Douglas
(nicknamed “Keys” for his skill as a pianist) and Judith had a specific target
list of “troublesome birds” that they wanted help with, so the original plan
was to head to Santa Ana to try for the Beardless Tyrannulet and Olive Sparrow,
in addition to some grassland sparrows out along the Pintail Lake Trail, but
the misty weather and muddy trails precluded that idea (and thankfully they had
already bagged the Olive Sparrow at Hugh Ramsey), so we headed straight to our
planned second destination: Brushline
Road! We ended up spending the whole day
there, starting at the intersection of Brushline and FM 490, and this time we
really didn’t even make it to the immediate turn before being inundated with
birds! A female Ladder-backed Woodpecker
was right outside the car, and the trees had feeding flocks consisting of the
usual Orange-crowned and Yellow-rumped Warblers, Ruby-crowned Kinglets, and
Blue-gray Gnatcatchers! Once we made the
turn a flock of Savannah Sparrows played hard to get in the bushes.
Keys and Judith at the turnoff to Brushline Road
Female Ladder-backed Woodpecker
Pompous-looking Savannah Sparrow
Continuing
north, there were lots of Red-tailed Hawks on the posts, but the real treat was
tons of Sandhill Cranes, both in the
fields and flying overhead! At another
stop a Least Flycatcher whitted and what
initially looked like a flyover cormorant turned out to be a lone White-fronted
Goose! We got to teasing Judith as so
many of the birds she was calling to our attention turned out to be Mourning
Doves (MODOs), but when I called out a distant Kestrel I heard a “dang” from
the back seat: she thought that was what
it was but was afraid to say anything for fear it was just another MODO! J
Judith checks out the habitat next to the road.
Sandhill Cranes
Keys and Judith on Brushline
The
big pond was rapidly drying up, but several Avocets were swishing about, and a
flock of American Pipits came wheeling in and proceeded to bathe near the south
edge! Judith discovered a covey of
Bobwhite making their way through the flowers that were just on the other side
of the fence (too fast for the camera), and in the plowed fields we had fun trying
to pick out the Lark and Savannah Sparrows as they went up and down the
furrows! But the stars of the show for
my charges were two target raptors (although very distant): Caracara and White-tailed Hawk! Just before SR 186 was the best sighting (so far
as I was concerned): in with two Black Vultures was a big ol’ Wood Stork! (Exciting only in that they’re supposed to be
long gone by now…)
Avocets
Loggerhead Shrike
"Proof shot" of the flyover Wood Stork
North
of the highway a male Vermilion Flycatcher was very cooperative for pictures
(he wasn’t even fazed by the big truck that went by), and we finally got a look
at a calling Couch’s Kingbird. Common
Ground Doves were more numerous than I’ve ever seen them, as were Roadrunners –
we must have had well over 20 during the course of the route, most being very
cooperative! Making the right turn on
eastbound Brushline yielded lots of Pyrrhuloxias, more hawks (including
Harris’), an uncooperative Black-throated Sparrow, and several lines of ducks flying
overhead making an incredible wing noise!
Once we got up to the farm pond we logged several species (interestingly
we were able to pick out Pintail and American Wigeon in the flyover flocks, but
neither landed on the pond), along with grebes, Common Gallinule, and a
growling Anhinga. Comedy relief was
provided by the rancher’s pet Emu that came by to say hello (quite literally,
as he drummed deep in his chest)! On the
way out we had a fabulous look at a flyover White-tailed Hawk, and heading down
to Ken Baker Keys got his wish: another covey of Bobwhite was right by the road,
showing beautifully for pictures, mainly due to the fact that half the covey
was still on the other side of the road, and what I assume was the “leader” was
waiting until all his ladies made it safely across before diving into the brush
himself!
Several shots of the Vermilion Flycatcher
With an itch...
North Brushline habitat
Pyrrhuloxia pair (female below)
Roadrunner (one of several)
Two different immature Red-tailed Hawks
Keys and Judith at the farm pond at the north end of Brushline
The friendly Emu
Ken
Baker had more Pyrrhuloxias getting gravel from the road, and the little bog
near Rio Beef had lots of Brewer’s Blackbirds, mostly females with only a
couple of males. We drove up the
entrance road on the off chance that we might kick up a Say’s Phoebe or sparrow
(or even the Snow Geese we were hearing behind the feedlot), but that turned
out a bust. But continuing east on Ken
Baker we hit pay dirt as several Lark Sparrows graced the fence line, but also
single Clay-colored and Vesper Sparrows!
Unfortunately the Cassin’s wouldn’t play ball anywhere along the route,
but a Bewick’s Wren got in our faces instead!
A Curve-billed Thrasher also showed nicely along the fence, and along Jesus
Maria a Northern Harrier on the ground gave flight and showed off its white
rump.
Bewick's Wren
About
that time we had to head back, but got great looks at another Caracara along
Rio Beef (while trying to stay ahead of a Mac truck J), and a herd of
Turkeys blocked the road close to 186. But
the excitement wasn’t over: Keys had
been hoping for a Scissor-tailed Flycatcher all day, and after warning him that
they were tough this time of year, I think we had pretty much given up when a beautiful
male shot off a power line and did a wonderful lap over the road, showing off
that gorgeous tail! What a great last
bird!
We
ended up with 72 species for the day.
Bird list:
Snow
Goose
Greater
White-fronted Goose Blue-winged Teal
Northern Shoveler
Gadwall
American Wigeon
Northern Pintail
Green-winged Teal
Northern Bobwhite
Wild Turkey
Pied-billed Grebe
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon)
Eurasian Collared-Dove
Common Ground-Dove
Mourning Dove
Greater Roadrunner
Common Gallinule
American Coot
Sandhill Crane
American Avocet
Killdeer
Greater Yellowlegs
Wood Stork
Anhinga
Black Vulture
Turkey Vulture
Northern Harrier
Cooper's Hawk
Harris's Hawk
White-tailed Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
Golden-fronted Woodpecker
Ladder-backed Woodpecker
Crested Caracara
American Kestrel
Least Flycatcher
Eastern Phoebe
Vermilion Flycatcher
Great Kiskadee
Couch's Kingbird
Scissor-tailed Flycatcher
Loggerhead Shrike
White-eyed Vireo
Green Jay
Horned Lark
Black-crested Titmouse
Verdin
House Wren
Bewick's Wren
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Curve-billed Thrasher
Long-billed Thrasher
Northern Mockingbird
European Starling
American Pipit
Olive Sparrow
Clay-colored Sparrow
Black-throated Sparrow
Lark Sparrow
Vesper Sparrow
Savannah Sparrow
Lincoln's Sparrow
Western Meadowlark
Red-winged Blackbird
Brewer's Blackbird
Great-tailed Grackle
Orange-crowned Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Northern Cardinal
Pyrrhuloxia
House Sparrow
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