Jesse Fagan and Mimi Hoppe Wolf.
Just a few days before the start of the TOS East Texas field trip it began to rain. The rain would not abate for the next three days. A low-pressure system was pushing up from the south and colliding with a cold, high-pressure front from the north. This resulted in the systems stalling out over our area. The deluge caused severe flooding in the Pineywoods region and (along with the possibility of some areas being closed due to debris cleanup from the shuttle disaster) caused many of us to believe that this year's trip may need to be cancelled. However, the weather people were predicting the weekend to be sunny and clear albeit cold and windy. I was then pleasantly surprised to find 11 dedicated birders waiting for me at the Econo Lodge on Saturday morning. Unfortunately, the weather had yet to clear up and it was still misty and cold.
Our first stop, as with past field trips, has been for Henslow's Sparrow (Ammodramus henslowii). Though we know of a few other places to find this attractive sparrow with the olive head, we continue to rely on a spot just south of Nacogdoches. We arrived at the Henslow's field and immediately began to hear Brown-headed Nuthatches. A few of us in the group managed to see these little "rubber-duckies" of the Pineywoods. The sparrow stomp is not easy. At times it can be exhausting with lots of high-stepping, falling down, and, in this case, getting really wet. After unsuccessfully trying to see two flushed Henslow's Sparrows, we managed to flush an individual into a dense stand of second-growth pine. Next, the difficulty is in locating the sparrow, as they tend to sit very still on an exposed branch. Their colors are very cryptic! Luckily for us, Doug Holder found the bird perched on a limb, and we immediately set up the scopes for amazing 50X views. Every feather detail was analyzed and many people commented on the beauty of the olive head and the rusty coverts and tertials. Later in the day, we birded the SFA Experimental Forest for upland birds and we were rewarded with 2 White-breasted Nuthatches and a Winter Wren. And to add to our success the weather was clearing and the rain had stopped. Is that the sun coming out!?
After lunch and a little break we drove to Sam Rayburn Reservoir in hopes of finding a few waterbirds. This stop is simply to pad the list a little as our main goal is to find Red-cockaded Woodpeckers (Picoides borealis) in the evening. However, these stops along Sam Rayburn were very productive with good looks at Common Loon, Canvasbacks, Northern Pintails, and an early Tree Swallow. The Tree Swallow was a first East Texas February record. We arrived at the Red-cockaded location around dusk in hopes of watching the woodpeckers as they came into their cavities to roost for the night. The pair was very cooperative and allowed us to watch them as they foraged around their holes. The scopes again allowed for amazing detail and analysis. We watched one bird working on the resin wells around its hole and with surprising dexterity disappeared into the hole for the evening. Lights out for us as well. Most of us were tired, but anticipating a great day of birding the next day in search of Bachman's Sparrow (Aimophila aestivalis).
Morning broke with clear skies, but cooler temperatures and winds out of the north. The caravan headed south to Boykin's Springs and the Angelina National Forest. This is a wonderful area to witness the beauty of a long-leaf pine/savannah ecosystem. Cyclic burns help to keep the understory short with just a few scattered shrubs. This is wonderful habitat for Red-cockaded Woodpecker and Bachman's Sparrow. With our first stop the group was again treated to fantastic looks of Brown-headed Nuthatches. Hey, they really do have brown heads! The Bachman's Sparrow was less cooperative; though, initially we did manage to flush a few birds (these birds failed to perch for us). Finally, after two and half hours of searching we managed to get a bird perched and singing. Once this bird started it did not want to let up. It continued to sing and sing allowing for fantastic scope filling views at 50X. Many people commented that the field guides do not do these birds justice. With their soft browns, rusts, and buff tones, they are in their own subtle way very striking. Their song is equally impressive and many of us will not soon forget that opening buzz followed by a melodic trill.
The taxonomic order follows that of the A.O.U. and their Check-list of North American Birds (1998) and supplements. I did manage to keep an approximate count of the number of each species seen. This is given in parentheses ( ). The following birds were seen by at least one person in the group. H = heard only. Those species in bold were highlights of the trip.
Common Loon (1), Pied-billed Grebe (3), Double-crested Cormorant (10), Great Blue Heron (4), Great Egret (1), Black Vulture (5), Turkey Vulture (15), Northern Pintail (5), Canvasback (500), Lesser Scaup (15), Sharp-shinned Hawk (1), Cooper's Hawk (2), Red-shouldered Hawk (1), Red-tailed Hawk (1), American Kestrel (1), American Coot (1000), Killdeer (1), Rock Dove, Mourning Dove (2), Belted Kingfisher (1), Red-headed Woodpecker (2), Red-bellied Woodpecker (4), Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (2), Downy Woodpecker (1), Hairy Woodpecker (3), Red-cockaded Woodpecker (3), Northern Flicker (ys, 1), Pileated Woodpecker (5-H), Eastern Phoebe (5), Blue-headed Vireo (4), Blue Jay (3), American Crow (20), Tree Swallow (1), Carolina Chickadee (13), Tufted Titmouse (6), White-breasted Nuthatch (2), Brown-headed Nuthatch (26), Brown Creeper (2), Carolina Wren (8), Winter Wren (1), Golden-crowned Kinglet (5), Ruby-crowned Kinglet (7), Eastern Bluebird (10), Hermit Thrush (1), American Robin (36), Northern Mockingbird (4), European Starling, Orange-crowned Warbler (4), Yellow-rumped Warbler (1), Pine Warbler (37), Bachman's Sparrow (7), Chipping Sparrow (2), Henslow's Sparrow (4), Song Sparrow (3), White-throated Sparrow (4), Dark-eyed Junco (1-H), Northern Cardinal (8), Red-winged Blackbird (17), meadowlark sp., American Goldfinch (12), House Sparrow (1). Total Species: 61.