Birding trip report: Houston Arboretum

This morning was so glorious, I just HAD to go outside and enjoy spring! The Arboretum is lovely and quiet on weekday mornings, and I had the place to myself for almost an hour. Spring really has sprung: migrant warblers are dripping from the trees, flowers are blooming, and everyone is frisky. The squirrels are in the middle of their territorial battles and are kicking up a fuss, and my ears were working overtime to identify unfamiliar bird songs. A dapper male Pine Warbler came down to say hello and foraged on the path just a few feet in front of me. I even stumbled across a family of birds with at least two brand-new fledgelings! They barely had tails and their gapes were HUGE. I wanted to stay and identify the parents, but the babies were scared and I didn't want to cause unnecessary stress. I did snap a quick photo, though!

Birds seen:
Great Blue Heron
Great Egret
Little Blue Heron
Cooper's Hawk
Mourning Dove
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
White-eyed Vireo
Blue Jay
American Crow
Carolina Chickadee
Tufted Titmouse
Carolina Wren
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Gray Catbird
Northern Mockingbird
Brown Thrasher
European Starling
Orange-crowned Warbler
Nashville Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle)
Black-throated Green Warbler
Pine Warbler
White-throated Sparrow
Northern Cardinal
Red-winged Blackbird
Great-tailed Grackle
House Sparrow

Reptiles seen:
Red-eared Slider
Unidentified skink sp.

Mammals seen:
Eastern Gray Squirrel

Sparrows I have known and loved

From top to bottom: Savannah Sparrow, Fox Sparrow, Lincoln's Sparrow, White-throated Sparrow

I was looking through my banding photos today, and I was struck by just how much I love sparrow faces. Even though these "little brown jobs" are often overlooked, they have a subtle beauty all their own. The patterns of feathers on their faces are astonishingly detailed and engaging; arresting in their understatement. As a bander, I was lucky enough to meet a number of sparrows and capture some of their beauty to share with you. Enjoy!

Birding trip report: Brazos Bend State Park

Forgive the photo quality - my camera can't handle morning light or moving, distant targets! From top to bottom: False-garlic, American Pipit, and American Bittern.

The ultimate birding spot in the Houston area is definitely Brazos Bend State Park. Brazos Bend has everything a birder could want: swamp, marsh, forest, grassland, shrubs a-plenty... I have seen so many life birds here (Indigo Bunting, Wood Stork, and Least Bittern to name a few) that I almost expect a lifer every time I visit! Even if I don't see a brand new species, I will see something really memorable, like fireflies dancing to the tune of a Great Horned Owl at dusk, or an American Bittern catching a shockingly green frog. Brazos Bend is also excellent for other animal sightings. Alligators are its most famous residents, but there are also frogs, snakes, skinks, and turtles, whitetail deer, armadillos, raccoons, nutria, orb-weaver spiders, dragonflies, butterflies, and beetles - to name but a few. Check out the Visitors' Center to see a display of amazing local creatures, including live rattlesnakes and the skeleton of an 8-foot long alligator gar skeleton.
My visit last Friday morning (Feb. 20) was a perfect example of the Brazos Bend experience. I got excellent looks at common local birds like Swamp Sparrows, saw some more unusual and noteworthy species (like Sandhill Cranes and a Sora), was surprised by amazing views of TWO American Bitterns and a Wilson's Snipe, and yes - I got another life bird! I caught the tail end of a King Rail running into some cattails. If you are birding in the Houston area, you absolutely have to go to Brazos Bend!

Birds seen:
Pied-billed Grebe
Double-crested Cormorant
Anhinga
Great Egret
Great Blue Heron
American Bittern
Snowy Egret
Tricolored Heron
Black-crowned Night-Heron
White Ibis
White-faced Ibis
Turkey Vulture
Black Vulture
Green-winged Teal
Blue-winged Teal
Mallard
Black-bellied Whistling-Duck
Red-tailed Hawk
Northern Harrier
American Kestrel
American Coot
Common Moorhen
Sora
King Rail
Sandhill Crane
Killdeer
Wilson's Snipe
Caspian Tern
Common Ground-Dove
White-winged Dove
Mourning Dove
Belted Kingfisher
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Eastern Phoebe
Loggerhead Shrike
American Crow
Blue Jay
Tufted Titmouse
Carolina Chickadee
Carolina Wren
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
American Robin
Gray Catbird
Northern Mockingbird
European Starling
American Pipit
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
Orange-crowned Warbler
Swamp Sparrow
Lincoln's Sparrow
Northern Cardinal
Red-winged Blackbird
Great-tailed Grackle
American Goldfinch

Reptiles seen:
American Alligator
Red-eared Slider

Amphibians seen:
Unidentified green frog (eaten by American Bittern)

Mammals seen:
Eastern Gray Squirrel
Nutria

Birding trip report: Houston Arboretum

I love the Houston Arboretum.

The Arboretum is a green jewel in this congested, concrete, car-filled city. It is always a surprise to leave the noise and chaos of the freeway and enter into a world of bird song and wildflowers. While every park in Houston has that "oasis-in-the-city" feel, nothing quite compares to the size and scope of the Arboretum. It may be that my early childhood memories of sunny, happy days wandering the trails and looking for tadpoles have biased me forever - but that is part of the Arboretum's charm. So many Houston kids have their first real experience with nature here, and there are so many fantastic resources available to reach kids, teach kids, and keep kids loving wild spaces. There is always someone around to tell a child about raccoons and caterpillars and owls, and there are countless displays that let kids touch and splash and listen and interact with the natural world. Even for adults, there are always new courses or events available to teach us about organic wines or wilderness first-aid, and the trails are a blessed escape from the work-a-day world. Birds are everywhere, as are insects, amphibians, reptiles, and mammals (if you know where to look). If you are a Houston resident and you have never gone to the Arboretum, go now! Better yet, go in March when the flowers are really starting to bloom and the spring migrants are arriving. Even better, become a member or a volunteer - we have to make sure this fantastic resource is around for years to come!

I arrived at the Arboretum this morning at 7 am, when the trails officially open for the day, and I was there until 9 am, when the nature house opens. Birds were singing everywhere, and I'm sure I missed plenty of species because I still haven't picked up a Texas bird song CD. The (potentially) coolest bird I saw was a (possible) first-year Harris's Sparrow in a flock of White-throated Sparrows, but I am not absolutely sure about the ID. It doesn't seem like Harris' Sparrow is very common here, and the bird was not noticeably larger than the other sparrows... but the plain face, black-smudged bib, white belly, and brown-streaked flanks fit first-year Harris' Sparrow so well! I have never seen one though, so I may have to leave this one a mystery.
EDIT 2/13/09: I have just confirmed that the bird was a Harris's Sparrow, yay! Life bird!

Birds seen:
Wood Duck
Cooper's Hawk
Mourning Dove
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Downy Woodpecker
Pileated Woodpecker
Eastern Phoebe
Blue Jay
American Crow
Carolina Chickadee
Tufted Titmouse
Carolina Wren
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
American Robin
Northern Mockingbird
Brown Thrasher
Orange-crowned Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Pine Warbler
White-throated Sparrow
Harris's Sparrow
Northern Cardinal
Great-tailed Grackle
American Goldfinch
House Sparrow

Reptiles seen:
Red-eared Slider

Amphibians seen:
Southern Leopard Frog

Mammals seen:
Eastern Gray Squirrel

Fish seen:
Bluegill (?) - it was a sunfish of some sort, anyway!

Birding trip report: Edith L. Moore Nature Sanctuary

This morning, my mother and I visited the Edith L. Moore Nature Sanctuary, tucked away in a busy residential area in west Houston. Though it's just off Memorial Drive, it's remarkably wild: it comes complete with a log cabin from the 30's, two reptile-filled ponds, a winding bayou, tangles of native plants, and LOTS of birds. What a fantastic oasis in the middle of the city! I can't wait to go back in March when migration kicks in and the warblers start flocking. We didn't see that many bird species today, but it was nice to re-familiarize myself with Houston's regular avian crowd. I'm sure there are a number of species I missed because I couldn't identify their calls - I need a good Texas bird song CD!

Birds seen:
Great Blue Heron
Red-shouldered Hawk
White-winged Dove
Mourning Dove
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Pileated Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Blue Jay
American Crow
Carolina Chickadee
Tufted Titmouse
Carolina Wren
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
American Robin
Northern Mockingbird
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Northern Cardinal
Red-winged Blackbird
Great-tailed Grackle
American Goldfinch

Reptiles seen:
Broad-banded Water Snake
Red-eared Slider
Alligator Snapping-turtle

Amphibians seen:
American Bullfrog

Mammals seen:
Eastern Gray Squirrel
Eastern Cottontail

Separating similar species: Northern Waterthrush and Swainson's Thrush

Just for your general edification and enjoyment, here are some comparison shots of a Northern Waterthrush and a Swainson's Thrush. These were taken at the Rocky Point Bird Observatory at the very southern tip of Vancouver Island, in British Columbia, Canada, where a Northern Waterthrush sighting is a rare and exciting event! The Northern Waterthrush is above, and the Swainson's Thrush is below.

The Northern Waterthrush is a strange little warbler (Family Parulidae) from the Genus Seiurus. We usually associate warblers with bright colors in the treetops, but Waterthrushes are dull, thrush-like, and skulky, preferring to walk on the ground in wet places. You are far more likely to hear one than see one, though if you are lucky enough, watch for the characteristic bobbing tail. You might initially confuse it for a thrush, but note the streaked (not spotted) breast, the pale eyebrow (not eyering), and the smaller size.

The Swainson's Thrush (Family Turdidae) is a familiar spotty bird from the Genus Catharus. Typical of its group, it loves lurking on the ground in dense thickets and deep woods. Note its big eyes accented by pale eyerings (no eyebrows here!), its darkly spotted (not streaked) breast, and its larger size. Sadly, the size difference is difficult to see unless the birds are side-by-side, and unfortunately these pictures aren't at the same scale, so you'll have to take my word for it.

Incidentaly, the song of the Swainson's Thrush is one of my absolute favorite sounds. Nothing says "Spring" in coastal British Columbia like the fluting song of a thrush rising through the green woods, the buzzing of bees around salmonberry flowers, and the rolling laughter of a hidden stream...

One small step for corvid...

Hello out there. I am what you might call a Rare Bird, having just migrated to Houston, Texas from the west coast of Canada. I like birds a lot. In fact, I am trying to shape a career around them, though we'll see how well that works out in the end. I enjoy birding, science, nature, hiking, cooking, reading, art, travel, and strange cartoons. Expect to see posts on all of the above. I am half-employed as a bird bander (though the field season is over, so it's just data analysis/reporting now). The other half is sometimes a Research Assistant in public health, and sometimes a general dogsbody for a graphic designer. Needless to say, I am difficult to categorize.

I hope you enjoy my random ramblings. It's a fascinating world out there - open your eyes, look up, and have fun!