calcareous soil and extreme droughts. Left to Right: Eryngo, although common is still a welcomed site in late summer in north central Texas; liatris and native grasses on shallow rocky soil, Argiope spider, Liatris near the Tollway, Big Bluestem (rarely found now in Garland or surrounding countryside).

Amphibians continue to decline globally and some think we will lose many species over the next few years

Join Frogwatch and help monitor and protect our frogs and toads.  A few years ago we did a frogwatch at

Spring Creek Preserve, and at that time, no other groups in the Dallas area were monitoring frogs.

Dr. Peter Assman listed birds the Plano Outdoor Learning Center, for early September and includes some fall migrants!

Location:     Plano Outdoor Learning Ctr.
Observation dates 9/8/07 and 9/9/07 

Mallard - Anas platyrhynchos     x
Great Egret - Ardea alba     2
Green Heron - Butorides virescens     1
Turkey Vulture - Cathartes aura     2
Cooper's Hawk - Accipiter cooperii     1
Red-shouldered Hawk - Buteo lineatus     2
Red-tailed Hawk - Buteo jamaicensis     1
SORA - Porzana carolina     1   [my first record at this (urban) location]
Killdeer - Charadrius vociferus     2
Rock Pigeon - Columba livia     110
Eurasian Collared-Dove - Streptopelia decaocto     4 
White-winged Dove - Zenaida asiatica     28
Mourning Dove - Zenaida macroura     5
Yellow-billed Cuckoo - Coccyzus americanus     4
Chuck-will's-widow - Caprimulgus carolinensis     1  [flushed near
 boardwalk/woods in front of POLC]
Chimney Swift - Chaetura pelagica     43
Belted Kingfisher - Ceryle alcyon     1
Red-bellied Woodpecker - Melanerpes carolinus     6
Downy Woodpecker - Picoides pubescens     6
Hairy Woodpecker - Picoides villosus     1
Archilochus hummingbird 2  (prob RT)
Alder Flycatcher - Empidonax alnorum     1
Least Flycatcher - Empidonax minimus     2
Eastern Phoebe - Sayornis phoebe     4
Great Crested Flycatcher - Myiarchus crinitus     3
Scissor-tailed Flycatcher - Tyrannus forficatus     17
White-eyed Vireo - Vireo griseus     7
YELLOW-THROATED VIREO - Vireo flavifrons     1  [heard singing Sat,
 excellent views on Sunday]
Red-eyed Vireo - Vireo olivaceus     5
Blue Jay - Cyanocitta cristata     5
American Crow - Corvus brachyrhynchos     10
Northern Rough-winged Swallow - Stelgidopteryx serripennis     1
Carolina Chickadee - Poecile carolinensis     10
Tufted Titmouse - Baeolophus bicolor     11
White-breasted Nuthatch - Sitta carolinensis     2
Carolina Wren - Thryothorus ludovicianus     12
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher - Polioptila caerulea     10
Eastern Bluebird - Sialia sialis     11
American Robin - Turdus migratorius     70
Northern Mockingbird - Mimus polyglottos     2
European Starling - Sturnus vulgaris     38
Yellow Warbler - Dendroica petechia     1
Black-throated Green Warbler - Dendroica virens     1
Black-and-white Warbler - Mniotilta varia     4
Mourning Warbler - Oporornis philadelphia     2
Wilson's Warbler - Wilsonia pusilla     6
Canada Warbler - Wilsonia canadensis     1
Northern Cardinal - Cardinalis cardinalis     14
Indigo Bunting - Passerina cyanea     4
Common Grackle - Quiscalus quiscula     1
Great-tailed Grackle - Quiscalus mexicanus     35
Orchard Oriole - Icterus spurius     1
House Finch - Carpodacus mexicanus     8
House Sparrow - Passer domesticus     5

Calling all bird watchers
 
Project FeederWatch is seeking new participants as it launches its 21st season. 

FeederWatch participants send weekly observations of feeder birds to the Lab of Ornithology

from November through April, helping to document long-term shifts in bird population and distribution.

Sign up on the Project FeederWatch web site at http://www.birds.cornell.edu/pfw or 

call the Lab toll-free at (800) 843-2473. 

Visited the rocky prairie and noticed fall gumweed, broom whitlow-wort, and a field of eryngo,

one with a Lynx spider waiting on prey.  There is also a "new" patch of Big Bluestem not far

from the trail.  Little bluestem is also more abundant this summer.

The Perseid meteors will be in the northeastern night sky and will peak from midnight to dawn.

More information :

Hummingbird nest: We found either a ruby-throated or black chinned hummingbird nest over

Spring Creek a couple of weeks ago and finally got a decent photo, although the adult hasn't been

seen on the nest.   The material is spider webbing and camouflage with liverworts from the adjacent

stream bank (right photo)....

Summer 2007 birds - Plano Outdoor Learning Center / Bob Woodruff Park

This is the wettest summer I've ever experienced here, with significant
amounts of rainfall every week over the course of the nesting season. The open
fields were often flooded, trails along the creek were consistently muddy and the
vegetation is now very lush, with ragweed plants more than 10' tall. Quite a
contrast from last summer!

Best bird of the season was the Yellow-throated Vireo. It first showed up on May 24,

and I assumed it was a migrant. I saw it again on June 10, singing
persistently at the bridge over Rowlett Creek near the original spot. On June 24 I
heard singing along the creek a few hundred yards from the bridge. On June 30 I 

heard a brief burst of YTVI song from the edge of the woods opposite the parking lot.
Finally, on July 21 I heard a brief burst of song and had a quick glimpse, then
after a long silent period another short burst, an even longer pause, then finally a
sustained bout of singing that lasted about 3 minutes, but from thick cover
making it hard to locate. This was in the woods near the bend in the bike path, 

not far  from the bridge. No luck finding the nest, and I'm not even sure the bird had a mate,
but I can't rule it out either. Warren Pullich lists YTVI as "Uncommon to rare
transient. Extremely rare summer resident." Hopefully the bird will return next year. 

Herons and egrets made a good showing with up to 6 species on any given
day,feeding in the flooded fields or flying over. A juvenile Mississippi Kite 

made an appearance on July 7. I spotted it inflight at first, then it perched 

in a dead tree near the edge of the woods for about 20 min. Gave a drawn-out 

"ooahhalah" call. Eventually some crows found it and drove it out. Didn't see

it again, but I wondered if it might have been raised in thearea, or perhaps 

just an early migrant.

A Solitary Sandpiper on July 29 was unusual for this location/date - 

flooding in the fieldsopened up some habitat for them.

A Yellow-billed Cuckoo feeding a fledgling on July 14.

Hummingbird nest found near the bridge, probably a Black-chinned based
on a male bird showing territorial behavior nearby. Female seen on the nest a
couple of times;by June 24 the nest was either abandoned or the young had already
fledged successfully.

Unidentified Empidonax flycatcher on July 14, probably an early migrant.

Purple Martins roosted in the trees around the lake in Bob Woodruff Park Park

with up to 180 birds (perhaps more) in the early morning on July 14.

White-breasted Nuthatches began to show up regularly again this summer.
 
After last summer's drought they had become quite scarce, but they seem
to be reliable now with up to 2 birds per visit. Up to 3 pairs of Northern Parula

on territory in different spots along the creek again this summer. 

Black-and-white Warbler, seen twice, individual birds on July 14 and
 21.

A first-year male Painted Bunting on territory (heard/seen on 5
occasions, singing near the Outdoor Learning Center, with Indigo Bunting male

singing nearby).

Probable Field Sparrow on July 21 - likely an early migrant.

Elsewhere: American Kestrels showed up at several places in Plano and
Richardson around the middle of July. Maybe nesting locally? A pair in close 

association,calling quietly to each other and perching together near the 

post office at Parker and Independence in Plano. Another pair seen several 

times perched together near UTD campus(southern edge of Collin County). 

Apparently it was a good year for Dickcissels. These birds normally
migrate through the city but do not stop to breed. But in the fields north of UTD campus up to 5
pairs were singing daily well  into July, near the corner of Synergy Dr. and Renner Rd. 

Good birding,
Peter

Texas Crescent on Scabiosa, an invasive wildflower.  Also seen were several gulf fritillaries and

fiery skippers

Martin Selznick sends us photos of a Great Egret, Green Heron, and Tiger Swallowtail from

Breckinridge Park located north of Spring Creek Forest along Rowlett Creek.

This is perhaps the most colorful of the Spring Creek butterflies, the Gulf Fritillary (Agraulis vanillae)

...seen here on a Liatris or gayfeather.  The Gulf Fritillary got its name from its migration across

the Gulf of Mexico. Its host plant is Passiflora species, or passionflowers.

This was the first day of sun and no rain forecast in weeks!

Live Earth kicks off! better late than never.....

Live Earth is a 24-hour, 7-continent concert series taking place on

7/7/07 that will bring together more than 100 music artists and 2 billion

 people to trigger a global movement to solve the climate crisis.

Camouflaged Three-banded Grasshopper (Hadrotettix trifasciatus) on rocky prairie; an orange polypore with ant, overgrown trail from abundant rainfall and little foot traffic; bumper crop of basket flower seeds

Flash flood watches and warnings continue in north and central Texas as moisture from the Gulf of Mexico

hits us.....according to the news this is the third wettest June on record and we have 3 days to go.  Forecast

for July does not look much better.  These images from a walk today through puddles and mud along the trail on

the north side of the Creek.

Martin Selznick sends us a photo of an adult Five-Lined Skink (Eumeces fasciatus) from Breckinridge Park

located north of Spring Creek Forest along Rowlett Creek.

Juveniles are dark with five yellowish stripes and a bright blue tail.  The blue tail and stripes fade as the lizard

matures.

Several species of birds seen at Spring Creek have been listed by National Audubon as seriously

declining on a national scale. They are, in order of decline since 1967, as follows:

Northern Bobwhite        85%

Eastern Meadowlark    72%

Loggerhead Shrike      71%

Field Sparrow               68%

Grasshopper Sparrow 65%

Lark Sparrow                63%

Common Grackle         61%

Little Blue Heron           54%

Audubon suggests protecting local habitat and controlling invasive species to help curb their decline.

More detailed information on breeding bird population trends can be found at

http://www.pwrc.usgs.gov/BBS/   North American Breeding Bird Survey

Several small escarpment or rocky prairies are being developed (=destroyed) north of the President

George Bush Tollway...this particular prairie, with beautiful Texas Plume or Standing Cypress

(Ipomopsis rubra) is located northwest of the intersection of Holford Road and West Campbell Road

in Garland.  Spring Creek Preserve has no Texas Plume.  A continuing decline in open spaces,

including prairies, contributes to a drastic decline in meadow birds such as the Northern bobwhite,

the Eastern meadowlark, the loggerhead shrike and the field sparrow, as reported

yesterday by the Audubon Society .  I saw Scissor Tailed Flycatchers and Western Kingbirds

around this prairie:

With abundant rainfall over the last few months, this blooming season remains spectacular...

Purple Coneflower (Blacksamson) (Echinacea angustifolia) and Basketflower (Centaurea americana)

are abundant.  Be ready to endure fire ants, mud, poison ivy, and mosquitoes as you walk on the Preserve.

Thanks to Douglas Barricklow for these field notes:

Just thought I'd drop you a note to let you know that my family and I  
came across a copperhead along the side of the cement trails at  
Holford Rd. this afternoon.  It was sometime between 3:30 and 4:30-- 
not long after the rains had moved on and the sun had come out.
 
My wife, my 4-year-old daughter, and I were heading down the longer  
fork of the sidewalk trail when we saw a group of three people coming  
from the other direction walking their pack of rescue Pug dogs.  The  
woman in charge of the pugs (who said she was a Spring Creek  
volunteer) had stopped to allow my daughter to pet the dogs when a  
man in her group noticed the snake off to the side of the walkway.   
Ironically, she had just been explaining to us that copperheads  
aren't seen too often at Spring Creek, and that you are lucky to come  
across one.  That's when the man let out a shout and said, "Like this  
one?!!?"
 
He used a long branch to gently move the snake a good 7 or 8 feet off  
the trail and down the hill.  The dog walkers then continued on their  
way, and my family and I walked on down to the end of the trail and  
enjoyed the creek view for a bit.  On our way back up the trail, we  
found that the copperhead had returned to a spot at the very edge of  
the cement walkway.  We moved carefully by and kept to the opposite  
side of the walkway.  The snake didn't move at all when my wife  
walked by, and it recoiled its head into a mildly defensive position  
as I went by more quickly (and heavily) with my daughter in my arms.
 
Not a huge event, but I thought you might like this for the Field  
Notes page on your Web site...
 
Best!
Douglas

Douglas also posted a coyote video taken near White Rock lake a few ago:

Here's something else that might interest you.  I shot this footage  
of a coyote when my wife and I lived in the Lochwood Area east of  
White Rock Lake (around 2001)--southwest of the Plano Rd/Lake  
Highlands intersection with Northwest Highway.  Coyotes are often  
spotted in the greenbelts and creeks throughout that neighborhood.   
This file can be viewed on the Internet.  Plus it is optimized for  
viewing on a Video iPod:
 
http://www.coffeeshoptimes.com/ClearbrookCoyote-Adjusted.mp4
 
Best,
Douglas

Added Toxicodenron pubescens (E. Poison Ivy) and T. radicans (Poison Oak) to plant list as well as Bupleurum rotundifolium (Round-leaf Thoroughwax). Total species of vascular plants to date 333.

Yesterday, Dr. Peter Assman reported a lot of migrants at Bob Woodruff Park and Plano Outdoor Learning Center:

Location:     Plano Outdoor Learning Ctr.
Observation date:     5/20/07
Notes:     Mild, partly cloudy, very pleasant day. Lots of migrants 
still 
around, residents in full song. Birds catching lots of insects, eating 
mulberries, coming to puddles in the woods to drink.
Number of species:     63

Mallard     X
Great Blue Heron     1
Great Egret     1
Snowy Egret     1
Turkey Vulture     1
Red-shouldered Hawk     2
Red-tailed Hawk     2
Killdeer     1
Rock Pigeon     27
White-winged Dove     5
Mourning Dove     5
Yellow-billed Cuckoo     4
Chimney Swift     8
Black-chinned Hummingbird     1
Belted Kingfisher     1
Red-bellied Woodpecker     6
Downy Woodpecker     6
Hairy Woodpecker     2
Eastern Wood-Pewee     1
Yellow-bellied Flycatcher     1
Alder Flycatcher     1
Least Flycatcher     3
Eastern Phoebe     2
Great Crested Flycatcher     5
Western Kingbird     3
Eastern Kingbird     1
Scissor-tailed Flycatcher     4
White-eyed Vireo     5
Warbling Vireo     4
Red-eyed Vireo     10
Blue Jay     6
American Crow     2
Purple Martin     3
Barn Swallow     6
Carolina Chickadee     19
Tufted Titmouse     12
Carolina Wren     12
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher     2
Eastern Bluebird     5
Gray-cheeked Thrush     1
Swainson's Thrush     10
American Robin     4
Gray Catbird     1
Northern Mockingbird     4
European Starling     21
Northern Parula     1
Magnolia Warbler     2
Black-and-white Warbler     1
American Redstart     5
Ovenbird     1
Northern Waterthrush     1
Mourning Warbler     3
Common Yellowthroat     2
Wilson's Warbler     5
Canada Warbler     1
Northern Cardinal     15
Indigo Bunting     3
Red-winged Blackbird     4
Common Grackle     4
Great-tailed Grackle     18
Brown-headed Cowbird     3
Orchard Oriole     1
House Sparrow     16

This report was generated automatically by eBird v2 
(http://www.ebird.org/tx)

14 warbler day at Prairie Creek

Thanks to all the birders we encountered at Prairie Creek today!

Common Yellowthroat

Yellow Warbler

Magnolia Warbler

Canada Warbler

Redstart

Black-throated Green Warbler

Blackburnian Warbler

Wilson's Warbler

American Redstart

Chestnut-sided Warbler

Bay-Breasted Warbler

Mourning Warbler

Ovenbird

Black-chinned Hummingbird

Rose-Breasted Grosbeak

Baltimore Oriole

Swainson's Thrush

Gray-cheeked Thrush

Catbird

Philadelphia Vireo

Warbling Vireo

Red-eyed Vireo

Blue-Headed Vireo

Least Flycatcher

Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher

E. Wood Pewee

Another slow day at Prairie Creek with three warbler species..

Nashville Warbler

Magnolia Warbler

Yellow-Breasted Chat

Swainson's Thrush

May 9 Thanks Martin S. for new images!    

Blue-Winged Warbler seen at Prairie Creek 10:10am      

May 8. Brewer's Sparrow not far from Spring Creek in

Richardson, Texas

Derek's new blog

Derek reports: 

Attached a few pics of the Brewer's Sparrow from
today. Freakin awesome bird, when I first saw its head
pop up in the Texas sagebrush (in backyard) it reminded

me of a Cassin'sSparrow . . .Awesome looks from 20 ft 

away as it sat on an openTexas sage twig for a short 

while then sat on the fence for a couple of minutes. 

Saw lots of these guys on their
breeding grounds last summer/fall and a few in
migration in Nebraska and west Texas. Definitely NOT a

CCSP!  Very finely streaked crown, no white forehead
or crown stripe at all, although median crown was gray
as opposed to the brown on the sides of crown, although all
was evenly streaked with fine black lines.Very finely 

streaked crown, no white forehead or crown stripe at all, 

although median crown was gray
as opposed to the brown on the sides of crown, although all
was it was evenly streaked with fine black lines. Face
pattern closer to Cassin's or even Field in dullness
as opposed to the more striking CCSP pattern. A couple
of the pics were in poor light so the face seems a bit
more contrast than it really was. Also seen by dad
and brother.  Odd because there doesn't seem to be any big
movement of Spizellas in the area. In fact all I've
really seen this spring was a Clay-colored or two at
Prairie Creek about a week ago. We'd had a power
outage at the house since the past afternoon, and
would have never seen this bird had we not been
sitting on the patio enjoying the lack of electricity.
DH

May 7  A 17-warbler day!

Arapaho Park:                            

Nashville Warbler                                

Common Yellowthroat

Yellow Warbler

Parula Warbler

Magnolia Warbler

Canada Warbler

Redstart

Tennessee Warbler

Black-throated Green Warbler

Wilson's Warbler

Chestnut-sided Warbler

Black-and-White Warbler

Northern Waterthrush

Philadelphia Vireo

Warbling Vireo

Red-eyed Vireo

Least Flycatcher

Yellow-bellied Flycatcher

Trail's Flycatcher

Eastern Phoebe

Eastern Wood Pewee

Swamp Sparrow

White-crowned Sparrow

Yellow-billed Cuckoo

Baltimore Oriole

Orchard Oriole

Summer Tanager

Seen at Prairie Creek but not at Arapaho Park:

Blackburnian Warbler

Ovenbird

Prothonotary Warbler

Mourning Warbler

5:30-6:15PM Prairie Creek.

Canada Warbler, Chesnut-Sided Warbler (reported), N. Waterthrush, Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Swainson's Thrush

PRAIRIE CREEK   Pretty nice list today!

5/3/07 Prairie Creek Park, Richardson, Dallas Co.

Mississippi Kite – 3 over Plano Rd @ Arapaho Rd
Franklin’s Gull – 1 flyover
Archilocus hummingbird sp. – 2
Least Flycatcher – 3-4
Great Crested Flycatcher – 6-10

Olive-sided Flycatcher - 1

Dickcissel - flyover

House Wren – 1
Ruby-crowned Kinglet – 3
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher – 1
Gray-cheeked Thrush – 2
Swainson’s Thrush – 5-6
Gray Catbird – 1
Blue-headed Vireo - 3-4
YELLOW-THROATED VIREO – 1
Warbling Vireo – 1
Philadelphia Vireo – 1, singing
Nashville Warbler - 10-15
Yellow Warbler - 3
Black-throated Green Warbler – 2
Blackburnian Warbler – 1 spankin male
Black-and-white Warbler - 3
Common Yellowthroat - 2
Wilson’s Warbler - 5
Summer Tanager – 1 f
Rose-breasted Grosbeak – 1 m
Clay-colored Sparrow – 1
White-crowned Sparrow – 2
Common Grackle
Baltimore Oriole – 4
American Goldfinch – 1

Herps:
Diamondback Watersnake - 1 hefty adult
Musk Turtle - 1
Red-eared Slider - many

Leps:
Pipevine Swallowtail - 3
Gulf Fritillary - 1
Red Admiral - 1
Hackberry Emperor - 1
Tawny Emperor - .2 (just one forewing)

Peak blooming at Spring Creek Preserve.   Flox-glove, winecups, plains yellow daisy, greenthread, texas paintbrush and many others. The wet cool winter and spring seems to have been very favorable for wildflowers this year. More images on Image page.

Northern Waterthrush(2), Nashville Warbler, Tennessee Warbler, Yellow Warbler(3).  Common Yellowthroat,

Red-Eyed Vireo, Philadelphia Vireo(2) , Indigo Bunting(2), Baltimore Oriole. Swainson's Thrush (reported),

Gray-Cheeked Thrush (reported)

Mystery Plant...venture a guess answer in a week.

Prairie Creek - migrants are arriving.  Northern Waterthrush, American Redstart, Nashville, Tennessee , Yellow-Rumped,

and Black and White Warblers; White-Crowned and Savannah Sparrows, Brown Thrasher, Bewick's Wrens, Swainson's

Thrush, Eastern Towhee, Spotted Towhee, Great Crested Flycatcher, Painted Bunting, Warbling Vireo, and

White-Eyed Vireo. Thanks to C. Ward for most of the additions!  Arapaho Park - female Tennessee Warbler, Nashville Warblers.

Waiting for next good storm front!

When you're hiking in the woods make sure the roots you see at ground level are actually roots.

This copperhead was on the trail near Fred E Harris Section of Spring Creek Greenbelt, but it is docile compared

to other poisonous snakes in this region. Avoid them, especially with children and small dogs.  More information

on Texas species can be found at http://www.zo.utexas.edu/research/txherps/snakes/agkistrodon.contortrix.html  

Copperhead bites are the most numerous in the eastern US since they are the most common species. The nearest

emergency first aid station tto Spring Creek is Fire Station 6 at 2009 Holford Road just a short distance from

any of the entry points into the Forest. (refer to Where is it? page)

Visit Parkhill Prairie in Hunt County to see one of the finest public prairies in North Central Texas....

Left to right: Celestial Ghost Iris, Parkhill Prairie vista, unidentified crab spider with an abdomen that resembles a human face?

Lemon Paintbrush (C. purpurea var. citrina), Purple Paintbrush (C. purpurea var. purpurea).  Some notable birds included

Grasshopper, Lark, Savannah, LeConte's Sparrows

Several notable wildflowers blooming now at Spring Creek Preserve (refer to plant list for Latin names)

Left to Right: Foxglove, Wild Hyacinth, Roadside Gaura, Prairie Spiderwort, Mealy Sage, Star of Bethlehem

Yellow Plains Daisy image is posted on the Plant Page.

We had a successful work day on Saturday, April 7 as we endured temperatures in the 30s and a light snow. About half of the prairie was cleared of encroaching hardwoods as 19 participants cut and hauled honey locust, cedar elm, bos d'arc, and other unwanted vegetation to the surrounding forests for bird and mammal cover.  Special thanks for Leadership Garland and Sam's Club for providing food and drink.

The donation is a result of her reading the article in the DMN on March 1 by Elizabeth Langton.

Added improved location map today under "where is it?" and new local trails and parks page

Added Violet Word Sorrel to Plant page courtesy of Marvin Rogers. Thanks!

What is this? Are they hybrids? A Trout Lily (Erythronium albidum) and a Brook Trout (Salvelinus fontinalis)?

or an Erythronium fontinalis and a Salvelinus albidum?  The Trout Lily leaves resemble trout hence the common

name....Actually it's your webmaster playing around with Photoshop...there are NO trout that look like this.

Most of our trout lilies have gone to seed and there are still thousands of leaves you can still see.  Soon the leaves

will disappear until next season. As for trout...you would have to go to some cold water streams in Texas Hill Country or the Ouachita Mountains of Arkansas or Oklahoma to find the nearest trout.

March 25 moved information and added the Dallas Morning News links on local parks

and trails to a new page since it was hiding the bottom our our Blackland Prairie page.

Saturday, March 24   Don't forget today's bird walk at Spring Creek PARK Preserve

1787 Holford Road from 4:00PM to 6:00PM.

Update: the bird walk turned into a nature walk where we identified everything we could. The

bird of the walk was a Lark Sparrow right by the copse near the parking lot along with a

Harris's Sparrow and a few Field Sparrows. Also notable was a Hermit Thrush spotted by Lynn.

Ralph reported to us that he had observed a Mountain Bluebird on the Preserve about 4 weeks ago.

(Now added to our master bird list!)

A family from Germany with a very knowledgeable 5 year old, Lian,  accompanied us....he amazed

us by asking such questions as "do the Tufted Titmouse and Cedar Waxwing look similar?"

He had observed the crest on both species, although on this particular trip he had not seen a waxwing.

I was walking along the north side of Spring Creek earlier and spotted a Pileated Woodpecker at

10:50AM after hearing its call several times.  This is coincidental since last year's spring bird

group spotted a Pileated Woodpecker almost to the day on the east side of Holford Road in

Spring Creek Forest.  Other birds included White-Eyed Vireo, and the more common birds.

In bloom are the violet wood sorrel, crow poison, plains yellow daisy, wild onion, funnel flower,

fringed puccoon, rusty black haw, texas paintbrush, redbud, buffalo plum, golden groundsel, low peavine,

meadow flax, and other species. Animals spotted included Texas Garter Snake, Tiger Beetle (sp?),

Monarch/Goatweed/Red Admiral/Tiger Swallowtail/Dainty Sulphur/ Eight-spotted Forester/

Falcate Orangetip (Lynn spotted this one)/ Pearl Cresent/ Checkered Skipper/Black Tiger Swallowtail

Scene from our rocky prairie on a cloudy March afternoon.

Can anyone identify these cryptogams from our rocky prairie (escarpment prairie)?  The photos were taken yesterday

as macro images.  There are many species of cryptogams (mosses, liverworts, algae) that have never been identified

at Spring Creek.  The Soils page has more information about this soil community which remains obscure, even to soil

scientists and ranchers.  A good layman's essay can be found at the Sibley Nature Center web site.

We would also like to know what species of ammonite this is found in Richardson, TX along Beck Branch, a tributary to

Rowlett Creek.

Spring Equinox is March 21

Are our honeybees and other pollinators on the decline at Spring Creek? Spring Equinox is March 21

Less of a buzz in North America

Just a few of the pollinators found at Spring Creek...they have never all been identified, especially many of the flies,

true bugs, beetles, wasps, and small bees. We migratory pollinators also, like the Monarch butterfly and two species

of hummers (Ruby-throated, Black-Chinned).

Week of March 11

Audubon Dallas -  Big Day Challenge

Beginning at 3:00 PM today, March 16 and ending at 3:00 PM Saturday birding teams from Dallas and Ft. Worth

will challenge each other for the most species counted in 24 hours. See the following url for more details!

Fort Worth Audubon Birding Forum email Dell Little at dellel@sbcglobal.net or call him at 817-451-4086.

Check out what butterflies are "on the wing" at http://www.dallasbutterflies.com/

Butterflies cannot be collected at the Preserve nor any other fauna or flora. Yes I too used to collect and

kill them but not any more....

Left to Right:

Checkered Skippers (male on right) in courtship on the rocky prairie, Cuckoo wasp on late blooming Elbow Bush

Female flowers of Texas Red Oak (Buckley's Oak) - the scientific name of this species is still is dispute:

http://www.catnapin.com/WildWeeds/TreeShrub/TreeOakRed.htm#Texas_Red_Oak

One of our new blue bird boxes with some spring foliage (mexican plum and redbud).  Come join us on April 7

at 9am to help clear encroaching hardwoods on the prairie - note tagged "weeds" for removal....there are hundreds of them.

Spring Images- L to R:  Spring Creek with Mexican Plum in foreground , seed capsule with stamen hanging (Trout Lily), Redbud with last years seed pods

Astragalus crassicarpus (Ground-Plum, Buffalo Plum). Other plants in bloom now include Mexican Plum, Ten-pedal Anemone, Elbow Bush, and some Trout Lilies, Slender-stemmed hymenoxis, and others.

Thanks to all for the photos and news articles! The response has been so overwhelming

we will probably have a separate Trout Lily Photo Page next season and, who knows, maybe

a photo contest!

Ben and Elaine Cox sent us these trout lily shots...

Thanks to all who made this annual event another success at an estimated 120 participants, and especially to Tom Frey!  The weather was windy but nice...although by the second tour at 1:00-3:00pm winds had picked up and we were in the middle of a dust storm.  By 5PM the dust had subsided......

The Trout Lily (Erythronium albidum) was in full bloom for the crowds......

Bluebirds looking for nests have been spotted in Ft. Worth as well as the arrival of Purple Martin!!!

---> Texbird help file http://www.texbirds.org <---
 
I was pleased to see and hear my first male Purple Martin of this year.  It 
arrived to check out a martin house that my neighbor has down the street.  I 
live in far north Fort Worth (Tarrant County), near the Keller city limits. 
 
Also a welcome sign of spring was a pair of Eastern Bluebirds checking out 
my yard for nest sites.  They were trying to get into a wren house that was 
too small for them.  I promptly made a house for them of the right 
dimensions that I hope that they will find and use this season.  The land 
where my subdivision is used to be native prairie, but apparently the 
development has not yet pushed the bluebirds out completely.  I’ll do my 
part to keep them around! 
 
Lawrence Duhon
Fort Worth, Texas
 
For answers to questions about this list, as well as current Texas
Birding Links, visit the Texbirds Reference Page at http://www.texbirds.org

A couple from Richardson discover the first Trout Lily of the season...Valerie and James Stark.  Several were found on shallow soil warmed by the winter sun, which is perhaps a key factor in blooming for this species.

 In rich moist woods in late February, this small lily is only about six inches tall.  The Trout Lily or  Dog-tooth Violet is said to be pollinated by beetles and ants, but honey bees have also been observed.  It takes up to seven years for the plant to mature. The mature plant has two mottled basal leaves with patterns resembling those of trout.  The lily opens each morning and closes each night, but during the middle of a bright day the sepals, which are white (unlike its eastern yellow-pedaled relative) are greatly reflexed.

The plant grows from a deep rootstock or corm which is three to five inches underground and spreads to form colonies. They grow best in a deciduous woodland environment where they receive filtered winter sunlight. They prefer a humus rich soil, and seem to be most abundant on gentle south-facing slopes adjacent to flood plains.

On another note...here is an interesting