Cedar Hill Birding Weekend Recap

TOS member and field trip leader, Christian Walker, sent this nice write-up of the recent spring meeting of the TOS. In all, 206 bird species were tallied, and Christian's list included most of them!

TOS Spring Birding Weekend Wrap-up

The TOS spring meeting was this past weekend. Had a really good time. Thanks to everyone who put it on and to all the participants for showing up. It sounds like everyone had a great time at the meeting, some of my highlights were: 

151 species over the 3 days. 

Pin presentation! President Romey Swanson gave me my TCC 75 pin (over 75 counties with 100 species). 100 here I come! Greg you’re safe for now lol. 

Kentucky Warbler at Cedar Mountain Nature Preserve (thanks to Dana Sudborough and Byron Stone, and to Karen Carpenter for giving me the inside scoop), Dallas County 303. https://ebird.org/checklist/S229786881

Day 1: led Somervell/Hood Texas Century Club (TCC) trip double dipper. Nothing super rare or crazy but had incredible looks at breeding plumage Eared Grebe at Wheeler Branch Park, good looks at Hill Country specialties including Golden-cheeked Warbler, Black-capped Vireo (heard only), Rufous-crowned Sparrow, and Ash-throated Flycatcher on CR 2011 in SW Somervell County, and a Bald Eagle nest in Hood County. Stopped by Johnson County and did some birding on the way back and ended with 120 for the day. Ended up with 99 for me in Somervell County which is frustrating but will be rectified soon I’m sure. 

https://ebird.org/checklist/S229208931

https://ebird.org/checklist/S229208138

https://ebird.org/checklist/S229239928

Day 2: led Denton County TCC. Fairly casual with not too much driving, mainly birded Lake Park (75 species by 10 am) and LLELA. Got all the participants over 100 sp in the county, had 104 for the day. Huge highlight was the Veery (a first eBird county record) at LLELA with Olive-sided Flycatcher here, along with Sanderling, Grasshopper Sparrow, and the continuing Pine Warbler at Lake Park (breeding location for them). 

https://ebird.org/checklist/S229589228

https://ebird.org/checklist/S229699237

Day 3: Led Rockwall County TCC. Things started with a bang at the Lake Ray Hubbard—Robertson Park SE/Bayview Marina (Rockwall Co.) (CURRENTLY CLOSED) hotspot. Note that only the Bayview Marina is closed - there are several roads that go through there, Sapphire Bay Marina is open and there is a pond with a bunch of weeds and grass around it on the peninsula fully in Rockwall County that is birdable. Anyway, had incredible looks at 2 Grasshopper Sparrows and a lingering LeConte’s Sparrow here, as well as 2 flyover Caspian Terns and brief looks at an uncooperative Bobolink. Also had another eagle nest and good numbers of migrants at Pettinger Nature Park. 90 or so species for the day, got several folks over 100. 

https://ebird.org/checklist/S229993421

https://ebird.org/checklist/S230065850

https://ebird.org/checklist/S230143234

Day 4 Post Trip for work out to Wichita Falls: Not part of the TOS trip but worth mentioning - thanks to a tip from Scotty Lofland I checked out the Archer Co Huff Rd hotspot on my way to a job in Wichita Falls on Monday. On the way in on Fuller Rd I immediately had a first eBird county record of a singing Black-capped Vireo, along with a Hairy Woodpecker, flyover Pine Siskin, and 3 male Lazuli Buntings perched in a snag. Huff Rd itself was also a blast with lots of good birds, ended up with over 50 species here including Northern Waterthrush, Summer Tanager, and a hybrid Bullock’s x Baltimore Oriole, as well as pure Bullock’s Oriole. And birded the lake and got some good county birds as well went from 36 to 92 species for Archer. 

https://ebird.org/checklist/S230428763

https://ebird.org/checklist/S230456970

https://ebird.org/checklist/S230482890

Good birding everyone, this is the time of year to do it.

 Christian Walker
christian.icapadjuster@gmail.com
Independent Adjuster
Irving, Texas
(512) 431 2495