Kenny Nichols suggested this place for this time of year. It was a little further afield than I wanted to go but when I woke up an hour early I decided to go for it. I got on the road by 5:45 and arrived there at 7:38. Upon my first good glimpse of the lake, I saw 5 species of heron/egret so I suspected I was in for a good morning and I was. I started at a little side road on the east side of the lake. This spot has no boat launch and I was the only one there though I could see other cars where there was a launch and several boats on the lake. I was almost immediately greeted by Common Moorhen and many Purple Gallinules. I thought I heard a Sora and later heard him again for sure. There were many Great Egrets and Little Blue Herons with lesser numbers of Great Blue and Green Herons and Snowy Egrets. After a bit I looked at approaching egrets and realized they were a group of White Ibises, luckily I looked when I did as I never saw them again. I also heard a Least Bittern there and at another place. I checked out other approaches and saw more of the same but this one first spot gave me all the coolest birds of the day. In all, I picked up 5 first of year birds here plus another (Cattle Egret) as I passed through Evening Shade. I also saw two Nutria and a Coyote as I left.
My best images of the day can be found here.
* = First of Year
Species seen or heard:
- Purple Gallinule *
- Common Moorhen *
- White Ibis *
- Least Bittern *
- Sora *
- American Crow
- Blue Jay
- Great Egret
- Snowy Egret
- Green Heron
- Little Blue Heron
- Great Blue Heron
- Red-winged Blackbird
- White-eyed Vireo
- Red-eyed Vireo
- Eastern Wood-Pewee
- Orchard Oriole
- Common Yellowthroat
- Prothonotary Warbler
- Swainson’s Warbler
- Fish Crow
- Barn Swallow
- Common Grackle
- Anhinga
- Brown-headed Cowbird
- Northern Mockingbird
- Tufted Titmouse
- Mourning Dove
- Turkey Vulture
- Red-bellied Woodpecker
- Pileated Woodpecker
- Eastern Kingbird
- Killdeer
- Northern Cardinal
