Lots of irons in the fire, but returned home this afternoon to find the property abuzz with both sexes of Ruby-throated Hummingbirds. In the blink of of an eye, they are not only back but busy fighting over the feeders! Did not see a single one yesterday. I hung out 3 feeders, all I have, which will have to last them for some time. I need some new ones as the plastic on a couple has faded from red to sort of a powdery pink due to the hot sun. That darn hard 13F degree night back in January, blew up the good feeders that were out while I was away. One of the male Ruby-throats that arrived out there today is already displaying to females.They just don't mess around.
Several Gnatcatchers were in the yard as well but I did not have time to look for anything else today though did see the Spotted Towhee.....Dang, I hear thunder to the west and I didn't even know there was rain forecasted.(?)
This is the date I sometimes hear my first Whip-poor-will of the year, but will likely miss that event this spring.
Brush
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Late Brown Creeper!
The TAS Birds of the Austin, Texas Region Checklist states that Brown Creeper is "Very Rare" the last third of March.This photo was taken this morning March 23 at my Utley residence as I was having coffee. It is is amazing that I heard or saw it at all given the scores of Chipping Sparrows on the property nibbling at the oak blooms. Actually at my age it is amazing that I could even hear then find this bird period. It is considered to be one of the most difficult of all North American birds to detect by call alone, especially as one ages. But that thin "seeee" call is just what drew my attention to it and it was heard it several times thereafter. I would not have expected to see one this late in the season.
The towhee sang a bit early on and finally after a long absence a Hermit Thrush has appeared the property after being nearly absent all winter. Just animals all north bound I guess. A small stream of Broad-winged Hawks sailed over earlier. There will likely be more of those as the day wears on for the conditions here are perfect for such a movement today. A Swallow-tailed Kite would be nice, and right on time.
Brush
Monday, March 22, 2010
March 22, 2010 Bastrop Co
After two lousy days of weather, one rainy and one very windy, this morning was just right. Went out to dump the coffee grounds in the flower bed and there was Mr. Parula singing and the Towhee man calling for chow. Threw out the seed and withing minutes there were 6-70 birds, as usual Chipping Sparrows.
Walked in to the woods behind the house very carefully to see if I could find down Mrs. Woodcock again and see the nest , but she was no where to be seen even though I walked around the area to a diameter of at least 30 yards. I hope she had chicks that could move vs. a predator following my trail and finding them. Two mornings ago we had a hard downpour that may have had a negative impact as well. An inch of rain in a very short span of time.
From there I had a bit more coffee then drove over to Betty's (turf farm) and as usual there was nothing of note. Earhardt Rd. had little to offer expect for yellowlegs and a few other shorebirds down where the flooded areas are. Wilbarger Bend Road produced my Bastrop Co. Eastern Kingbirds and a Long-billed Curlew as well a numerous Brewer's Blackbirds.
At the little Colorado River Chapel Cemetery there were the usual birds however looking up did see my first Broad-winged Hawks of the year. BTW, Petra Hockey had a BWHA in Port O'Connor yesterday....A very rare bird there at anytime.
Not much else going on. Mr. Parula is busy singing out there as I write and I planted a fig tree.. Saw one of the roadrunners with a stick so I guess they are nest building. The big female red wasps have finally all settled down and I don't see as many now that they over-wintering queens have all presumably found a place to construct a nest.
Oh and I finally had my first clear looks at a Cliff Swallow for 2010 though I know they have been around for weeks now. Usually what I see when I try is a Cave Swallow.
Webberville Park was actually nice this morning and there was NO mowing while I was there, but there were also no unusual birds.
Today is my last full day to piddle about here. Off to San Saba Co. tomorrow, Round Top & Burton the next day then to the coast and south Texas for what I hope is a lot of work. May be gone a good while this time around.... I am sure I will miss a lot of changes
B.
Walked in to the woods behind the house very carefully to see if I could find down Mrs. Woodcock again and see the nest , but she was no where to be seen even though I walked around the area to a diameter of at least 30 yards. I hope she had chicks that could move vs. a predator following my trail and finding them. Two mornings ago we had a hard downpour that may have had a negative impact as well. An inch of rain in a very short span of time.
From there I had a bit more coffee then drove over to Betty's (turf farm) and as usual there was nothing of note. Earhardt Rd. had little to offer expect for yellowlegs and a few other shorebirds down where the flooded areas are. Wilbarger Bend Road produced my Bastrop Co. Eastern Kingbirds and a Long-billed Curlew as well a numerous Brewer's Blackbirds.
At the little Colorado River Chapel Cemetery there were the usual birds however looking up did see my first Broad-winged Hawks of the year. BTW, Petra Hockey had a BWHA in Port O'Connor yesterday....A very rare bird there at anytime.
Not much else going on. Mr. Parula is busy singing out there as I write and I planted a fig tree.. Saw one of the roadrunners with a stick so I guess they are nest building. The big female red wasps have finally all settled down and I don't see as many now that they over-wintering queens have all presumably found a place to construct a nest.
Oh and I finally had my first clear looks at a Cliff Swallow for 2010 though I know they have been around for weeks now. Usually what I see when I try is a Cave Swallow.
Webberville Park was actually nice this morning and there was NO mowing while I was there, but there were also no unusual birds.
Today is my last full day to piddle about here. Off to San Saba Co. tomorrow, Round Top & Burton the next day then to the coast and south Texas for what I hope is a lot of work. May be gone a good while this time around.... I am sure I will miss a lot of changes
B.
Saturday, March 20, 2010
A New Giant Silkworm Moth for Central Texas
Update: Charles Bordelon with TEXAS LEPIDOPTERA SURVEY has confirmed this as a new Central Texas Record.
Or at least no one has told me otherwise to date nor I can not find any reference to it being near the Edwards Plateau. It is one of the Giant Silkworm or Royal Moths, being in the same family as Imperial, Buckmoths and the Luna Moths etc. This animal is known as the Honey Locust Moth ( Sphingicampa Bicolor). The larvae feed on Honey Locust and the Kentucky Coffee Tree, neither of which I am aware grow in this region of Texas, for sure not the Coffee Tree. At the minimum it may be a new Travis County insect as it was found on the side of the little Webberville Grocery store in the far eastern edge of that county on March 19, 2010. Here are a couple of my photos.
http://picasaweb.google.com/ BrushFreeman/ SphingicampaBicolorHoneyLocust Moth#
The insect has beautiful salmon pink hind wings and is one of the smaller of the Silkworm Moths. Here also is another image of the moth from off the web. They are definitely not common, perhaps even quite rare this far west as it is considered an eastern insect.
Here also is an image pulled from the web of this gorgeous animal.
http://tdpc02.fnal.gov/peterson/tom/Moths/Saturniidae/Saturniidae-Pages/HoneyLocustMoth.html
Since I have had no meaningful feed back, I will let the statements above stand until corrected at which time an addendum or correction will likely be in order.
Brush
Or at least no one has told me otherwise to date nor I can not find any reference to it being near the Edwards Plateau. It is one of the Giant Silkworm or Royal Moths, being in the same family as Imperial, Buckmoths and the Luna Moths etc. This animal is known as the Honey Locust Moth ( Sphingicampa Bicolor). The larvae feed on Honey Locust and the Kentucky Coffee Tree, neither of which I am aware grow in this region of Texas, for sure not the Coffee Tree. At the minimum it may be a new Travis County insect as it was found on the side of the little Webberville Grocery store in the far eastern edge of that county on March 19, 2010. Here are a couple of my photos.
http://picasaweb.google.com/ BrushFreeman/ SphingicampaBicolorHoneyLocust Moth#
The insect has beautiful salmon pink hind wings and is one of the smaller of the Silkworm Moths. Here also is another image of the moth from off the web. They are definitely not common, perhaps even quite rare this far west as it is considered an eastern insect.
Here also is an image pulled from the web of this gorgeous animal.
http://tdpc02.fnal.gov/peterson/tom/Moths/Saturniidae/Saturniidae-Pages/HoneyLocustMoth.html
Since I have had no meaningful feed back, I will let the statements above stand until corrected at which time an addendum or correction will likely be in order.
Brush
Friday, March 19, 2010
Citations from Lytle Blankenship on nesting Woodcock Behavior
Lytle Blankenship, one of our resident Texas experts on Woodcocks sent me the following which pretty much confirms a breeding bird as most of this behavior was seen or heard today including that described in the last 2-3 paragraphs. I may return if I can relocate the exact spot, though I would very much hate to draw predators to the location with my scent. From what Lytle sent I may well have been standing on the birds.
Here is what Lytle sent: Wow!.........................................
You may not have Dr. Sheldon's book "The American Woodcock" so thought I would copy some comments. I vaguely remembered some of these comments from a much earlier time in my life and some similar actions I noted by the Woodcock.
Page 72: "The hen flew 20 feet with her tail depressed and legs hanging. She alighted on a nearby road and feigned injury, crying not unlike a Ruffed Grouse hen disturbed with a brood. I left the scene and returned an hour later; the hen had returned to the nest, where I flushed her again. .......Concealing myself, I watched her return to the nest; she walked across a dirt road in front of me. Her gait was measured, with the waltzing and bobbing motion usual when a woodcock is nervous or disturbed. When she reached cover across the road, she sneaked to the nest, reoccupying it 20 minutes after I had flushed her."
Page 75: "The mother woodcock is very solicitous of her offspring (Figure 28). A hen brooding her chicks can be caught with a hand net, so reluctant is she to move. When flushed from her brood she makes a labored flight with her legs hanging and her tail depressed (Figure 29). I have seen her lead a dog away, keeping just ahead of him. When she has lured an enemy 100 yards or more from her chicks, she resumes rapid flight, rising swiftly. Then quickly circling around, she lights within a few feet of her brood. If the chicks are a week or more old and off the nest, she calls them with a low chur-chur."
Similar comments were made by Dr. Andy Ammann in "A Guide to Capturing and Banding American Woodcock."
Page 11: "If nothing happens or a bird flushes practically under your feet, you've probably got yourself a brood or a nest. If the bird's flight (assuming it flushed) is slow and laborious, with legs and tail dangling and it flies only a short distance (10 to 15 yards), you can be sure of it. Then, after alighting, the hen may go through elaborate injury-feigning tactics which will sorely tempt your dog to chase her (but don't let him). A hen flushed from a nest may also exhibit such decoying behaviour, but to a lesser degree, and will usually fly farther."
If you bear with me, I have one more author's comments (Henry Marion Hall - "Woodcock Ways"). Pp 22-23: "When I stepped within a foot of her treasures, this brave little bird fluttered up and made off in a ludicrous manner, her tail only just topping the weeds, her bill and body nearly vertical, and the beat of her wings simulating helplessness. Woodcock and grouse will often roll over or scuffle, pretending to trail a broken wing, to lure an intruder away from her chicks, but this is the only case in which I have seen a bird show such solicitude concerning mere eggs............Suddenly a woodcock faltered up at my feet without making the usual twitter. Instead, it hovered within a foot of my face, buzzing its pinions like a hummingbird, and whirling as if held back by the encompassing branches. This bird may have been tempting me to snatch at it in mid-air. When I failed to budge, it presently dropped into the undergrowth, still registering helplessness and flapping spasmodically. As she retreated I glanced down and discovered four young, not quite half grown...................."
Not sure if these are of any value but here they are anyway. Thanks for your records and descriptions.
Lytle (lblanken@ag.tamu.edu)
Here is what Lytle sent: Wow!.........................................
You may not have Dr. Sheldon's book "The American Woodcock" so thought I would copy some comments. I vaguely remembered some of these comments from a much earlier time in my life and some similar actions I noted by the Woodcock.
Page 72: "The hen flew 20 feet with her tail depressed and legs hanging. She alighted on a nearby road and feigned injury, crying not unlike a Ruffed Grouse hen disturbed with a brood. I left the scene and returned an hour later; the hen had returned to the nest, where I flushed her again. .......Concealing myself, I watched her return to the nest; she walked across a dirt road in front of me. Her gait was measured, with the waltzing and bobbing motion usual when a woodcock is nervous or disturbed. When she reached cover across the road, she sneaked to the nest, reoccupying it 20 minutes after I had flushed her."
Page 75: "The mother woodcock is very solicitous of her offspring (Figure 28). A hen brooding her chicks can be caught with a hand net, so reluctant is she to move. When flushed from her brood she makes a labored flight with her legs hanging and her tail depressed (Figure 29). I have seen her lead a dog away, keeping just ahead of him. When she has lured an enemy 100 yards or more from her chicks, she resumes rapid flight, rising swiftly. Then quickly circling around, she lights within a few feet of her brood. If the chicks are a week or more old and off the nest, she calls them with a low chur-chur."
Similar comments were made by Dr. Andy Ammann in "A Guide to Capturing and Banding American Woodcock."
Page 11: "If nothing happens or a bird flushes practically under your feet, you've probably got yourself a brood or a nest. If the bird's flight (assuming it flushed) is slow and laborious, with legs and tail dangling and it flies only a short distance (10 to 15 yards), you can be sure of it. Then, after alighting, the hen may go through elaborate injury-feigning tactics which will sorely tempt your dog to chase her (but don't let him). A hen flushed from a nest may also exhibit such decoying behaviour, but to a lesser degree, and will usually fly farther."
If you bear with me, I have one more author's comments (Henry Marion Hall - "Woodcock Ways"). Pp 22-23: "When I stepped within a foot of her treasures, this brave little bird fluttered up and made off in a ludicrous manner, her tail only just topping the weeds, her bill and body nearly vertical, and the beat of her wings simulating helplessness. Woodcock and grouse will often roll over or scuffle, pretending to trail a broken wing, to lure an intruder away from her chicks, but this is the only case in which I have seen a bird show such solicitude concerning mere eggs............Suddenly a woodcock faltered up at my feet without making the usual twitter. Instead, it hovered within a foot of my face, buzzing its pinions like a hummingbird, and whirling as if held back by the encompassing branches. This bird may have been tempting me to snatch at it in mid-air. When I failed to budge, it presently dropped into the undergrowth, still registering helplessness and flapping spasmodically. As she retreated I glanced down and discovered four young, not quite half grown...................."
Not sure if these are of any value but here they are anyway. Thanks for your records and descriptions.
Lytle (lblanken@ag.tamu.edu)
Breeding Woodcock, Golden Plovers, loving that mowing!
Got up early to beat the breeze. Drank my 3-4 cups of java and without anything better to do hopped the fence to the ranch behind the house and to the pond back there a bit. I had not been back there in well over a year and the flowers, especially the Bluebonnets were nice though not at their prime just yet. There were none last year due to the drought. Had several early butterflies and lots of swallows going overhead. I was was surprised at the numbers of Falcated Orange-tipped Butterflies there were after last year's drought.
I heard a pick-up coming from the south through the pasture so instead of being found on the property and running through that explanation, I cut off into the woods on the old over grown pasture road. I have the OK to be on the property but just was not in the mood for a surprise conversation with whomever was in the truck be it the landowner so someone else. Not a problem. So I was meandering my way back toward the house , zig-zaging through the woods as there is no direct path anymore, when suddenly there was a violent commotion in the brush and leaf litter of the understory a mere 15 feet or so to my left. All I could see was an animal thrashing about , quivering and making the strangest call notes. It took me a moment but I realized it was a Woodcock! A Woodcock and it was trying to distract me from a nest nor young birds!....I have never seen this behavior in my life but it is really no so different than that of a plover, say a Killdeer . She held out one wing and had her tail spread out broadly and was shaking and quivering to beat the band. She was making a sound I have never heard coming from a Woodcock either. It had sort of towhee, Hermit Thrush "moan" to it...I can not really describe it.
I knew within an area of 10' X 10' of where the bird started this display, (though she may have moved there before I got to the location) and despite squinting at every damn inch of ground and leaf clutter, I could find no sign of eggs or cryptic young. Nothing. By now calmed a little but she still remained off in the thicket quivering and occasionally spreading tail or wing to keep my attention. There was no way I could have followed her anyway unless I was an Armadillo given the dense brush and brier there. I very carefully backed out of the area watching my every step so as not to step on any eggs or young and circumvented the area widely. This is my first encounter with a nesting woodcock in Bastrop county and all less than 125 yards of my back fence!
The Blue-headed Vireo continues to sing in the mornings....I wonderful sound and I could hear the Black-and White Warblers singing from the canyon along with a parula.
I came back to the house drank some more coffee and decided to give Betty's grass farm a shot as the roads should have been dry enough by now. The place was a dead as a sheet of glass, I don't understand it. I recall a time (maybe Glenn does as well) when this was shorebirdville this time of year. No more. Ever since the King Ranch took this place over it has been nothing but an industrial complex with rarely a single Killdeer to be seen. I drove the entire place which is about 750 acres and almost got excited when a Savannah Sparrow flew up. I know why this place is so sterile now. There are for sure no fire ants anymore, and there are no fire ants because the soil has been saturated with potent pesticides the likes of which must be akin to Agent Orange.
I can remember after a good rain there would be 700 acres of earthworm castings covering the surface. The place had billions of earthworms. Now after the good rain of two days ago I could not find a single pile of castings.
I can tell you there is not a "weed" , a fire ant mound or a blade of grass 1/2 taller than the
others. It is as sterile, lifeless as the Sahara except for the grass, constantly mowed and manicured. It sucks compared to the old days before the King Ranch took it over. And far more busy. I counted 19 workers out there today and far busier than it used to be with constant mowing and spraying. And the King Ranch always claims to be so concerned about our migrant bird species. I wonder how many have died from the pesticides on this turf farm alone.
Still in one tiny corner , near a leaky pipe where a few Killdeer had congregated there were 8 Am. Golden Plovers. My FOS Bastrop Co. birds. Off 969 in the huge hayfields where some allow the new airport will be were far more, maybe 28 birds but they were so far out I am not sure all were Goldens, though they flew a couple of times and none looked like Killdeer. I don't have access to this property.
Tried Riverside Terrace road again. This would make such a great walk in the mornings but when one gets right down to the very best part, there is a mobile home with 5 football (punting) sized dogs, that just drive you insane with their barking, while the owner just looks slack-jawed at you as though it was perfectly normal to be an asshole with his moronic kick toys. I need a dart gun. But despite these damn animals I could hear the Prothonotary Warbler just belting it out behind the trailer house in the trees along the river...Maybe he will move up stream to Webberville Park and the special houses erected there for the species, but I sure would not blame him if he didn't.
Ok, turn the dial now if you wish, as I am gonna really get grumpy.....Speaking of Webberville Park, I figured that after 3 days of senseless, stupid and moronic mowing at Big Webberville park, by 1:00PM today it should be quiet. Perhaps a nice quiet Friday afternoon to bird the park, despite that the wind was up and I very rarely bird in the afternoons, I went over there anyway.... The BIG full blown tractors were weaving in and out of the trees still. In God's name
how can one mow the same damn grass day after day as though trying to clip the antennae off of any chigger that dares to stand up. I just do not get it. It drives me crazy. They are idiots and are destroying the sod in the park and knocking the bark off all the trees with their mowers and weedeaters. Can't take it anymore. I am going to call the county, even though I don't pay Travis Co. property taxes. It is a complete waste of time, this endless mowing . The rest of the guys were doing the mopping up there with Q-tips and tweezers. Sure, I bet they will take the weekend off, but then here come the masses and the hundreds of soccer players on Sunday morning ....Not fit for a birder to be there then for sure......And by gum, it will be Monday again with two whole days of grass growing wildly!....That mowing panic will set in and the gas tanks will fill and the mowing will start again. I especially likely the Monday pressure washing. 5 guys and all this....All on about ~35 acres that two guys could cover well.
I am back home, don't know what to do around here anymore. Birding spots are getting fewer and fewer....I thought about going over to East or Southeast Metropolitan Park, Hornsby Bend or even stepping on a nail but none of that seems like much fun and those places are far away and on a weekend not something that likely would be a wise choice. Is this not Spring Break? Is this not the W/e of the Southwest Music thingy in Austin?
Someone down the road just fired up a chainsaw...Sigh.
I have a really cool moth I found so maybe more later. I hope like heck this blog works as it was a lot of typing for me. I think I have the comment thing partially fixed as I got yours Ladd.
Brush
I heard a pick-up coming from the south through the pasture so instead of being found on the property and running through that explanation, I cut off into the woods on the old over grown pasture road. I have the OK to be on the property but just was not in the mood for a surprise conversation with whomever was in the truck be it the landowner so someone else. Not a problem. So I was meandering my way back toward the house , zig-zaging through the woods as there is no direct path anymore, when suddenly there was a violent commotion in the brush and leaf litter of the understory a mere 15 feet or so to my left. All I could see was an animal thrashing about , quivering and making the strangest call notes. It took me a moment but I realized it was a Woodcock! A Woodcock and it was trying to distract me from a nest nor young birds!....I have never seen this behavior in my life but it is really no so different than that of a plover, say a Killdeer . She held out one wing and had her tail spread out broadly and was shaking and quivering to beat the band. She was making a sound I have never heard coming from a Woodcock either. It had sort of towhee, Hermit Thrush "moan" to it...I can not really describe it.
I knew within an area of 10' X 10' of where the bird started this display, (though she may have moved there before I got to the location) and despite squinting at every damn inch of ground and leaf clutter, I could find no sign of eggs or cryptic young. Nothing. By now calmed a little but she still remained off in the thicket quivering and occasionally spreading tail or wing to keep my attention. There was no way I could have followed her anyway unless I was an Armadillo given the dense brush and brier there. I very carefully backed out of the area watching my every step so as not to step on any eggs or young and circumvented the area widely. This is my first encounter with a nesting woodcock in Bastrop county and all less than 125 yards of my back fence!
The Blue-headed Vireo continues to sing in the mornings....I wonderful sound and I could hear the Black-and White Warblers singing from the canyon along with a parula.
I came back to the house drank some more coffee and decided to give Betty's grass farm a shot as the roads should have been dry enough by now. The place was a dead as a sheet of glass, I don't understand it. I recall a time (maybe Glenn does as well) when this was shorebirdville this time of year. No more. Ever since the King Ranch took this place over it has been nothing but an industrial complex with rarely a single Killdeer to be seen. I drove the entire place which is about 750 acres and almost got excited when a Savannah Sparrow flew up. I know why this place is so sterile now. There are for sure no fire ants anymore, and there are no fire ants because the soil has been saturated with potent pesticides the likes of which must be akin to Agent Orange.
I can remember after a good rain there would be 700 acres of earthworm castings covering the surface. The place had billions of earthworms. Now after the good rain of two days ago I could not find a single pile of castings.
I can tell you there is not a "weed" , a fire ant mound or a blade of grass 1/2 taller than the
others. It is as sterile, lifeless as the Sahara except for the grass, constantly mowed and manicured. It sucks compared to the old days before the King Ranch took it over. And far more busy. I counted 19 workers out there today and far busier than it used to be with constant mowing and spraying. And the King Ranch always claims to be so concerned about our migrant bird species. I wonder how many have died from the pesticides on this turf farm alone.
Still in one tiny corner , near a leaky pipe where a few Killdeer had congregated there were 8 Am. Golden Plovers. My FOS Bastrop Co. birds. Off 969 in the huge hayfields where some allow the new airport will be were far more, maybe 28 birds but they were so far out I am not sure all were Goldens, though they flew a couple of times and none looked like Killdeer. I don't have access to this property.
Tried Riverside Terrace road again. This would make such a great walk in the mornings but when one gets right down to the very best part, there is a mobile home with 5 football (punting) sized dogs, that just drive you insane with their barking, while the owner just looks slack-jawed at you as though it was perfectly normal to be an asshole with his moronic kick toys. I need a dart gun. But despite these damn animals I could hear the Prothonotary Warbler just belting it out behind the trailer house in the trees along the river...Maybe he will move up stream to Webberville Park and the special houses erected there for the species, but I sure would not blame him if he didn't.
Ok, turn the dial now if you wish, as I am gonna really get grumpy.....Speaking of Webberville Park, I figured that after 3 days of senseless, stupid and moronic mowing at Big Webberville park, by 1:00PM today it should be quiet. Perhaps a nice quiet Friday afternoon to bird the park, despite that the wind was up and I very rarely bird in the afternoons, I went over there anyway.... The BIG full blown tractors were weaving in and out of the trees still. In God's name
how can one mow the same damn grass day after day as though trying to clip the antennae off of any chigger that dares to stand up. I just do not get it. It drives me crazy. They are idiots and are destroying the sod in the park and knocking the bark off all the trees with their mowers and weedeaters. Can't take it anymore. I am going to call the county, even though I don't pay Travis Co. property taxes. It is a complete waste of time, this endless mowing . The rest of the guys were doing the mopping up there with Q-tips and tweezers. Sure, I bet they will take the weekend off, but then here come the masses and the hundreds of soccer players on Sunday morning ....Not fit for a birder to be there then for sure......And by gum, it will be Monday again with two whole days of grass growing wildly!....That mowing panic will set in and the gas tanks will fill and the mowing will start again. I especially likely the Monday pressure washing. 5 guys and all this....All on about ~35 acres that two guys could cover well.I am back home, don't know what to do around here anymore. Birding spots are getting fewer and fewer....I thought about going over to East or Southeast Metropolitan Park, Hornsby Bend or even stepping on a nail but none of that seems like much fun and those places are far away and on a weekend not something that likely would be a wise choice. Is this not Spring Break? Is this not the W/e of the Southwest Music thingy in Austin?
Someone down the road just fired up a chainsaw...Sigh.
I have a really cool moth I found so maybe more later. I hope like heck this blog works as it was a lot of typing for me. I think I have the comment thing partially fixed as I got yours Ladd.
Brush
Thursday, March 18, 2010
March 18 corrections and highlights
Could not figure how to get/edit these photos into yesterday's blog and ran out of steam trying and patience trying so here are the photos that should have gone with that blog entry. If these don't show then I don't know what to say. Dial-up is a wondrous tool.Just hung around the place all day piddling. In 24 hours managed 36 species of birds. Not bad for this little property. Best was seeing two parulas at the bird bath at once. Having a Blue-headed Vireo singing around the house most of the morning and finally hearing a Common Ground-Dove in the woods. I don't get them much anymore and they used to be so common around here....I am not sure why they left. Maybe the habitat has matured to the point they don't care for it anymore.
Or maybe the fire ants have taken their toll on these birds as well.Anyway the top picture is not "Old Indian Spring" but the septic tank that over flowed after I was gone a few days and the float in the commode was left in the open position. The blackened area is where I burned off the San Augustine again. I do it every time I can and the patch is getting smaller and smaller. Then the Texas native plum I spoke of previously.
But Geeeeez! I really got to go now, I think my neighbor is still mowing and it is almost dark. I don't want to miss hearing a lick of that :-)
That's about it....B
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