Nalle Bunny Run Group Walk 2015-10-17

Thirteen folks (all from the same hiking group) joined me for the monthly group walk on the Bunny Run this morning. We enjoyed beautiful clear and slightly cool weather and tallied 20 species of birds. The first highlight was while I was orienting everyone before we started. Just after I finished explaining how Cooper's Hawks and Sharp-shinned Hawks were returning to central Texas for the winter, this Sharp-shinned Hawk soared by:

Sharp-shinned Hawk

An interesting find we made near the spring was this Mourning Dove kill site. Since all the feathers were together on the ground, it wasn't a hawk or falcon that got this bird. A hawk or falcon would have carried it up to a perch to eat it, spreading the feathers over a much larger area. This was a ground predator, maybe a fox or a cat, that got this dove.

Mourning Dove Kill Site

At the eastern edge of the preserve, emerging out of the cedar breaks into the open sandy prairie area, we spotted this juvenile Red-tailed Hawk in a dead cottonwood:

Red-tailed Hawk Juvenile

It hung around for a few minutes before flying off to the northwest. But a couple minutes later I saw another hawk flying in from southwest. It was an adult Red-tailed that landed in the same tree!

Red-tailed Hawk Adult

From that same spot we got to see two Ladder-backed Woodpeckers, a House Finch, and we got to compare Turkey Vultures and Black Vultures almost right over our heads.

Here's our complete bird list:
http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S25446728

And attached are a few iNaturalist observations. What a fun morning!

Posted on October 20, 2015 02:37 AM by mikaelb mikaelb

Observations

Photos / Sounds

What

Orange-crowned Warbler (Leiothlypis celata)

Observer

mikaelb

Date

October 2015

Description

Taken during the monthly group walk on the Nalle Bunny Run Wildlife Preserve.

Before the group arrived I found a female Magnolia Warbler in a mixed flock by the parking area. Unfortunately I wasn't unable to get a photo of it. This Orange-crowned Warbler was much more cooperative.

Photos / Sounds

What

Sharp-shinned Hawk (Accipiter striatus)

Observer

mikaelb

Date

October 17, 2015 09:16 AM CDT

Description

Taken during the monthly group walk on the Nalle Bunny Run Wildlife Preserve.

Just as I finished explaining to the group how Sharp-shinned Hawks and Cooper's Hawks are returning this time of year, this Sharp-shinned flew over.

Photos / Sounds

What

Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos)

Observer

mikaelb

Date

October 17, 2015 09:47 AM CDT

Description

Taken during the monthly group walk on the Nalle Bunny Run Wildlife Preserve.

Photos / Sounds

What

Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura)

Observer

mikaelb

Date

October 17, 2015 09:52 AM CDT

Description

Taken during the monthly group walk on the Nalle Bunny Run Wildlife Preserve.

Because the feathers are mostly all in one place on the ground, this was probably a ground predator like a cat or a fox.

Photos / Sounds

What

Black Saddlebags (Tramea lacerata)

Observer

mikaelb

Date

October 17, 2015 09:56 AM CDT

Description

Taken during the monthly group walk on the Nalle Bunny Run Wildlife Preserve.

Photos / Sounds

What

Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis)

Observer

mikaelb

Date

October 17, 2015 10:08 AM CDT

Description

Taken during the monthly group walk on the Nalle Bunny Run Wildlife Preserve.

We got great looks at two Red-tailed Hawks in the same dead cottonwood tree. First a juvenile which flew away after a few minutes, then an adult flew in and landed.

Photos / Sounds

What

Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis)

Observer

mikaelb

Date

October 17, 2015 10:13 AM CDT

Description

Taken during the monthly group walk on the Nalle Bunny Run Wildlife Preserve.

We got great looks at two Red-tailed Hawks in the same dead cottonwood tree. First a juvenile which flew away after a few minutes, then an adult flew in and landed.

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