Milburn Sewage Lagoons 4-19-09

On the way home yesterday we (my mom and I) stopped by the Milburn Sewage Lagoons. Only thing worth mentioning were some Wilson's Pharalopes.

American Coots
Blue-winged Teal
Northern Shovelers
Wilson's Pharalopes
Barn Swallow

Beaver's Bend State Park 4-16-09 - 4-19-09

My mom (Linda) and I spent 4 days in the Beaver's Bend area. These were all seen in Beaver's Bend State Park.

Started the time with a pair of Hooded Mergansers, one Orchard Oriole and tons of Buffleheads. Had a nice showing of Indigo's at the Nature Center in Beaver's Bend on Friday morning. Ended Sunday morning getting good views of some good birds before the drive home: Louisiana Waterthrush, Summer Tanager, and Red-eyed Vireo. As we were leaving the lodge we had 1 Indigo make a final appearance which was a great way to end it.

Listed in order of appearance except for the Orchard Oriole as I forgot to add him to the original list.

1. Barn Swallows
2. Gold Finches
3. Eastern Kingbirds
4. Chipping Sparrows - pic
5. American Crows
6. Eastern Phoebes - pic
7. Purple Finches
8. Turkey Vultures
9. Carolina Wrens
10. Tufted Titmice
11. White-breasted Nuthatches
12. Hooded Mergansers - pic
13. Spotted Sandpiper
14. Yellow-throated Warblers (life for Linda)
15. Blue-gray Gnatcatchers
16. Blue Jays
17. Great Blue Herons
18. Buffleheads
19. Blue-winged Teals
20. Northern Parulas
21. Belted Kingfishers
22. Great Egrets
23. Double-crested Cormorants
24. Northern Cardinals
25. House Sparrows
26. American Kestrel
27. Ospreys (1 with a fish)
28. Wood Ducks
29. Indigo Buntings
30. Common Grackles
31. Sharp-shinned Hawk
32. Mourning Doves
33. Northern Rough-winged Swallows
34. Yellow-rumped Warblers
35. White-eyed Vireos - pic
36. Pileated Woodpecker - pic
37. Red-bellied Woodpecker
38. Ruby-crowned Kinglets
39. Brown Thrasher
40. Tree Swallows - pic
41. Carolina Chickadees
42. Ruby-throated Hummingbirds - pic
43. Red-shouldered Hawk
44. Common Goldeneye
45. Killdeer
46. Blue Grosbeak - pic
47. Cliff Swallows
48. Green Heron
49. Louisiana Waterthrush
50. Summer Tanager
51. Red-eyed Vireo
52. Eastern Bluebird
53. Orchard Oriole

Biitern Tour (Red Slough 4-17-09)

Ford Hendershot gave my mom and I a tour of the Red Slough on Friday, 4-17-09. Met at 1:30pm with occasional rain and thunderstorms.

We wanted to see bitterns, moorhens, rails, alligators, etc. Ford did a great job of making appointments with 3 of those. Not only did we get to see 1 American Bittern; we saw at least 14! They were everywhere.

We also saw a sandpiper that we couldn't ID, but after looking at the pictures I'm sure it is a Spotted Sandpiper. Link to picture is in the list. We also saw a dark duck, but didn't get pictures of it.

List is in order of appearance (The first 3 were on the way in, Idabel to the Red Slough).

1. Mourning Doves
2. European Starlings
3. Mockingbirds
4. American Crows
5. Eastern Bluebirds
6. Great Egrets
7. Great Blue Herons
8. White Ibis (1 group had 8, another group had 20) - pic
9. Dark Ibis
10. Northern Harrier
11. Pie-billed Grebe
12. American Bittern (at least 14) (life for both of us) - pic
13. American Coot
14. Wood Ducks
15. Red-winged Blackbirds
16. Black-crowned Nightherons
17. Yellow-rumped Warblers
18. Blue-winged Teals
19. Scissortail Flycatchers
20. Meadowlarks
21. Blue-gray Gnatcatchers
22. Northern Cardinals
23. Common Moorhen
24. Vesper Sparrows
25. Eastern Kingbirds
26. Tree Swallows
27. Sandpiper - pic
28. Barn Swallows
29. Yellow-crowned Nightherons
30. Dark Duck
31. Red-bellied Woodpeckers
32. Green Heron
33. Black Vulture
34. White-crowned Sparrows
35. Red-tailed Hawk
36. Eastern Phoebes
37. Canada Geese
38. Snowy Egrets
39. Little Blue Herons
40. Cattle Egrets
41. Northern Shovelers
42. Savannah Sparrows
43. Blue Jays
44. Coopers Hawk
45. Green-winged Teal
46. Red Headed Woodpecker (on the way out, still within Red Slough boundaries)

Also saw: Alligator (pic), rabbit, mink.

Tishomingo NWR 3-26-09

Made a trip out to the refuge this morning to drop off a CD at headquarters. I saw 4 turkeys (2 males, 2 females) in the front yard of the house that is on the way to headquarters.

Tishomingo NWR 3-22-09

Ran out to Tishomingo NWR this evening to see what I could find. Was only there for maybe an hour.

Carolina Chickadee
Tufted Titmouse
Northern Cardinal
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Hermit Thrush (On the Nature Trail)
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Blue-winged Teal
Green-winged Teal
Gadwall
Northern Shoveler
Great Egrets
Yellowlegs
Pelicans
Barn Swallow
Eastern Bluebirds

Heard blue-gray gnatcatchers

Hagerman NWR 3-19-09

Started the day off about 8:30am it was sunny and 50 degrees. When I ended about 11:30am it was cloudy and 64 degrees. Below is what I saw:

Eastern Phoebes
European Starlings
Eastern Bluebirds
Northern Cardinals
Meadowlarks
Crows
Red-winged Blackbirds
Killdeer
American Coots
Gadwall
Greater Yellowlegs
Downy Woodpecker
American White Pelican
Blue-winged Teal
Northern Shovelers
Great Egret
Green-winged Teal
Mallards
Pie-billed Grebes
Double-crested Cormorants
Black Vultures
Turkey Vultures
Northern Pintails
Forrester's Terns
Coopers Hawk
Canada Geese
Least Sandpipers
Buffleheads
Mockingbirds
White-crowned Sparrows
Yellow-rumped Warblers
Carolina Chickadee
Ring-billed Gull
Bonaparte's Gull
Tufted Titmouse
Snowy Egrets (8)
Wilson's Snipe (over 500)

Unidentified Sparrows

Tishomingo NWR

Went out to Tishomingo NWR last Thursday & Friday to look for the Vermillion Flycatcher that was reported but I didn't get to see him.

Went out again Monday and just saw the usual species and got close to some Eastern Bluebirds so hopefully the pictures turned out good (they are still in the camera).