|
19 February 2000 |
| Eleven members assembled at the Nature Conservancy's Sandyland Sanctuary
between Silsbee and Kountze on a very pleasant morning. Although everything
was very dry, there had been a shower or two in the area during the passage
of the cold front during the night.
The Floodplain trail, which runs about two miles along the east bank of Village Creek, is not passable when the creek is high, but was readily negotiated on this occasion. A few White-throated Sparrows were along the bank, along with a somewhat secretive Winter Wren. Before very long, a Brown Creeper was located, and eventually seen well by all. Birding the Pineywoods does not produce birds in anywhere near the number that the coastal sites do, but a good representative selection of birds of the habitat was found. American Gold-finches were numerous. Woodpeckers were well represented by Downy, Red-bellied, Red-headed and Pileated Wood-peckers, Northern Flicker and Yellow-bellied Sapsucker. An electrical/pipeline right of way through the sanctuary provided an opportunity to look for open country birds. A few Dark-eyed Juncos were found in a large flock of Chipping Sparrows. A Brown-headed Nuthatch was found, and stayed visible for all to see well. |
Thirty-five species were recorded in the Sanctuary itself.
VULTURE, Black (1); VULTURE, Turkey (5); DUCK, Wood (2); HAWK, Red-shouldered (2); HAWK, Red-tailed (1); KINGFISHER, Belted (1); WOODPECKER, Red-headed (1); WOODPECKER, Red-bellied (10); SAPSUCKER, Yellow-bellied (5); WOODPECKER, Downy (3); FLICKER, Northern (1); WOODPECKER, Pileated; VIREO, Blue-headed (2); CROW, American (20); CHICKADEE, Carolina (6); TITMOUSE, Tufted (10); NUTHATCH, Brown-headed (2); CREEPER, Brown (2); WREN, Carolina (3), WREN, Winter (1); KINGLET, Ruby-crowned (5); BLUEBIRD, Eastern (4); THRUSH, Hermit (1); ROBIN, American (6); MOCKINGBIRD, Northern (1); THRASHER, Brown (2); WARBLER, Orange-crowned (1); WARBLER, Yellow-rumped (20); WARBLER, Pine (10); SPARROW, Chipping (100); SPARROW, Swamp (1); SPARROW, White-throated (25); JUNCO, Dark-eyed (4); CARDINAL, Northern (1); GOLDFINCH, American (75) |