Terry Hershey Bike and Hike Trail, Houston, Texas, June 2013

The Terry Hershey Bike and Hike Trail (also known as the Buffalo Bayou Bike Trail) passes beneath Route 8 at its eastern end, opposite Briar Hill Drive, Houston (Google Earth ref; 29 45 46N 95 33 26W). It runs west for about 10 kms, but I only managed about half of that today before stopping to watch some Mississippi Kites hunting for flying insects along the bayou.

The paved trail follows the north bank of Buffalo Bayou, crossing over a couple of bridges that span incoming streams and under some main roads running north/south. On the north side of the trail are meadows and lightly wooded spots. I could hear plenty of Northern Cardinals, but none actually popped up to be counted. Blue Jays were heard more often than seen. Some of the meadows had been mown, but others had been specially allowed to grow with signs deploring the picking of wild flowers.

The first Mississippi Kite was seen as it perched in a dead tree by the trail bridge at Google Earth ref; 29 45 57.60N 95 35 5.39W. A second and third bird were gliding back and forth apparently keeping close to the course of the stream where they were catching flying insects. I took it that they were hunting for dragonflies, but closer inspection of the photos showed that the wings of the prey were much too short and blunt. One photo showed long antennae, so more likely, they were catching Katydids.

Usually, I would save a gallery-type post like this for 10,000 Birds, but they appear to be well catered for with at least two picture-rich posts, so I am keeping this one for Redgannet.

I took a lot of photos, but was generally disappointed considering the opportunities that I was given. 

One of the three was a young bird. It was showing its barred tail and patterned underside, indicating that it had been hatched during the previous year and was looking forward to its first full summer.

The dead tree here proved to be a productive spot, mind you, I stayed there for some time enjoying the kites. A Red-bellied Woodpecker made me look twice, the yellow staining on its face making me hope for something erstwhile unknown to science. A Great Crested Flycatcher dropped in and disputed perches with one of the Blue Jays that were keeping watch on the kites.

Further along the trail (beyond Dairy Ashford Rd.), I found two more kites gliding across the meadow and along the bayou, so I stopped and took even more pictures. I am guessing that these were different birds as the young individual was no longer present and Mississippi Kites are very tolerant of each other. They don’t defend territories and often nest in colonies so it would not be unreasonable to assume that there could be a few in the area. 

A fellow velocipedal Limey stopped to say “Hello” and told me that the kites are frequently seen along the bayou and that they breed south of the city. The kites I had been seeing today had returned recently and he had been seeing them regularly, which agrees with the eBird pattern of sightings for the area. 

I have had to delete a huge number of the shots. Mostly they were blurry and out of focus. Occasionally, the kites would power dive to catch an insect and I was unable to keep up with them. The contrast against a sunny sky was difficult to avoid, but that didn’t stop me enjoying the spectacle of the hunting birds as they caught prey and ate it on the wing. I still prefer to stop and see one bird well than have a long list at the end of the day.

Birds seen;

Great Blue Heron 1, Great Egret 2, Little Blue Heron 1, Cattle Egret 15, White Ibis 8, Turkey Vulture 8, Mississippi Kite 5, Cooper’s Hawk 3, White-winged Dove 8, Mourning Dove 7, Chimney Swift 35, Red-bellied Woodpecker 4, Pileated Woodpecker 1, Olive-sided Flycatcher 1, Great Crested Flycatcher 1, Loggerhead Shrike 2, Blue Jay 5, American Crow 1, Barn Swallow 8, American Robin 5, Northern Mockingbird 7, Great-tailed Grackle 30, House Sparrow 10.

For a previous post from Terry Hershey Bike and Hike Trail, follow the link below;
http://redgannet.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/terry-hershey-houston-jan-2013.html

Visit the dedicated USA Page for other posts from Houston including George Bush Park and Houston Arboretum.

West Nile Virus, or jet-lag? Dallas, Sept 2012

Texas is in the grip of an outbreak of West Nile Virus. Dallas leads the field in cases of the mosquito-borne disease and the authorities are enacting plans to spray insecticide from the air to reduce the numbers of adult insects. Ignorance on my part prompted me to make enquiries about the virus and the risks. I found that it has recently become endemic across the country and is borne by mosquitoes that have ingested blood from infected birds. I weighed the risk against the consequences, took the normal precautions, kept calm and carried on.

After visiting White Rock Lake (a WNV hotspot), I am suffering from disorientation, loss of cognitive function and a stiff neck. How would I know if my symptoms are a result of the virus or just jet-lag coupled with a morning’s warbler-watching? 

Using the Blue Line from Downtown Dallas, brings you to White Rock Station. At this time of year the walk to the lake and around the northern section leave you with the sun in your eyes for much of the walk. I had set the Singing Bridge as my furthest limit. Not very far to walk, but the walk passed through the best warbler habitat that I knew of within easy reach. Plenty of Tufted Titmouse kept up a soundtrack for the morning with Carolina Chickadee and Northern Cardinal easily recognisable by ear.

The first warblers came before I reached the lake, but I struggled to make a confident ID at the scene. In the end, I settled for Nashville Warbler mixed with a couple of Yellow Warblers. More migrants came at the small bridge at the most north-westerly extreme of the lake (at Google Earth ref;  32°51'2.38"N 96°43'45.20"W). It bounces uncontrollably when anyone jogs across it. I guess that’s the purpose of joggers eh?

A Warbling Vireo and Wilson’s Warblers were seen here as they fed from the myriads of mosquitoes. The path tracks for over 12kms around the lake and is busy with joggers and cyclists.  I recognised a couple of cyclists going round for a second and even third time as I ambled slowly along in a clockwise direction towards the Singing Bridge. There was very little out on the water, just a Great Egret and a couple of Mallard. The trees and bushes along the path were similarly quiet in the heat of a Texan, late Summer’s day that pushed the mercury past 40°C.

From the Singing Bridge, you can see into a small lobe of the upper lake. Among the Mallards were a single American Wigeon and a female Northern Pintail with her long, slim, elegant neck. As I turned to set out home, I noticed a bird hawking from dead snags on the north shore. It was a flycatcher with a long streaming tail. As I watched, it shuffled on its perch, revealing rose-coloured flanks and under-wing. Today’s lifer is a Scissor-tailed Flycatcher.

I retraced my steps along the path hoping to get a closer look at the Scissor-tailed Flycatcher, but by the time I reached it, it had turned into an Eastern Kingbird. 

Back on the bouncy bridge Wilson’s Warblers, Yellow Warblers and Warbling Vireo were thrown into a panic as a young Cooper’s Hawk came through. I wondered if the biting insects were bothering it, as it continually wiped its bill across its legs and looked to be biting its own toes.

The cycle trail leading back past the station still held a couple of surprises with a Summer Tanager putting in a brief appearance and a White-eyed Vireo that responded to a quick playback. The cycle trail continues along White Rock Creek.

There were plenty of mosquitoes. Best practise advice is to avoid areas of standing water. Cover up with long sleeves and use insect repellent. Be especially vigilant around dusk.

Birds seen; 31

American Wigeon 1, Mallard 45, Northern Pintail 1, Double-crested Cormorant 6, Great Blue Heron 1, Great Egret 1, Snowy Egret 1, Cooper’s Hawk 2, White-winged Dove 3, Mourning Dove 15, Chimney Swift 6, Red-bellied Woodpecker 1, Downy Woodpecker 2, Eastern Kingbird 1, Scissor-tailed Flycatcher 1, White-eyed Vireo 1, Warbling Vireo 2, Red-eyed Vireo 1, Blue Jay 4, American Crow 4, Carolina Chickadee 8, Tufted Titmouse 40, Northern Mockingbird 12, European Starling 2, Nashville Warbler 3, Yellow Warbler 6, Wilson’s Warbler 4, Summer Tanager 1, Northern Cardinal 6, Great-tailed Grackle 4, House Sparrow 8.

Damselflies on White Rock Creek, July 2012

From Google Earth ref; 32°57'13.79"N  96°48'36.86"W a track leads down to the White Rock Creek. It was a slow start since I turned 50 this week and had a little party to mark the occasion last night. The short cycle ride had started my blood moving again, picking up the sludge which had settled in my sump and sending it straight back to my head, which reacted by thumping.

Thankfully there were very few birds to stop me as I cycled along beside the stream in the pleasant shade. The few that did catch my attention did not merit photographs. Carolina Chickadees, Tufted Titmice and Downy Woodpeckers showed themselves briefly and a Green Heron flushed from the river bank.

I only stayed for a short while and most of my time was spent in a patch of grass looking at damselflies. The one above I shall take to be a Comanche Dancer, Argia barretti.

The Powdered Dancer, Argia moesta  were very common, but I am taking this identification with a pinch of salt. It is not a perfect fit for the field guide specimen, but I can’t see a better alternative. The juvenile/female, below,  corresponds quite well.

The Blue-ringed Dancer, Argia sedula was another common ode that did not quite match its description in the book.

Especially when the colour matches between individuals varied so.

Also seen along the creek and in a nearby pond were Swift Setwing, Dythemis velox, Eastern Pondhawk, Eurothemis simplicicollis, Black Saddlebags,Tramea lacerata ,and Eastern Amberwing, Perithemis tenera.

Birds seen;

Great Egret 1, Green Heron 1, Eurasian Collared Dove 2, White-winged Dove 2, Mourning Dove 2, Downy Woodpecker 1, Blue Jay 10, American Crow 4, Carolina Chickadee 4, Tufted Titmouse 6, Great-tailed Grackle 60.

Visit the dedicated USA and Canada Page for more from the area, including White Rock Lake and a selection of posts from Houston.

Herping in Houston.

Drought of the past couple of years has killed more than 15,000 trees in Memorial Park. The Texas Forest Service estimates that between 100 million and half a billion trees have succumbed to the drought. On the drive from the airport into Houston, I noticed that many of the distinctive Loblolly Pines stood brown and dry, waiting to be felled to avoid too much standing dead wood. Recent rains have come too late to save the trees but the moisture has been absorbed, leaving the pines heavy and in danger of collapse. Many of them have already been cut to minimise the risk of sudden falls, but it is a big job. The forest in the arboretum was wet with lots of standing water all of which contained tiny fish and tadpoles. Raised paths and boardwalks through the most sodden parts kept visitors’ feet dry.

I had come looking for snakes this morning with a Coral Snake high on my wish list. They have been seen on occasion near to the visitor centre and I began my search there in the childrens’ climbing area before the pitter patter of tiny feet disturbed them.

The strident calls of Carolina Wrens rang through the forest with Northern Cardinals competing through the early morning. With no snakes to see, I passed on to the swampy area where a Yellow-crowned Night Heron flew over and settled in a tree ahead of me.

From here, I back-tracked past the Visitor’s Centre and made my way round to the meadow and the small lake which were by now soaking up the full sun (Google Earth ref; 29 45 45N 95 27 00W). Apart from another Night Heron and the background calls, there was very little bird action. A Great Egret took off from the long grasses at the edge of the lake and flew across the water to perch on a floating log which had already tempted a handful of turtles out to bask.

Dragonflies were already flying and in the absence of snakes and birds, I spent some time with them. Blue Dashers perched on the bankside snags while Blue Corporals preferred horizontal surfaces, such as the boardwalk, to sit out. A pin-wheeled pair of Eastern Pondhawk broke apart for the female to begin laying her eggs into the surface of the water by repeatedly diving down and dipping her abdomen.

A few other people were found by the lake and they all had snakey stories about last week or other sites, but one young lady pointed me back towards the swamp boardwalk where she had encountered two snakes earlier this morning.

The water at the swamp was choked with lily pads and after just a short time scanning, I found what I was after, a small, thin Ribbon Snake. It was sunning itself with the lilies easily supporting its meagre weight and the water reflecting its inquisitive tongue.

Texans must be pretty used to seeing snakes and a guided tour hardly stopped to glance at it as they passed through. That didn’t detract from my excitement though and better was yet to come. As a mother and two kids stopped to look, a Broad-banded Water Snake ventured out from the thick weeds onto the lily pads.

This snake was much heavier and used the water to support most of its body weight. It turned towards us, tongue flicking and passed very close, inside the 1.4 meters minimum focusing distance of my lens. In common with other species of Water Snake, the Broadband is not venomous, but can be aggressive if it feels threatened. Since it was the snake that was approaching me, it must have felt reasonably comfortable with my presence. When it reappeared later, a slight breeze had blown up and the downwind snake was far more wary.

The arboretum’s opening hours are from 08.30, so I had spent the first hour of daylight in the picnic area, close to the arboretum at Google Earth ref; 29 45 52N 95 26 23W. Most of the birds on the list were seen here from about 07.00 with four types of woodpecker and Indigo Bunting. The Warblers were disappointing with only a couple of species seen.

This area is characterised by thinner density of trees and enough picnic tables to host the whole of Houston on a Sunday morning. Cyclists like the circuit that runs for about a mile round the site. It gets very busy at weekends, so early morning is the best time to visit. Weekdays are much quieter. 

Birds  seen; 25 

Great Egret 2, Yellow-crowned Night Heron 2, Turkey Vulture 1, Mourning Dove 15, White-winged Dove 6, Chimney Swift 3, Red-headed Woodpecker 2, Red-bellied Woodpecker 1, Downy 1, Pileated Woodpecker 1, Olive-sided Flycatcher 1, Barn Swallow 1, Carolina Wren 3, American Robin 1, Ruby-crowned Kinglet 1, Carolina Chickadee 6, Tufted Titmouse 15, Blue Jay 20, American Crow 4, Common Starling 8, Black-throated Green Warbler 1, Pine Warbler 3, Northern Cardinal 15, Indigo Bunting 3, Great-tailed Grackle 50.

White Rock Lake

I would like to acknowledge JR from Dallas (yes, really!) for his website www.jrcompton.com in which he gives an account of the goings on at White Rock Lake. Dallas, Texas. His “Amateur Birder’s Journal” gave me the impetus I needed for a very quick visit on a very cold day. JR’s main topic of discussion of late on his site, is his fascination with pelicans in flight. So in tribute, I set out to follow his lead. As ever, my photographs failed to live up to my aspirations, which, given the bright, crisp light this morning, was a disappointment. I’m beginning to think it might be me!
The hotel I was staying in is the Marriot Quorum in Adisson. From behind the hotel, bus no. 183 rides into downtown and terminates at West Exchange in downtown Dallas. The tram/subway system connects here at West End Station. I travelled northeast on the Blue Line towards Downtown Garland. I alighted at White Rock and descended the steps to the junction of Northwest and Lawther. The journey took 1 hour exactly. A US$4 day ticket covers bus and train.
Diagonally across the junction, I picked up a cycle path that tracked south parallel to Lawther. It passed through an area marked as a wetland before passing under Mockingbird Lane. As I emerged from under the bridge, I could see White Rock Lake ahead of me.
There were lots of cormorants and gulls over-flying and a formation of seven American Pelicans crossed Mockingbird Lane heading North.
I had come to the lake at Bent Bridge in the northwest corner. A wintry scene greeted me as I approached the shore. The large trees at the waters edge were frosted white in keeping with the season and the chill. Actually, the cold muted the smell of cormorant guano that was the real reason for the effect. I will wager that it gets pretty high during the warmer weather. It was here that the light gained enough strength to allow me to start identifying birds. Carolina Chickadees were calling and Yellow-rumped Warblers flitted amongst the tangles. A Red-shouldered Hawk flew out from the woods on my left and joined a second in the cormorant roosts. The Pelicans were far out, but easily recognisable and accompanied by gulls and Double-crested Cormorants.
I began walking to my left in a clockwise direction. My time as ever was limited and a full circuit of the lake would not be feasible. My plan was to head towards Sunset Bay beyond Hidden Creek as my furthest point before returning back the way I had come. Anyone who has read this blog before knows that my estimation of time and relative dimensions in space is poor. Sure enough, I hardly made it as far as half of that distance, barely even 10% of the lake’s shoreline.
I had a couple of targets in mind this morning. Potentially a couple of red crayon birds were waiting for me in the cold. From the gulls, I hoped to winkle out a Boneparte’s Gull and from the sparrows, I hoped that a Harris’s would emerge.
Between Bent Bridge and Singing Bridge I scanned every Ring-billed Gull looking for a smaller, tern-like bird with a vestigial black smudge on it’s head from it’s summer plumage. The Song Sparrows were plentiful, but I was looking for something larger with a clear white belly and a pink bill.
To the north of Singing Bridge a patch of water huddled out of the wind, sheltered by trees and the Mockingbird Lane flyover. I had my first chance to try to emulate JR’s pictures as a number of pelicans took flight and passed back over the bridge onto the main body of the lake. There were also cormorants, Mallards, American Coots, Pied-billed Grebes and some Muscovy Ducks (probably feral). Up on the bridge, the wind was beginning to bite through my gloves and my fingers were already becoming painful.
There was some bankside vegetation along some stretches of the lakeside, which on a warmer day might have had me looking for dragonflies.
Grackles are common here with both Common and Great-tailed in constant view. Red-shouldered Blackbirds and Brown Cowbirds complimented my Icterid list.
Out on the water the birds roosted on boats and piers. I saw a small tern-like bird which turned out to be a tern. Beyond the boat clubs, a Downy Woodpecker landed in a tree right in front of me and posed provocatively. This meant having to take my hands out of my pockets to use the camera. It was becoming windier and beyond uncomfortable. A Fox Squirrel kept his arms in to his sides to preserve heat as he tried to warm up in the sun.
The pelicans were on the far side of the lake split into two groups. The furthest group was bigger but much more distant. The nearest consisted of around 45 birds. They were accompanied in the water by cormorants with gulls wheeling above. As I watched, they appeared to be heading towards me. Slowly but surely, they were moving eastwards across the water. The pelicans at the back would take to the air and reach across the wind to get to the front of the feeding flock. Thereby the front birds eventually found themselves at the back and took flight to get to the front again. It reminded me of pursuit cycling teams in reverse.
Standing still for a while had been a mistake. The cold and the wind had cut into me and I found myself constantly swearing and getting very cross with my useless fingers. It was time to bail out and head home. But that meant heading into wind which only served to make it worse. I was actually feeling quite distressed now.
Perhaps my resistance is getting lower as I get older. The savoury sharpness of a lifer was now tempered with the desire to feel my fingers again and my determination had faltered.
Back at Singing bridge, a low wall gave a respite from the wind and allowed me a few moments to warm in the weak sun. Some life had returned to my fingers, but I couldn’t stop swearing. I still had to cross the windswept bridge.
A patch of woodland beyond the bridge was alive with birds; White-winged Doves, Yellow-rumped warblers, Carolina Wrens, Carolina Chickadees, Song Sparrows and to my delight Eastern Bluebirds. I managed to get a picture of the bluebirds for my blogger-floggers who insist on “more pictures!”
At Bent Bridge the tangles and rank vegetation either side of it were busy too. At last I found a Mockingbird and a Northern Cardinal, both of which would have been a grave omission. I had seen very few duck today although I had been assured that they were there.
Just before reaching the junction of Lawther and Northwest I noticed high above, a Red-tailed Hawk being mobbed by American Crows.
On the return train journey, I headed towards Ledbetter to get into town. The frequency of bus and train is less during the day and the drive back to the hotel for pick-up took just over one and a half hours.
Our bus ride back to the airport produced as many as 20 redtails, perched on roadside snags and lamp posts.

Mammal species; 1

Fox Squirrel 6

Bird species; 35

Pied-billed Grebe 7, American White Pelican, 100, Double-crested Cormorant 400, Great Egret 2, Great Blue Heron 4, Mallard 25, Ruddy Duck 4, Sharp-shinned Hawk 1, Red-shouldered Hawk 4, Red-tailed Hawk 1, American Coot 40, Ring-billed Gull 250, Forster’s Tern 6, White-winged Dove 20, Belted Kingfisher 1, Red-bellied Woodpecker 3, Downy Woodpecker 6, Blue Jay 8, American Crow 25, Carolina Chickadee 15, Carolina Wren 2, Ruby-crowned Kinglet 3, Eastern Bluebird 5, Northern Mockingbird 2, Common Starling 60, Cedar Waxwing 60, Yellow-rumped Warbler 20, Northern Cardinal 1, Song Sparrow 16, Brown Cowbird 15, Common Grackle 60, Great-tailed Grackle 150, Red-shouldered Blackbird 12, American Goldfinch 12, House Sparrow 5.