Baker Sanctuary 2017-05-06

This morning I spent over 3 hours covering about 2.5 miles of trails on the south half of Travis Audubon's Baker Sanctuary in northwest Austin. It was a beautiful cool and clear morning, and when I arrived at about 8:30 the birding was great! Many birds were singing including Painted Buntings, Blue-gray Gnatcatchers, Northern Cardinals, and Yellow-billed Cuckoos.

I followed a trail I hadn't been on before that paralleled Lime Creek Road and enjoyed lots of bird activity. A few spring migrants I found were Magnolia Warbler, Nashville Warbler, and a female Rose-breasted Grosbeak. The grosbeak was especially fun to find because I heard its loud squeak call first, and thought it might be a rock squirrel before I saw the bird.

Most exciting was hearing some fast high chipping, and then finding a couple fledgling Golden-cheeked Warblers. Here's one of them:

Golden-cheeked Warbler Fledgling - 2

As I watched it through my camera, a male adult came in and fed it! I got this single photo showing them both:

Golden-cheeked Warbler Fledgling and Parent

Golden-cheeked Warblers is one of the main reasons the Baker Sanctuary exists, and I felt especially fortunate to be able to observe this species successfully reproducing here.

By about 10:00 AM the bird activity had slowed, and I walked a trail going down to Baker Creek. I found a few odonates including tantalizing looks at a dark dragonfly over my head that never landed. I think it was some kind of darner I've never seen before. By the creek this Great Spreadwing was fun to find:

Great Spreadwing

A few butterflies were about as well, and I was able to photograph a Monarch and this small sparkly Juniper Hairstreak:

Juniper Hairstreak

Here's my complete bird list:
http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist/S36589857

And here are my photos on Flickr:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/mikael_behrens/albums/72157681370431381/

What a fun morning! I need to spend more time here!

Posted on May 6, 2017 08:22 PM by mikaelb mikaelb

Observations

Photos / Sounds

What

Neon Skimmer (Libellula croceipennis)

Observer

mikaelb

Date

May 6, 2017 10:45 AM CDT

Description

Taken on Travis Audubon Society's Baker Sanctuary in northwest Travis County.

Photos / Sounds

What

Plateau Spreadwing (Lestes alacer)

Observer

mikaelb

Date

May 6, 2017 11:06 AM CDT

Description

Taken on Travis Audubon Society's Baker Sanctuary in northwest Travis County.

Photos / Sounds

What

Familiar Bluet (Enallagma civile)

Observer

mikaelb

Date

May 6, 2017 11:22 AM CDT

Description

Taken on Travis Audubon Society's Baker Sanctuary in northwest Travis County.

Photos / Sounds

What

Juniper Hairstreak (Callophrys gryneus)

Observer

mikaelb

Date

May 6, 2017 10:43 AM CDT

Description

Taken on Travis Audubon Society's Baker Sanctuary in northwest Travis County.

Photos / Sounds

What

Great Spreadwing (Archilestes grandis)

Observer

mikaelb

Date

May 6, 2017 10:22 AM CDT

Description

Taken on Travis Audubon Society's Baker Sanctuary in northwest Travis County.

Photos / Sounds

What

Monarch (Danaus plexippus)

Observer

mikaelb

Date

May 6, 2017 10:17 AM CDT

Description

Taken on Travis Audubon Society's Baker Sanctuary in northwest Travis County.

Photos / Sounds

What

Spinybacked Orbweaver (Gasteracantha cancriformis)

Observer

mikaelb

Date

May 6, 2017 09:17 AM CDT

Description

Taken on Travis Audubon Society's Baker Sanctuary in northwest Travis County.

I came across these two spiders spinning their webs at the same time, the smaller in front of the larger.

Photos / Sounds

What

Painted Bunting (Passerina ciris)

Observer

mikaelb

Date

May 6, 2017 09:14 AM CDT

Description

Taken on Travis Audubon Society's Baker Sanctuary in northwest Travis County.

Photos / Sounds

What

Chipping Sparrow (Spizella passerina)

Observer

mikaelb

Date

May 6, 2017 09:03 AM CDT

Description

Taken on Travis Audubon Society's Baker Sanctuary in northwest Travis County.

Photos / Sounds

What

Rose-breasted Grosbeak (Pheucticus ludovicianus)

Observer

mikaelb

Date

May 6, 2017 09:03 AM CDT

Description

Taken on Travis Audubon Society's Baker Sanctuary in northwest Travis County.

Photos / Sounds

What

Golden-cheeked Warbler (Setophaga chrysoparia)

Observer

mikaelb

Date

May 2017

Place

Texas, US (Google, OSM)

Description

Taken on Travis Audubon Society's Baker Sanctuary in northwest Travis County.

Photos / Sounds

What

Painted Bunting (Passerina ciris)

Observer

mikaelb

Date

May 6, 2017 08:40 AM CDT

Place

Texas, US (Google, OSM)

Description

Taken on Travis Audubon Society's Baker Sanctuary in northwest Travis County.

Photos / Sounds

What

Golden-cheeked Warbler (Setophaga chrysoparia)

Observer

mikaelb

Date

May 2017

Place

Texas, US (Google, OSM)

Description

Two Golden-cheeked Warblers counter-singing their B song to each other

Comments

Nice!!! I'll probably want to get the rights one of the adult with the fledgling for my book on the Ashe juniper. :)

Posted by emcgreevy almost 7 years ago

Add a Comment

Sign In or Sign Up to add comments