Migration Count Sep 15; Bird Alert Sep 10

Migration Count – Saturday September 15, 2007

If anyone who has not already talked with me or one of the area leaders would like to participate in the Migration Count on Saturday, please contact me no later than Wednesday (409-880-8276 W; 409-722-4193 H or john.whittle@lamar.edu).  This is a county-wide all-day count, but the early morning hours are most important, and three or four hours of counting would be valuable.  We probably have the county covered, but could subdivide the western part of the county, and several areas are being covered by only one person. The more eyes we have, the better.  The current long-range forecast predicts a high temperature of only 87 and a low of 68!

Bird Alert  September 10, 2007

There were relatively few migrants in the coastal areas this past weekend.  A very few warblers (Canada, Black and White, Yellow, Northern Waterthrush and a Prairie), a few Empids, a fair number of Great-crested Flycatchers, and one Olive-sided Flycatcher (at the Willows at Sea Rim) on Sunday.  Hummingbird migration is in full swing. 

Perhaps the most interesting birds of the weekend were a pair of second year White-tailed Hawks on power poles going to the ranch/hunting camp to the west of the H&B Ranch along Highway 87 just east of Sea Rim SP Headquarters.  A little further west one of the local Crested Caracaras spent most of the morning perched on some pilings. 

In west Jefferson county, an adult Red-tailed Hawk was on League Road already working on reducing the rat population. A female Northern Harrier was in the same area, and seen from Heisig Road.

John A. Whittle