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Archive for January, 2008

2007 Matagorda County – Mad Island Marsh CBC

Friday, January 11th, 2008

MATAGORDA COUNTY – MAD ISLAND MARSH CHRISTMAS BIRD COUNT

17 December 2007

Our Team of 113 very dedicated birders reported 235 species during the 15^th running of our CBC. This is our 4^th highest tally and is a very good total for this “down year” for total species. Guadalupe River Delta reported 225, Dan Diego, CA, 215 and Freeport 203 species.

BEST BIRD

Our section leaders had a very close vote for the Best Bird. OLIVE SPARROW won by one vote over Green-tailed Towhee. There seemed to be a consensus that they would prefer seeing an Aplomado Falcon next year on the t-shirt. Does anybody have a good photo of an Aplomado with an Olive Sparrow in its talons?

(more…)

Posted in Christmas Bird Count, Mad Island Marsh CBC | No Comments »

2007 Guadalupe River Delta CBC – Data

Tuesday, January 8th, 2008

Guadalupe River Delta/McFaddin Family Ranches CBC 20 December 2007

SPONSORS:

Lyondell Chemicals
Texas Parks & Wildlife Department
Jess Womack Ranch
LaQuerencia Ranch
Rio Vista Bluff Ranch

Species	River Road	Ranches & Roads	Ranches & Bayous	Chemical Plants	TPWD WMA	Jess Womack	LaQuerencia	Rio Vista Bluff	TOTAL	Teams	Change
	Guadalupe River Delta					McFaddin Family Ranches
Black-bellied Whistling-Duck	6	31	25	1	91		1		155	6	+
FULVOUS WHISTLING-DUCK	1								1	1	+
G. White-fronted Goose	1584	805		1518	23968	37			15000	5	+
Snow Goose	30700	732	1053	1059	106009	57			52000	6
Ross’ Goose	31	25	23	14	1259				1300	5	+
Cackling Goose					221				221	1	+
Canada Goose	22	1			81				104	3
Wood Duck	7	17		6	2	68	48		148	6	+
Gadwall	94	27	5	42	77	3	3		251	7	-
Am. Wigeon	21	20							41	2	-
Mallard		38	4						42	2
Mottled Duck	8	4	2		6	3			23	5	-
Blue-winged Teal	120	71		52	129	9	5		386	6	-
Cinnamon Teal	5	3			2				10	3
N. Shoveler	84	63	3	32	160		100		442	6
N. Pintail	80	43	60	1					184	4
Green-winged Teal	169	27		4		22	60		282	5
Canvasback	36		2		1				39	3
Redhead	8			4	1				13	3	-
Ring-necked Duck	1	56		48					105	3
Lesser Scaup	80	17	80	580	5	11			773	6
Bufflehead	5	19		53	68				145	4	+
Com. Goldeneye	4	35	15	51	5				110	5	+
LONG-TAILED DUCK				1					1	1	NEW
Hooded Merganser		14							14	1
Red-breasted Merganser	1		1						2	2	-
Ruddy Duck	36	2	12	418	1				469	5
. . . duck, sp.			7						7	1
W. Turkey		44				8			52	2
N. Bobwhite		2							2	1	-
Com. Loon					1				1	1
Least Grebe	3	6		6	2				17	4
Pied-billed Grebe	83	37		31	24	9			184	5	+
Eared Grebe	6		1	137					144	3	+
Am. White Pelican	140	15	107	874	260				1396	5	+
Brown Pelican	23	1	26	38	8	1			97	6	+
Neotropic Cormorant	49		18	109	36	23		1	236	6
Double-crested Cormorant	50	16	45	24	95	262	10	6	508	8	+
Anhinga	5	8	21	10	56	17	2	1	120	8	+
Am. Bittern	2				3				5	2	-
Great Blue Heron	49	16	35	16	89	30	9	3	247	8	+
Great Egret	70	33	72	58	150	37	20	2	442	8	+
Snowy Egret	45		25	18	19	21	5		133	6
Little Blue Heron	4	12	6	8	7	16	1		54	7
Tricolored Heron	28	9	7	20	51	11	8		134	7	+
Reddish Egret	1		1		1				3	3
Cattle Egret	3	17	9		9		15		53	5
Green Heron			4		2	1			7	3
Black-crowned Night-Heron	45		21	34	7		2	7	116	6	+
Yellow-crowned Night-Heron	1	20	1						22	3	+
White Ibis	568	14	145	22	260	298	20	9	1336	8
Glossy Ibis	1								1	1
White-faced Ibis	716	101	28	252	538	29	104		1768	7
Roseate Spoonbill	29		26	3	67	2		3	130	6
Black Vulture	16	120	16	82	158	487	13	25	917	8	+
Turkey Vulture	90	97	55	81	182	135	34	12	686	8	+
Osprey	9	2	7	6	19				43	5
White-tailed Kite						2			2	1	-
Bald Eagle	1	1	1				1		4	4	-
N. Harrier	21	11	13	6	38	3	2	1	95	8
Sharp-shinned Hawk	4			1	1			1	7	4
Cooper’s Hawk	4	1	1	4	5	1			16	6	+
Harris’s Hawk				1					1	1
Red-shouldered Hawk	3	2	3	1	9	24	6	5	53	8	-
White-tailed Hawk	2		2	1	1	2		3	11	6
Red-tailed Hawk	6	16	8	19	22	10	15	3	99	8
Crested Caracara	4	18	10	7	14	25	2	3	83	8
Am. Kestrel	12	22	13	12	27	7	8	3	104	8	-
Merlin	2		1	1					4	3
APLOMADO FALCON		1							1	1	New
Peregrine Falcon				1	1				2	2
Clapper Rail					1				1	1
King Rail	2			2	26				30	3
Virginia Rail	2			1	4				7	3
Sora	26	3		28	80	5			142	5	+
Com. Moorhen	227	55		60	59	3			404	5	+
Am. Coot	1312	335	999	776	3099	6			6527	6
Sandhill Crane	495	246	34	1200	351	3	10	37	2376	8
Black-bellied Plover	32		20		509				561	3	+
Semipalmated Plover			25		11				36	2
Killdeer	113	109	25	46	265	31		15	604	7
Black-necked Stilt	2			4	40				46	3	+
Am. Avocet	302		18		324				644	3	+
Spotted Sandpiper	3		2	3		7			15	4
Solitary Sandpiper	1			3					4	2	+
Greater Yellowlegs	29	5	3	5	89	1		1	133	7
Willet	3		1	1	18				23	4
Lesser Yellowlegs	4		1	3	5				13	4	-
Long-billed Curlew	3		1		2				6	3	-
Ruddy Turnstone			1	1					2	2
Sanderling			2		3				5	2
W. Sandpiper	2				490				492	2
Least Sandpiper	64		8	43	570				685	4
Dunlin	45		4		619				668	3
. . . sandpiper sp.	100								100	1
Stilt Sandpiper					15				15	1
Short-billed Dowitcher	1				30				31	2
Long-billed Dowitcher	42	2			176				220	3	-
. . . Dowitcher sp.				4					4	1
Wilson’s Snipe	98	7	2	18	32	2			159	6
Laughing Gull	138		182	3014	520	1			3855	5	+
Bonaparte’s Gull			1		10				11	2
Ring-billed Gull	24	2	93	4005	40	4			4168	6	+
Herring Gull	2		1		8				11	3
Gull-billed Tern	6	4		2					12	3
Caspian Tern	19	1	30		4	1			55	5	+
Com. Tern					1				1	1
Forster’s Tern	100		219	10	242	1			572	5	+
Royal Tern	4		8	1	4	1			18	5
Rock Pigeon		2		40					42	2	+
Eur. Collared Dove		7		3	7				17	3
White-winged Dove	3	89	27	10	138				267	5	+
Mourning Dove	44	152	11	21	53	131	8	9	429	8
Inca Dove		24				2			26	2
Com. Ground Dove	2	2			2	7		6	19	5
White-tipped Dove						1			1	1
Greater Roadrunner	1	1							2	2	New
Groove-billed Ani		6							6	1	+
YELLOW-BILLED CUCKOO			1						1	1	New
Com. Barn-Owl	1				1				2	2
E. Screech-Owl	7				1				8	2
Great Horned Owl	5		2	1	7	1	1	1	18	7
Barred Owl	2				7	11		6	26	4
Short-eared Owl	1								1	1
Pauraque					3				3	1	+
Buff-bellied Hummingbird	1	1							2	2	+
Ruby-throated Hummingbird							1		1	1
. . . Archilochus sp.					2				2	1
Belted Kingfisher	8	9	24	5	27	4			77	6	+
Green Kingfisher			3		1	1			5	3
Golden-fronted Woodpecker					3				3	1
Red-bel Woodpecker	27	27	21	3	17	46	2	21	164	8
Yellow-bel Sapsucker	14	11	1		4	11	2	3	46	7
Ladder-b Woodpecker	1	2	2	1	1	5	2	2	16	8	+
Downy Woodpecker				1		1		1	3	3
N. (Yel.-sh.) Flicker		1					2		3	2
Pileated Woodpecker						20	1	3	24	3	+
Least Flycatcher	1	3							4	2
. . . Empidonax sp.			1		1	1			3	3
E. Phoebe	106	78	41	42	177	305	46	40	835	8	+
BLACK PHOEBE				1					1	1	New
Say’s Phoebe	1	3							4	2	New
Vermilion Flycatcher	5	30	6	4	5	10	1	3	64	8
GREAT CRESTED FLYCATCHER						1			1	1	New
Great Kiskadee						1			1	1	-
Couch’s Kingbird	11	48	13	3	9	35			119	6	+
Loggerhead Shrike	4	17	3	6	7	6	4		47	7
White-eyed Vireo	32	48	6	11	47	25	4	7	180	8	+
BELL’S VIREO	1								1	1	New
Blue-headed Vireo	6	31	1	2	7	9	2		58	7	+
Blue Jay		5							5	1
Am. Crow	16	28	31		61	142	16	8	302	7	-
Chihuahuan Raven		1							1	1	New
Horned Lark	1				2				3	2
Tree Swallow	96	1	8		28	2	200		335	6	-
N. R-w. Swallow				3	6	1			10	3	-
Cave Swallow	8				119				127	2	+
Barn Swallow	1			1	6				8	3
. . . swallow sp.						9			9	1
Carolina Chickadee	25	55	10	1	23	41	16	10	181	8
Black-crested Titmouse									0	0
E. Titmouse	1								1	1
. . . Tufted Titmouse hybrids	27	9	6		18	31	11	3	105	7	+
Carolina Wren	53	42	15	8	43	66	5	12	244	8
Bewick’s Wren		1			1	3			5	3
House Wren	50	75	6	18	17	49	2	16	233	8
Winter Wren	5				1				6	2
Sedge Wren	54			2	36		4	4	100	5
Marsh Wren	63	7	2	7	87	1	1		168	7
Golden-crowned Kinglet									0	0	-
Ruby-crowned Kinglet	51	107	14	8	61	286	10	4	541	8	-
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher	79	148	22	21	69	238	20	7	604	8	_
E. Bluebird		4			3	4	1	2	14	5	-
Hermit Thrush	1	8	1	2	4	33	1	1	51	8	-
Am. Robin	3	7		1	2	11		10	34	6	-
Gray Catbird	5	9	6		21	9			50	5
N. Mockingbird	15	56	16	10	29	54	14	5	199	8	+
Brown Thrasher		4			1	1		1	7	4	-
Long-billed Thrasher		1			2	1			4	3	-
Eur. Starling	85	214	9	67	170	9		15	569	7
Am. Pipit	134		7	17	68	19		35	280	6
Sprague’s Pipit	1	1							2	2
Cedar Waxwing		5							5	1
Orange-cr Warbler	57	69	8	12	38	65		4	253	7
Nashville Warbler	2					1			3	2
N. PARULA	1								1	1
YELLOW WARBLER					1				1	1	New
Myrtle Warbler	115	62	62	66	237	41		9	592	7	-
. . . Audubon’s Warbler					2			1	3	2
Black-throated Green-Warbler						2			2	1
PRAIRIE WARBLER				1					1	1	New
Pine Warbler	10	4			2	9			25	4	-
Palm Warbler	3	1							4	2	-
Black & White Warbler	7	11	2		6	9	1	1	37	7	+
Am. Redstart	1								1	1
Ovenbird	1								1	1
N. Waterthrush	1						1		2	2
Com. Yellowthroat	93	27	15	51	92	18	2		298	7	-
Wilson’s Warbler		11		5	1	2			19	4	+
Yellow-breasted Chat					1				1	1
SUMMER TANAGER						1		1	2	2	New
Olive Sparrow					1	2			3	2
E. Towhee		1							1	1
. . . Towhee sp.						1			1	1
Chipping Sparrow	4	97			8	268	60	6	443	6	+
Clay-colored Sparrow			1						1	1
Field Sparrow	1				4	6			11	3	-
Vesper Sparrow						3			3	1	-
Lark Sparrow		5							5	1	+
Savannah Sparrow	76	99	24	38	484	334	100	6	1161	8
Grasshopper Sparrow	1				1		1		3	3
Le Conte’s Sparrow	2				10				12	2	-
Nelson’s Sharp-tailed Sparrow	6								6	1
Seaside Sparrow	2								2	1
Song Sparrow	1	7			7	2	20		37	5	+
Lincoln’s Sparrow	36	33	3	11	47	18	10	2	160	8	-
Swamp Sparrow	22	8		1	59	9	40	3	142	7	-
White-throated Sparrow	2	4			1	8	5		20	5	-
White-crowned Sparrow		12			2	2			16	3
N. Cardinal	56	102	32	33	163	188	18	35	627	8
Pyrrhuloxia						3			3	1
Indigo Bunting		1							1	1
Red-winged Blackbird	4470	3803	775	3918	9859	10527	100	100	33552	8
E. Meadowlark	18	24	3	1	20	125	40		231	7
W. Meadowlark	11	3				1		20	35	4
. . . Meadowlark, sp.	15	41		11		15			82	4
Yellow-headed Blackbird	1								1	1	New
Brewer’s Blackbird			17		20				37	2	-
Great-tailed Grackle	1459	910	11	51	169	22			2622	6
Boat-tailed Grackle	232	3	260		1378				1873	4
Com. Grackle	25	400	44	520	20	3065	610	462	5146	8	+
Bronzed Cowbird		1							1	1
Brown-headed Cowbird	2080	350		31	1085	125	300	20	3991	7
House Finch				11					11	1	+
Pine Siskin	7								7	1	+
Am. Goldfinch	118	8	75	2	277	74	10	15	579	8	+
House Sparrow		23			13				36	2


TOTAL SPECIES	160	128	111	114	158	116	67	62	225

TOTAL INDIVIDUALS	48393	10961	5348	20080	157308	18327	2199	1061	263676

1-party exclusive									0
2-party exclusive									0
3-party exclusive									0
high counts									0
									0
Parties	3	2	2	2	4	5	2	1	21
Observers	6	6	5	7	14	14	4	3	59
Party-Hours	27.5	21.5	19.5	20	37	38.5	17	9.5	190.5
foot	22.5	16.5	5	16	29.5	29.5	13	8.5	140.5
car	5	5	3	6	6.5	3	4	1	33.5
boat			11.5		1	6			18.5
ATV									0
									0
Party-Miles	74	115	58.5	30	95	63	48	26	509.5
foot	11	19	2	2	20.5	19	15	10	98.5
car	63	96	20	28	74.5	28	33	16	358.5
boat			36.5		6	16			58.5
ATV									0
Nocturnal Hours	1	2			5.5	1		3.5	13
Nocturnal Miles	5	7			33	1		10	56

Participants	Brush Freeman	Charlie Brower	Diane Nunley	Cecelia Riley	Brent Ortego	Mark Elwonger	Ken Sztraky	Paul Julian
	Petra Hockey	Olivia Brower	Nan Dietert	Michael Gray	Suzie Ross	Bill Sandidge	Ray Jordan	Peter Riesz
	Ron Weeks	Jennifer Wilson	Lyndon Holcomb	David Plunkett	Marc Ealy	Wayne &	Walter Womack	Jim Turner
	Dan Kaspar	Scott Mitchell	David Newstead	Steven Bone	Bron Rorex	Martha	Ken Vogel
	Tom Langschied	Dale Friedrichs	Travis Gallo	Shawn Ashbaugh	Claudia Dorn	McAllister
	Jim Sinclair	Bob Friedrichs		Van Boone	Jimmy Jackson	Bill Farnsworth
		Marc Ealy		Mikael Brehems	Kick Klopshinske	Linda Valdez
					Fred & Linda Lanoue	Ken & Barbara Bruns
					Craig & Connie McIntyre	Colin & Lynn Bludau
					Jon & Yvette McIntyre	Roger & Fain Zimmerman
					Karen Straub	Norma Frederichs
						Ro Wauer
50-76 degrees 5-15 east wind

Posted in Christmas Bird Count, Guadalupe River Delta CBC | No Comments »

2007 Guadalupe River Delta – McFaddin Family Ranches CBC

Monday, January 7th, 2008

Guadalupe River Delta – McFaddin Family Ranches CBC

20 December 2007

The 4th running of this CBC produced reports of a record 225 species from 59 birders with the Best 3 Birds being Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Bell’s Vireo and Prairie Warbler. The Yellow-billed Cuckoo was heard twice by the Nan Dietert, Diane Nunley and Lydon Holcomb team on Hog Bayou. The Bell’s Vireo was photographed by Brush Freeman and Petra Hockey on River Road, and the Prairie Warbler was photographed by Michael Gray, Cecelia Riley, Steven Bone and David Plunkett.

The 225 species will likely place us in the Top 3 in the Nation which is Great for our count. As we increase participation for this fun CBC and access new lands we should be able to consistently post 230 species results each year and occasionally be the Top CBC in the Country. As an example that our potential has not been reached, we reported 12 new species for the count: Long-tailed Duck (Riley team), Aplomado Falcon (Mitchell team), Greater Roadrunner (Mitchell team), Yellow-billed Cuckoo (Nunley team), Black Phoebe (Ashbaugh team), Great Crested Flycatcher (Farnsworth team), Bell’s Vireo (Hockey team), Chihuahuan Raven (Friedrichs team), Yellow Warbler (Rorex team), Prairie Warbler (Gray team), Summer Tanager (Wauer and Julian teams), and Yellow-headed Blackbird (Freeman team). This brings the total for 4 years of this CBC to 263 species. (more…)