A Day at the Ponds (or a Prayer for the Butcher Bird)

Don't get excited. I posted this so you would think the day was a bust.  It was NOT a bust. By the way, this was one of two Red-shouldered Hawks. They showed up! 

After a week of stalking the ponds, my designated Christmas Bird Count* area, I was more than a little distressed. While I'd seen a few cool birds, I never saw more than 10 species or so on any given trip  - different birds every time. And some birds were simply AOL. 

Where were the eagles, the hawks, the shrike** for heaven's sake?

Today was THE day, Christmas Bird Count day. I wasn't ready, but I jumped up with the alarm, dressed in my orange safety vest, grabbed a pen and a piece of recycling (for notes). 

Okay, it wasn't that simple. I had to feed and walk Zelda. Then the first pen I grabbed was an eyeliner pencil. (?)*** I found a real pen, grabbed a travel mug for my tea, headed for the door, and stopped cold. Where was my phone? 

<SIGH>

Finally ready after the panicky search, Zelda and I headed to the ponds. 

And there they were - two Bald Eagles perched atop a tree at the turn. 

In past years an early start made a difference. The birds came early - "early bird" after all.

The eagles were still perched at this pond when I took a break at 10.

I'm always happy to see the Bald Eagles, but today they seemed to be sending a message - "never fear, we will all show up." And they did. Okay...not all, but many did.

And there were more than a few lovely moments - a dance of Crested Caracaras in flight. I don't know if they were simply enjoying the light breeze or what their aerobatics were in aid of, but it was lovely to watch. Late in the evening a murmuration of starlings stunned me as I was leaving the area. 

In between a number of birds appeared as if summoned by my panicked thoughts - ducks I could identify (not just the Gadwalls, Northern Shovelers, and Green-winged Teal, but also Pintails, American Widgeons, and a Mallard), a Pied-billed Grebe  (my first sighting in months), Canada Geese (including an immature bird - I'd never seen one here before), a Greater Yellowlegs (a favorite bird name and another bird I haven't seen since the drought), and last but definitely not least, the Loggerhead Shrike. It showed up at the last moment. I was mere yards from leaving the area. Cheeky little guy.

All told, I was able to identify 39 species (well over 200 individual birds).**** 

Whatever. I supposed you had to be there.*****

Here are a few shots from today - the best of a bad lot. 

Pied-billed Grebe (dawn light tough - but this shape is distinct).

Ah, the Eastern Phoebe - its call announces its name - "Phoebe, Phoebe, Phoebe!" 

The Mallard - a duck everyone can identify.

The Canadas were also at the corner pond from the start of the day. I was confused by the small mottled white/grey one. It had to be an immature bird. Here they are at what I call the turtle pond.

Here is a slightly better shot of the immature bird.

Wilson's Snipe****** Yes, there really are snipe. They have absurdly long beaks. They have been here for days. I would have been terribly disappointed had they failed to show.

Northern Shovelers

One of 4 Crested Caracaras

Great Blue Heron sheltering from the wind (shadow of fence on its feathers)

European Starlings - again starlings have a distinct profile so it isn't hard to identify them from a distance.

Eastern Bluebird

Carolina Chickadee

Yellow-rumped Warbler

Do you see that little wren there? It's a Bewick's Wren. I called it up. Really! Maybe I'm not as much of a bad birder as I sometimes feel. It came out of this tree fussing at me and I fussed back until I got a photo to share.

Northern Flicker...woohoo!

Northern Mockingbird

American Kestrel

American Crows and others

 Butcher Bird - The Loggerhead Shrike - Every now and then I find an impaled creature, grasshopper, small rodent or the like. More often than not there is a shrike nearby.

NOTES:

* https://www.audubon.org/conservation/science/christmas-bird-count

** The Loggerhead Shrike, aka the butcher bird, is often at the ponds, but I haven't seen it in forever. It's a sneaky little devil. It often appears just as someone is speeding up behind me or flies past too quickly for a good look. Anyway, the shrike impales it's prey on a thorn or the barb of barbwire. It's the bird's little food stash. Shrikes are being studied as their population appears to be dwindling. I just love their monstrous reputation and their cheeky little masks.

*** I wear eyeliner very rarely. How it got mixed up with my pens is a mystery.

****https://ebird.org/checklist/S124104707  It is my second best solo CBC total. I saw 40 species in 2019. I guess I shouldn't have taken that bathroom break.

***** No, I did not cry. I might have gotten a little misty at the start and finish. My heart beats fast when I see and hear the Bald Eagles and I was pleased/emotional when the shrike, like a bad boyfriend, showed up after keeping me waiting and wondering. I did lift a few prayers for the birds, prayers they would be safe, prayers they would show up, prayers their habitat would survive as there is more and more development all around - maybe they were less prayers and more telepathic messages to "please come." They often seem to hear. They did today.

******During my first CBC in Williamson County, the fellow DH and I were traveling with posted me in a marshy area and briefly described the snipe. They were gone for about 15 or 20 minutes - enough time for the bird to break cover and fly off. After I described the bird (in ways he had not) he was convinced I had really seen it and we added it to our list. I've been on the look-out for Wilson's Snipe ever since.

A couple of photos of the early morning clouds just because:

The sun was having some difficulty breaking through the cloud-cover.

I would have had enough light for photos, but it took a good while.

Final note: All bad birders considering participating in the CBC (and I recommend it as a good way to improve) should be reassured - you can go on the count with more experienced birders and any observation that raises questions will be reviewed by other more experienced birders. 

They are checking one of mine right now. It's kind of like reviewing the game video in football. It gives us a chance to make sure the data is correct. That's why I take photos. I can compare my shots in apps and show them to folks who have more experience than I do.

I ALSO check my photos to see if I missed anyone. I had missed the Northern Flicker the first go-round. I'm not surprised as it is a bird I have observed only a few times. 

FINAL FINAL Note, I hope: The question is resolved. Six sandpipers I identified as "Western" Sandpipers turned out to be "Least" Sandpipers. My list has been updated. Woohoo! [Sandpipers are difficult!]