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Field Trip to Hardin County -- 30 May 2009
Each year, we run a field trip late in May or very early in June to look for the breeding birds in the southern part of the Big Thicket just north of Silsbee in Hardin County. This year trip was on May 30th, which turned out to be a gorgeous morning, pleasantly cool in the beginning, but verging on being hot by the time we finished shortly after noon, but not excessively humid with scarcely a cloud in the sky. Not necessarily the best for observing birds, as many birds will be able to find all the food they need by mid-morning. Consequently, bird activity diminished quite significantly quite early in the day.
Traditionally, we have started at the southern end of Firetower Road. However, over the past two or three years extensive tracts along this road have been clear cut, reducing the habitat that is attractive to the species we seek. This year, we elected to take a new tack. We more or less reversed the previous route, starting on Gore Store Road at the Beech Creek crossing. In previous years, even at noon, this crossing had been very productive. As we began birding, the area was rather quiet. However, with judicious use of one of the marvels of modern technology, we were soon able to induce the avian inhabitants to come and visit us.
One of the first to show was a male Prothonotary Warbler. We could hear him in the distance in the beginning, then saw him low down on the bank a little upstream but he eventually came and perched conspicuously quite high (for that species) on multiple perches around our location, usually flying under the bridge to get from one side of the road to the other. An Acadian Flycatcher was heard and then seen low down very near us, giving good looks, but he quickly lost interest in our presence. A Yellow-throated Warbler was also heard in the distance. He (presumably he) surveyed us from several exposed high perches on pine trees. A Yellow-throated Vireo next appeared on the scene and allowed us good looks. Two Blue-gray Gnatcatchers probably got less attention from our party than they deserved, paying the price for being a species that we see in numbers year round. Woodpeckers are often easily attracted into view, but Pileated Woodpeckers typically less so than the smaller members of the group. However, on this occasion, one came low across the road just east of us, perhaps uncomfortably close , then perched low in a tree on the side of the road before joining up with another and departing. Two more (?) flew by later as we left. The calls of Red-eyed and Yellow-throated Vireos are similar, but we thought we could also hear a Red-eyed, and, sure enough, one came briefly into our vicinity. There were not many of the year round residents around. We did see one Carolina Chickadee, one Tufted Titmouse and a couple of Northern Cardinals. A Pine Warbler stopped by briefly. Flyovers included a Great Egret. a Little Blue Heron and a couple of Mourning Doves. A Hooded Warbler was heard in the distance, but we were not surprised that it did not show itself. We are amazed every year at the vast difference between the conspicuous behavior of this species on migration, and the extremely secretive behavior on the breeding grounds.
At our next stop, at the road to the Tanton Cemetery, we soon heard a Swainson's Warbler. But apparently, the road (and its immediate sides) were not a part of its territory and it afforded only a glimpse to some of our party. However, it must have been in the territory of a male Hooded Warbler, which, completely out of normal character, inspected us repeatedly from high open perches. A pair of White-eyed Vireos flitted through the low vegetation, while a family of Pine Warblers foraged overhead. A Northern Flicker, a species that is a rare breeder in the area, showed very briefly.
Our next stop was in a somewhat more open area where we found the first of many Yellow-breasted Chats seen on the day. This species is in direct contrast to Hooded Warbler in normal behavior, being very secretive in migration, but the males at least, perch typically at the top of young pines during May and June. In the exception that proves the rule, we had another male Hooded Warbler inspect us from conspicuous perches at this stop. A distant Swainson's Warbler could be heard, and there was another Blue-gray Gnatcatcher.
A little further along, we stopped in an area of mostly 8-12 ft pines, a habitat strongly favored by Prairie Warblers in the area, even though they have to occupy other open habitats elsewhere in their range. We soon had a strongly marked male in sight, along with a more secretive Common Yellowthroat, and a number of Indigo Buntings, favoring the utility wires for perching. We think we had three males and a female at this one stop. We had another Yellow-breasted Chat, another White-eyed Vireo also, and a couple of Turkey Vultures and one Black Vulture overhead.
En route to the next stop, we had two more Indigo Buntings, a couple of heard-only Hooded Warblers and another heard-only Yellow-breasted Chat. The next stop was, in fact, east of the intersection with Firetower Road, near an ephemeral wetland. A male Painted Bunting was singing some distance away, but he was induced to come closer, and spend at least five minutes mostly fairly close by in plain view reviewing our party. Not at all the views we normally achieve – very distant and often brief. A female Summer Tanager was seen briefly, and by now the "expected" Prairie Warbler and an Indigo Bunting. Two male Orchard Orioles flew by, and an Eastern Kingbird announce its presence and then moved on. We heard Yellow-breasted Chat and White-eyed Vireo also at this stop.
Moving on slowly, we heard two more Common Yellowthroats, seemingly unusually plentiful this year, saw two more Yellow-breasted Chats and another close by male Painted Bunting. A calling Prairie Warbler was by now no surprise, nor was another Indigo Bunting. A Great Blue Heron and a young Little Blue Heron flew out of a wet area. The location of our next stop was dictated by hearing the song of a Wood Thrush, but it was distant and could not be persuaded to show. By now a male Prairie Warbler and yet another easily seen close male Painted Bunting were almost expected. We heard an American Robin in the great distance, and, briefly, a Yellow-throated Warbler.
Continuing slowly along Gore Store Road, we concluded that a largish brown bird that dived into thick cover was a Brown Thrasher, while another Chat, and two calling White-eyed Vireos. We found three Eastern Bluebirds of the utility wires, heard a Carolina Wren and saw a couple of Common Grackles. Our last stop on Gore Store Road was at a creek, close to FM 92, and incongruously called Dry Creek. Here an even more distant Wood Thrush was heard. A Common Grackle harassed an American Crow. But the star was a Swainson's Warbler. We did not hear him sing, but we heard a call note which we thought might be a Swainson's. Indeed it was, and he perched low down in the open very close for a short period, but long enough for everyone to get great looks at it.
We then headed down Firetower Road, but whether it was the late hour of the morning or the changed habitat or some combination of the two, the road was very much quieter than in years past. We did hear a Blue Jay near some houses, and also heard Prairie Warbler, Pine Warbler and White-eyed Vireo. Near the Dry Creek crossing at the southern end, we heard only Carolina Wren, White-eyed Vireo and a distant Hooded Warbler. A number of Turkey and Black Vultures were circling overhead some so high as to be difficult to see with the naked eye, but we did not determine what they were looking to scavenge. There was a Red-shouldered Hawk in the area also.
We did miss at least four species that we frequently see, Northern Parula, Blue Grosbeak. Brown-headed Nuthatch and Great Crested Flycatcher, but we rarely see all the species on any given trip. The overall number of birds was probably down, mainly a lack of numbers of the year round residents. This year, one has to wonder if the cumulative effects of three hurricanes in four years may have something to do with that. Or is it the changing habitat and the greatly reduced number of tall pines? On the plus side, we did have long looks from close range at several species that are normally much more aloof.
The following were recorded, although doubtless some heard-only birds did not make it to the list: Great Blue Heron (1); Great Egret (1); Little Blue Heron (2); Cattle Egret (1); Black Vulture (1); Turkey Vulture (9); Red-shouldered Hawk (13); Killdeer (1); Mourning Dove (2); Yellow-billed Cuckoo (1); Red-bellied Woodpecker (1); Downy Woodpecker (1); Northern Flicker (1); Pileated Woodpecker (6); Acadian Flycatcher (1); Eastern Kingbird (1); White-eyed Vireo (8); Yellow-throated Vireo (1); Red-eyed Vireo (1); Blue Jay (1); American Crow (4); Carolina Chickadee (1); Tufted Titmouse (1); Carolina Wren (4); Blue-gray Gnatcatcher (3); Eastern Bluebird (3); Wood Thrush (2); American Robin (1); Gray Catbird (2); Northern Mockingbird (6); Brown Thrasher (1); Yellow-throated Warbler (2); Pine Warbler (9); Prairie Warbler (5); Prothonotary Warbler (1); Swainson's Warbler (3); Common Yellowthroat (4); Hooded Warbler (7); Yellow-breasted Chat (8); Summer Tanager (1); Northern Cardinal (6); Indigo Bunting (8); Painted Bunting (3); Common Grackle (3); Brown-headed Cowbird (1); Orchard Oriole (2); House Finch (3); 47 species
John A. Whittle
