Big Spring SP, Earth Day, the Merritt's Back Yard, and Birding Field Trip

Monday, April 21, we were meeting Dale and Carol, co-host from Quechee SP, in Big Spring. They're in route from Navarro Mills near Corsicana to Oregon for the summer. We drove over early to bird Big Spring SP, not having been there in over a year.

Had a fairly good afternoon, even though the temperature was in the high 80's. We wimped out and drove the scenic loop. The water feature near the gate was not operable. When we were compiling the check list for the park, we would turn on the tap upon leaving the parking area to be able to entice the birds for viewing after our jaunt around the mountain.

This fearsome lizard was not the least bit intimidated by my presence as he sported his breeding colors while holding his tummy above the hot rock. 

The only water available for wildlife was on top of the mountain near the flagpole. Most abundant bird was Canyon Towhee and best bird was Townsend's Solitaire. Bewick's and Cactus Wrens and Verdin along with Chipping and Clay-colored Sparrows and Orange-crowned Warbler were also present. Of course, the ubiquitous Mockingbird made the list, too. I was surprised how much green was present as were numerous blooming wildflowers considering the ongoing drought. The number of mid-day walkers was impressive. To be that young again, (heavy sigh).

Comanche Trails Park was mostly occupied by Grackles, House Sparrows, and Starlings, but we did snag a beautiful Audubon's Yellow-rump and Ash-throat, Kingbird, Scissor-tail, and Eastern Phoebe. The lake sported a Shoveler amidst the flotilla of park ducks and geese, and both Double-crested and Neotropic Cormorants.

Dining at Red Mesa with Dale and Carol was a real treat, also reminiscent of our 5 year checklist project.

Tuesday morning, in celebration of Earth Day, we walked I-20 Nature Preserve. I had a few mandarin oranges a little past prime, but still good and juicy for the birds, so we restocked the feeding stations along the trail.

Bullock's Oriole singing loudly from the treetops was pretty hard to miss. The Orchard Oriole a bit further down the trail wasn't so cooperative for a photo op. 

Benchmark Pond was the picture of serenity...

with obvious signs of Saturday night's rain that added some much needed water to the playa. 

  

The butterfly garden is taking shape nicely... 

The Merritt Pavilion is a tribute to Don and Joann for the untold numbers of hours spent maintaining trails for 20 or more years before the idea of a formal wildlife preserve even existed. 

Wednesday Morning, Alvin worked with Kevin, so I hung out with Joann to take advantage of Jesse's Pond. First surprise of the day, after 7 Black-chinned Hummers, was a stunning Ruby-throated Hummingbird that kept us entertained all morning. Visiting the pond was Hermit Thrush, Wilson's Warbler, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Yellow-rumped Warbler, American Goldfinch, White-crowned Sparrow, Curve-billed Thrasher, Northern Cardinal, and Mockingbird. I id'd 4 separate Bullock's Oriole based on plumage, 3 males and a female. 

Unwelcome visitors were Bronzed and Brown-headed Cowbirds. Of course, the White-winged Dove and House Sparrows did an amazing job of emptying the seed feeders in record time. 

Leaving Joann's nature sanctuary, I detoured through Beal Park in route to annual eye exam. 

I spotted what resembled a large rock in the parking lot which became a pond turtle  I assumed had been on an egg laying mission.

Not wanting to leave her where some uninformed red-neck would use her for target practice, I relocated her to the grassy area near the pond.

John Adams, Alvin and I showed up at Hill Park at 8 AM on Saturday, April 26. Not much going on there, mostly early morning walkers...
X White-winged Dove
X Western Kingbird
X Blue Jay
1 American Robin 
1 Northern Mockingbird
4 European Starling
X House Sparrow

We decided to try Sibley by way of
Wadley Barron
1 Wood Duck
1 American Wigeon
2 Ruddy Duck
1 Black-crowned Night-Heron
I thought I had spotted a Pied-billed Grebe, but turned out to be 2 perfectly aligned rocks near the edge of the water.

Sibley - more activity on the golf course than anywhere

1 Mallard
2 Blue-winged Teal
1 Lesser Scaup
5 Ruddy Duck
4 Scaled Quail
5 American Coot
6 White-winged Dove
12 Mourning Dove
1 Greater Roadrunner
2 Black-chinned Hummingbird
6 Western Kingbird
12 Cliff Swallow
2 Verdin
1 Curve-billed Thrasher
1 Yellow-rumped Warbler
25 Chipping Sparrow
4 White-crowned Sparrow
1 Northern Cardinal
12 Red-winged Blackbird
25 Great-tailed Grackle

We did have 2 warblers than managed to elude ID, yellow-ish was all I could ever tell. Why do they always pick the tree with the thickest foliage?

As we sat for a while on Ted's Bench, we watched a pair of dragonflies and inhaled the sweet perfume emanating from the Russian Olives, lamenting the dearth of avian presence and postulating the causation of the dead foliage on the mesquite and some of the other shrubs.

John said Martha had a "Honey Do" list waiting for him, so Alvin and I proceeded to Resthaven Cemetery, where the sprinklers were going filling the air with a wonderful perfume. This time we managed to ID a singing warbler - Orange-crowned - that sounded suspiciously like the one at Hill Park and at Sibley. The Audubon's Butter-butts were in full spring "bloomage" ready for northern migration. Breathtakingly beautiful.

Resthaven Cemetery

1 Eurasian Collared-Dove
14 Mourning Dove
1 Ladder-backed Woodpecker
11 Western Kingbird
1 Bewick's Wren
2 Curve-billed Thrasher
6 Northern Mockingbird
13 Cedar Waxwing
1 Orange-crowned Warbler
1 Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle)
5 Yellow-rumped Warbler (Audubon's)
21 Chipping Sparrow
2 Clay-colored Sparrow
2 Bullock's Oriole

By that time, Casita Gerardo's Tortilla soup was calling my name. Just like I remembered it.

I almost forgot... a good day for reptiles, female box turtle (tortoise) and female pond turtle laying eggs at Sibley. 

I went back to photo the box turtle and she was gone, guess she wasn't too happy with my anatomy lesson explaining male versus female characteristics. and I always thought turtles were supposed to be slow.

Not a bad week for Midland, TX.