Golden Triangle Audubon Bird Alert Update August 1, 2010
This will briefly update the July 25 Bird Alert which is available at
Golden Triangle Audubon Bird Alert - July 26, 2009
The Purple Martins on North Street near the Wellness Center are increasing in number, and currently coming in (finally) at about 8:30 p.m. Cody Conway has posted cell phone video of the birds on U-tube at
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SEGqywtjxUU&feature=youtube_gdata
The Wood Storks on Highway 90 just east of the Liberty County line continue. There were over 100 birds at 8:30 a.m. this morning (Sunday), most in tall pine trees much nearer the road than previously. Most of the birds were still there at 12:30 p.m. There are also large numbers of Cattle Egrets, and a few Anhinga, some Neotropic Cormorants, one or two Roseate Spoonbills and some Little Blue Herons.
The Swallow-tailed Kites in the Liberty-Dayton area are increasing in number. Counting them is very difficult, but Joseph Kennedy and I had 18 in view at the same time. Joe estimated more than 60 birds in the Liberty-Dayton area, but this assumes that none were double counted, as they would have been if they moved from one area to another. The best area today (Sunday) was from Red Smart Road, a inconspicuous dirt road that goes south from Highway 90 just west of the Trinity River. It is likely a private road, but is not posted. (It goes on down to to the bank of the Trinity, on to at least one residence and then on into an oilfield.) This road is a little rough and likely would be inadvisable after heavy rain. There was one group of 12 kites and another of 8. Most were seen from a vantage point about 1/2 mile down from Highway 90, just after the road crosses a small bridge, around some water on the west and before the road enters a more heavily wooded area. There were also a few Mississippi Kites around, as well as a couple of Anhingas and two Broad-winged Hawks.
John A. Whittle
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