Birding locations near downtown Dallas

[BetoMatheus]

Hello,

I tried to avoid this post 'cause I'm sure the info is here already, but I'm running out of time and couldn't find it using Search. I'll be in Dallas for a couple of days (4/12-14) for business and I want to get some nice southern birds after and before work. I'm coming from Colorado and I've never been to this side of the country.
I'll be staying downtown, will have a car but not much time. Any pointers towards good locations will be much appreciated. Target birds will include the usuals: Indigo and Painted Buntings, Greater Roadrunner, Mississippi Kite, Red-shouldered Hawk, and anything we don't get in Colorado.
In advance, thanks for your help.

Beto Matheus
Boulder, CO

[Susan]

White Rock Lake, east of Downtown Dallas, is closest and the best for diversity. No entry fee, great birding along the shorelines, and in "the old fish hatchery", near the southwest corner of the lake. Monk parakeets are right near where you would be parking. Directions are in the post for the March 27th fieldtrip.

[betsy]

Maps of White Rock Lake Park can be found in the Birding Forecasts section of the forum. Some of your target species aren't commonly found there, though. We're having our monthly meeting tonight -- if you can join us, we'll give you a chance to ask the members who show up (and who might not have seen your request here). Directions to the meeting can be found here:
http://audubondallas.org/programs.html

I think Cedar Ridge Preserve would be the most likely place to find the buntings:
http://audubondallas.org/cedarridge.html

Haven't heard any reports of Mississippi Kites nesting yet.

There's a Red-shouldered Hawk's nest in the Old Fish Hatchery at White Rock Lake, but it's so high up that all you can see of the sitting bird is the tip of its tail feathers. You'd be able to hear and perhaps see the other one if you could hang around long enough, but it's chancy if you have only an hour or so.

You're not likely to find Roadrunners in the ciry -- they prefer more rural locales.

[BetoMatheus]

Great! Thanks for your help. I flew in too late to join the meeting. I'll give possibly both places a shot and I'll let you know how it goes.
Happy birding!

[BetoMatheus]

Well, I made it down to Cedar Ridge this afternoon (Tue 4/13). Beautiful place but not particularly birdy today. As a lifer, got a Brown Thrasher singing its lungs out. A group of 15 or so C. Waxwings kept making sallies for insects until the sun set; always nice to see. Also got a glimpse of a male Northern Cardinal, a Blue-gray Gantcatcher, 5 Yellow-rumped Warblers, a couple of Mourning Doves, Crows, a Great Egret flew by, followed by two Little Blue Herons and a single Turkey Vulture and two swifts (not sure of Id) flew overhead.
Then, when I got back to the parking lot, I realized I did not have the keys to my rental car anymore. Lost them somewhere along my walk and had no sunlight left to go back looking for them. I met Terry at the parking lot and he was very kind; he waited with me until the tow truck came and closed the gates. If anyone comes accross a set of rental car keys, please call me at 720 496.9226... or it'll cost me close to $400 to get them replaced! That comes at $20/bird approximately...
I might go back tomorrow morning and retrace my steps trying to find them. Wish me luck!

[betsy]

$400 for a set of keys !!!???!!!! Good grief! They must include taking the car out of commission for some period of time to change out the locks as well. That high a charge would have to include lost rental fees as well as labor on locks -- keys certainly don't cost that much. You are definitely wished good luck!

You're probably a bit early for many of the migratory birds -- I notice Dr. Marsden's Painted Bunting walk at CRP is scheduled for May 1st on a trail that includes mixed prairie, so it may be the Prairie Trail just to the left of the parking lot on this map: http://audubondallas.org/crp_trail_map.pdf
When I went on one of these walks, the Painted Buntings were perched on the isolated trees in the meadows, and detected by their singing. Rather a distant view, unfortunately.

Chimney Swifts are the only type of swift we get here.

Congratulations -- catching your lifer Brown Thrasher singing was a bonus! These birds are even better singers than mockingbirds, have a repertoire of 2000 songs or so and make most of them up rather than imitating other birds (or so I've read). I stood under a tree where one was singing for at least 20 minutes one spring without hearing it repeat itself. One of the world's more extraordinary singers. I hope one serenades you again while you're hunting for your keys.

I notice that Scissor-tailed Flycatchers barely make it into Colorado (if the range map in my Sibley is still accurate) -- have you seen those? If not, you should try for them. They're here already and are wonderful aerialists. When you're driving, keep an eye on the utility wires and road signs near any field -- they like to perch there to watch for insects and sally out to catch them. There's a great photo of one flying that Danator posted very recently in our Chat forum.

Good luck on those pesky keys!!!!

[BetoMatheus]

Found the keys! I went back early this morning and retraced my steps. Within half an hour I found the keys in the grass... relief! So it was only $70 for the cab to and from.

My sincere thanks to Ed whom answered my call on the lost keys! And to Betsy for the good wishes.

The quick walk searching for keys also yielded more Northern Cardinals, males and females; two, possibly three White-eyed Vireos actively singing and in courtship, Chickadees and a quick glance at a male Indigo Bunting.

To close the trip, as the plane taxied to the runway, a Scissor-tailed Flycatcher was flying on the adjacent fields.

Now from Colorado, I wanted to thank you for the tips and congratulate Audubon on a gorgeous preserve. Keep up the good work and hope to be back soon!

Beto Matheus

[betsy]

Glad to hear you found your keys and saw a Scissortail, Beto. You're most welcome for the tips & good wishes. Come back in May for warblers! :)

[Paula K]

This is too late for Beto, but if anyone is interested in a good birding site IN downtown Dallas, I've been birding lately in the Pioneer Park Cemetery. It is about 4 acres in front of the convention center bounded by Marilla, Young St, and Griffin. I go through in the mornings on the way to work and on my lunch break. I only spend about 30 minutes there at a time but I've seen some good birds. As far as warblers, this May I have seen a black & white, yellow, magnolia, mourning, American redstart, and common yellowthroat. It's also good for sparrows. In their season, I have seen Harris, Lincoln's, chipping, field, song, white throated and a few white crowned a week or so ago. There are a couple of brown thrashers and I've seen a gray catbird and summer tanager lately. So, it's not just pigeons, grackles, and starlings, even though there are a lot of those. If you work downtown or have a function at the convention center, it's worth a check out.