Village Creek field trip rescheduled for 5/12

[Connie Sandlin]

We will try again to go to Village Creek Drying Beds on May 12th. We will probably also spend some time birding at River Legacy Park/River Legacy Park East.

Keep your fingers crossed that there won't be a deluge in the days just before or on the day of the rescheduled trip.:p

As always, RSVPs are required.

Connie Sandlin
VP Field Trips
Audubon Dallas
conniesandlin (at) hotmail.com

[Connie Sandlin]

We're going to try again for this, although the access may be pretty limited due to the recent rains and the barricades. When we've had enough, we'll probably go on to River Legacy Park / River Legacy Park East.

Show up at 8 a.m. if you want to join in, but I'd advise insect repellent in case of mosquitos.

Happy birding,
Connie Sandlin
VP Field Trips
Audubon Dallas

[Connie Sandlin]

Thought y'all might find this of interest - Connie

Fort Worth Audubon conducted a census on Tuesday May 1 of areas in and near Village Creek. Areas covered ranged from SW Arlington to the HEB area. Four species were recorded count week only and are designated CW followed by the total recorded.

Observation date: 5/1/07
Notes: 2007 Village Creek Drying Beds Spring Count
Contributors: Charley Amos, Buck Buchanan, Greg Cook, Phil Craighead, D.D. Currie, Jean Ferguson, Dell Little, Martin Mattingly, David Powell, Jim Sipiora, and Bob Smith.
Number of species: 130


Black-bellied Whistling-Duck 23
Wood Duck 14
Gadwall 5
American Wigeon 14
Mallard 10
Blue-winged Teal 138
Northern Shoveler 17
Ruddy Duck 2
Pied-billed Grebe 17
American Bittern 3
Great Blue Heron 22
Great Egret 39
Snowy Egret 17
Little Blue Heron 26
Cattle Egret 1
Green Heron 4
Yellow-crowned Night-Heron 1
Black Vulture 12
Turkey Vulture 24
Mississippi Kite 15
Cooper's Hawk 6
Red-shouldered Hawk 3
Swainson's Hawk 1
Red-tailed Hawk 9
Sora 2
American Coot 106
Killdeer 11
Greater Yellowlegs 14
Lesser Yellowlegs 13
Solitary Sandpiper 1
Willet 3
Spotted Sandpiper 10
Upland Sandpiper 2
Semipalmated Sandpiper 3
Western Sandpiper 4
Least Sandpiper 41
White-rumped Sandpiper 4
Baird's Sandpiper 15
Pectoral Sandpiper 3
Wilson's Phalarope 60
Franklin's Gull 393
Ring-billed Gull 10
Rock Pigeon 64
Eurasian Collared-Dove 2
White-winged Dove 21
Mourning Dove 92
Yellow-billed Cuckoo 10
Eastern Screech-Owl 1
Great Horned Owl 4
Barred Owl CW (1)
Common Nighthawk CW (1)
Chimney Swift 36
Black-chinned Hummingbird 5
Belted Kingfisher 4
Red-headed Woodpecker 1
Red-bellied Woodpecker 23
Downy Woodpecker 27
Olive-sided Flycatcher 1
Eastern Wood-Pewee 1
Empidonax sp. 2
Eastern Phoebe 2
Great Crested Flycatcher 13
Western Kingbird 34
Eastern Kingbird 5
Scissor-tailed Flycatcher 34
White-eyed Vireo 25
Blue-headed Vireo 1
Warbling Vireo 10
Philadelphia Vireo 1
Red-eyed Vireo 6
Blue Jay 20
American Crow 26
Purple Martin 31
Northern Rough-winged Swallow 3
Cliff Swallow 344
Barn Swallow 36
Carolina Chickadee 69
Tufted Titmouse 15
Carolina Wren 49
Bewick's Wren 3
Ruby-crowned Kinglet CW (5)
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 29
Eastern Bluebird 4
Gray-cheeked Thrush 1
Swainson's Thrush 22
Hermit Thrush 2
American Robin 5
Gray Catbird 1
Northern Mockingbird 23
European Starling 98
American Pipit 15
Cedar Waxwing 19
Tennessee Warbler 1
Orange-crowned Warbler 1
Nashville Warbler 18
Yellow Warbler 18
Yellow-rumped Warbler CW (2)
Black-throated Green Warbler 2
Louisiana Waterthrush 1
Wilson's Warbler 2
Yellow-breasted Chat 1
Summer Tanager 25
Chipping Sparrow 9
Clay-colored Sparrow 6
Lark Sparrow 3
Savannah Sparrow 9
Grasshopper Sparrow 4
Le Conte's Sparrow 1
Song Sparrow 1
Lincoln's Sparrow 3
White-crowned Sparrow 7
Northern Cardinal 214
Rose-breasted Grosbeak 2
Blue Grosbeak 5
Lazuli Bunting 1
Indigo Bunting 28
Painted Bunting 26
Dickcissel 102
Bobolink 1
Red-winged Blackbird 93
Meadowlark sp. 2
Yellow-headed Blackbird 40
Common Grackle 36
Great-tailed Grackle 99
Brown-headed Cowbird 52
Orchard Oriole 2
Baltimore Oriole 14
House Finch 22
American Goldfinch 20
House Sparrow 35

[Connie Sandlin]

5/12/2007
Sign on Village Creek Drying Beds gates:

CLOSED DUE TO INCLEMENT WEATHER

The gates were locked, even though there was only a little bit of water on the entrance road.

Only one other person showed up for the field trip today. We went over to River Legacy Park for a short time, then he decided to move on after we had gotten very good looks (and a couple of photos) at a Yellow-billed Cuckoo (and a big ol' snapping turtle moving around on the grass near the entrance).

I moseyed around River Legacy Park, River Legacy Learning Center, and River Legacy Park East. For my trouble I was awarded views of Painted Buntings!!!! and several mosquito bites. I also heard many Dickcissels and White-eyed Vireos today, and saw Scissor-tailed Flycatchers and my favorite spot in Las Colinas (behind the hospital).

Not a lot of species for me today, but some real good ones. It's been years since I got that good a look at a Painted Bunting. They are soooo bee-you-tee-ful.

[Vern]

The Painted Buntings made the trip worthwhile. Do we get to see pics of them?:)

[Connie Sandlin]

Eventually. I'm up to my ears in alligators right now! (If you're not familiar with that expression, it means I have a LOT going on.)