Category: Birding

In case you are paying attention and think I did this yesterday, you are correct, mostly. Today I walked the waterfowl rest are section of Bell Slough and then went to TRP hoping to get the Clay-colored Sparrow. Still now new life bird but I’ve certainly gotten plenty of first-of-seasons this weekend. At Bell Slough, I walked the perimeter of the waterfowl rest area which took about 2 hours. At TRP, I made a loop through the grassy area to the north of the trail and to the horse trail area taking about 90 minutes to do so.

Species seen or heard:
Bell Slough
• American Crow
• Great Egret
• Wood Duck
• Carolina Wren
• Carolina Chickadee
• Blue Jay
• Great Blue Heron
• Killdeer
• Red-bellied Woodpecker
• Red-winged Blackbird
• Swamp Sparrow
• Eastern Phoebe
• Pied-billed Grebe
• Northern Flicker
• Song Sparrow
• Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
• Mallard
• Northern Cardinal
• Double-crested Cormorant
• Ruby-crowned Kinglet
• Gray Catbird
• Black Vulture

Two Rivers Park
• Mourning Dove
• American Crow
• White-throated Sparrow
• Fish Crow
• Blue Jay
• Canada Goose
• Red-winged Blackbird
• Red-bellied Woodpecker
• Carolina Chickadee
• Carolina Wren
• Eastern Wood-pewee
• Field Sparrow
• Turkey Vulture
• Cooper’s Hawk
• Gray Catbird
• Eastern Meadowlark
• Northern Mockingbird
• Red-shouldered Hawk
• Song Sparrow
• Double-crested Cormorant
• Belted Kingfisher
• Sedge Wren
• Black Vulture

ASCA had a field trip to Bell Slough (North) today. After covering the area we decided to also go to Two Rivers Park to look for the Clay-colored Sparrow that was seen there on Friday. Alas no Clay-colored Sparrow was seen but we did see plenty of other good birds.

Species seen or heard:
Bell Slough (32 species):
• Great Blue Heron
• Pied-billed Grebe
• Northern Cardinal
• Blue Jay
• Double-crested Cormorant
• Great Egret
• Belted Kingfisher
• American Crow
• Mallard
• Northern Flicker
• Carolina Chickadee
• Mourning Dove
• Killdeer
• American White Pelican
• Carolina Wren
• White-throated Sparrow
• Downy Woodpecker
• Ruby-crowned Kinglet
• Red-bellied Woodpecker
• Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
• Turkey Vulture
• Pine Warbler
• Canada Goose
• Red-winged Blackbird
• Black Vulture
• Broad-winged Hawk
• Red-headed Woodpecker
• Wood Duck
• Chipping Sparrow
• House Finch
• Northern Mockingbird
• Tufted Titmouse

Two Rivers Park (20 species):
• Blue Jay
• Carolina Chickadee
• Yellow-rumped Warbler
• Carolina Wren
• Red-bellied Woodpecker
• Ruby-crowned Kinglet
• Song Sparrow
• Mourning Dove
• Turkey Vulture
• Eastern Phoebe
• Cooper’s Hawk
• American Crow
• Vesper Sparrow
• Red-shouldered Hawk
• Northern Cardinal
• Northern Mockingbird
• Eastern Meadowlark
• Double-crested Cormorant
• Eastern Wood-pewee
• Eastern Bluebird
• Fish Crow

After the Provosts reported a Virginia Rail at TRP yesterday I decided to try my luck as well. I arrived at 8 AM, parked at the main parking but then walked the road down to the next area so that I could walk up along the backwater without having to peer into the Sun. I then took the north side field to the horse trail and back. I saw an odd bird with a brown back and a blue belly and figured out it was a non-breeding plumage Indigo Bunting. I’m not sure if I’ve ever seen one like that. I heard the Virginia Rail right where the Provosts left it yesterday. Since I had been listing to the call, I recognized it right away. It was a year bird for me. At the horse trail, I saw a Sharp-shinned Hawk in a tree with some Blue Jays. To my entertainment, the jays decided to harass the hawk but he was not having any of it. He harassed them right back. Left the park at 10:07.

Species seen or heard:
• Great Egret
• Blue Jay
• American Crow
• Eastern Bluebird
• Carolina Chickadee
• Red-winged Blackbird
• Canada Goose
• Green Heron
• Blue-winged Teal
• Northern Cardinal
• Indigo Bunting
• Brown Thrasher
• Red-bellied Woodpecker
• Swamp Sparrow
• Wood Duck
• Gray Catbird
• Virginia Rail
• Mourning Dove
• Great Blue Heron
• American Kestrel
• Killdeer
• Loggerhead Shrike
• Eastern Meadowlark
• Northern Flicker
• Sharp-shinned Hawk
• Northern Mockingbird
• Tern sp.
• Turkey Vulture