Nalle Bunny Run Group Walk 2016-07-16

Only three folks joined me for the monthly group walk on Hill Country Conservancy's . We spent about 2.5 hours slowly walking 1.6 miles of trails on the preserve and we ended up finding 26 species of birds and a few other interesting things. Here are some highlights.

Just before our 8:00 AM start time a male Painted Bunting was singing and just visible in the treetops downhill from the gate:

Painted Bunting

We were lucky to find two "herps" today, a frog and a lizard. I have very few reptile and amphibian observations on the preserve. When we opened up the spring box we found this Rio Grande Leopard Frog:

Rio Grande Leopard Frog

And near the waterfall we found this Texas Spiny Lizard that stayed uncharacteristically still as we walked almost right on top of it:

Texas Spiny Lizard

My favorite moment was when some fledgling Eastern Phoebe's hunted insect right beside us. (Young birds often will get closer to you than adults since they haven't learned to be wary of humans yet.) Here's one looking around for insects:

Eastern Phoebe

On the large dead cottonwood near the northeast corner, we found both species of cowbird, perched right next to each other. I've never seen this before and was pleased that my photo shows both well enough to be identified. Look at the red eye of the Bronzed Cowbird on the left and the brown head of the Brown-headed Cowbird on the right:

Bronzed Cowbird and Brown-headed Cowbird

We got to see a few neat insects, including our largest damselfly, a Great Spreadwing, and a tiny blue butterfly called a Reakirt's Blue.

Great Spreadwing - 1

Reakirt's Blue (Hemiargus isola)

What a fun morning!
Here's our complete bird list.
Here are a few more photos.
And the same photos are attached as observations.

Posted on July 16, 2016 07:11 PM by mikaelb mikaelb

Observations

Photos / Sounds

What

Plateau Silverbush (Ditaxis simulans)

Observer

mikaelb

Date

July 16, 2016 08:32 AM CDT

Photos / Sounds

What

Bronzed Cowbird (Molothrus aeneus)

Observer

mikaelb

Date

July 16, 2016 09:15 AM CDT

Description

Taken on the monthly group walk on the Nalle Bunny Run wildlife preserve.

I've never seen these two species perched together before. There was a second Brown-headed Cowbird not in this photo. The Bronzed Cowbird was noticeably larger.

The bird on the left is a Bronzed Cowbird.

Photos / Sounds

What

Golden-fronted Woodpecker (Melanerpes aurifrons)

Observer

mikaelb

Date

July 16, 2016 09:14 AM CDT

Description

Taken on the monthly group walk on the Nalle Bunny Run wildlife preserve.

Can anyone tell what the two objects in its bill are?

Photos / Sounds

What

Great Spreadwing (Archilestes grandis)

Observer

mikaelb

Date

July 16, 2016 09:22 AM CDT

Description

Taken on the monthly group walk on the Nalle Bunny Run wildlife preserve.

The female is out of focus low and right.

Photos / Sounds

What

Reakirt's Blue (Echinargus isola)

Observer

mikaelb

Date

July 16, 2016 10:10 AM CDT

Description

Taken on the monthly group walk on the Nalle Bunny Run wildlife preserve.

Photos / Sounds

What

Eastern Phoebe (Sayornis phoebe)

Observer

mikaelb

Date

July 16, 2016 09:02 AM CDT

Description

Taken on the monthly group walk on the Nalle Bunny Run wildlife preserve.

We were treated to a family group of Eastern Phoebes that did some hunting right next to us.

Photos / Sounds

What

Texas Spiny Lizard (Sceloporus olivaceus)

Observer

mikaelb

Date

July 16, 2016 08:56 AM CDT

Description

Taken on the monthly group walk on the Nalle Bunny Run wildlife preserve.

This lizard stayed frozen here in the grass as the whole group walked almost right on top of it.

Photos / Sounds

What

Rio Grande Leopard Frog (Lithobates berlandieri)

Observer

mikaelb

Date

July 16, 2016 08:42 AM CDT

Description

Taken on the monthly group walk on the Nalle Bunny Run wildlife preserve.

Photos / Sounds

What

Painted Bunting (Passerina ciris)

Observer

mikaelb

Date

July 16, 2016 07:27 AM CDT

Description

Taken on the monthly group walk on the Nalle Bunny Run wildlife preserve.

Photos / Sounds

What

Brown-headed Cowbird (Molothrus ater)

Observer

mikaelb

Date

July 16, 2016 09:15 AM CDT

Description

Taken on the monthly group walk on the Nalle Bunny Run wildlife preserve.

I've never seen these two species perched together before. There was a second Brown-headed Cowbird not in this photo. The Bronzed Cowbird was noticeably larger.

The bird on the right is a Brown-headed Cowbird.

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