Friday, January 2, 2015

2014 RBAS Year in Review

As we look forward to the new year, let’s take a quick minute to look back at Rio Brazos Audubon’s 2014. We ended the November Challenge (well, we ended with the Christmas Bird Count, but I was sick so I can’t tell you about it!). And it’s well overdue to post the winners to the group! 

We had a very good response in for sketches and photo submissions… and a good response from the voters!

To calculate the winners, each vote was weighted (1st pace vote got 5 points, 5th place vote got 1 point) and total scores were tabulated.

Our grand prize winner of a field guide and a bird feeder was:

Gus Cothran and his Chipping Sparrow!

Chipping Sparrow by Gus Cothran


Scores:
Gus Cothran: 88 points
Bryan Calk: 78 points
Mark McDermott: 76 points

For the photo competition, our winner was:

Boris Novikov and his Owl in Flight!

Owl in flight by Boris Novikov
Scores:
Boris Novikov: 88 points
Bryan Calk: 51 points
John Baines: 43 points

Thanks to everyone that submitted a sketch or a photo and thanks to everyone that voted!


Alright- on with the show!
So let’s talk about where we bird. Our immediate contact area- that is, the places that we have members, birders, and places we frequently go- includes Brazos, Burleson, Grimes, Robertson, and Washington Counties. Ecologically, this area is split between seems of Post Oak Savannah and Blackland Prairie Ecoregions.

Adapted from epa.gov/wed/ecoregions/tx/tx_eco_pg.pdf

These ecoregions are what defines our habitats- as well as expectations- for our birds. The Post Oak Savannah (which include all or portions of all of the counties in our area) is characterized by clay pan soil (great for gardening!...ug), and a characteristic set of trees, shrubs, vines, grasses, and wildflowers. The Blackland Prairies is more limited in our area, occupying most of Washington and northern Milam counties and has a slightly different, but overlapping characteristic vegetation. This area is historically a grassy environment- lots of tall bunch grasses, open spaces, and pockets of trees. That has obviously changed, but there are still some pockets of native tall grass and open spaces. We also have a couple of reservoirs in the area, including Gibbons Creek, Lake Bryan, Lake Somerville, Lake Limestone, and Alcoa Lake (not open for birding any more). Of course, we also have two muddy rivers running through the area as well!


To the Birds!
Now as you might expect, Brazos is more heavily birded than the other counties simply because of the population centers of Bryan and College Station. More eyes usually means more birds. But that’s not to say that the other counties don’t have birds and birders out there working hard! Looking through the Ebird reports from 2014, here’s the comparison:

Brazos: 249
Burleson, Grimes, Madison, Milam, Robertson, Washington: 240

Digging through the lists (see bottom of blog entry), Brazos benefitted from sightings of many migratory birds like thrushes, vireos, and warblers. I suspect those birds made their way through the other counties, they’re just not as easy to find in the tree tops or leaf litter as they are in Brazos. On the other hand, there was a wider variety of waterfowl and waders in the other counties. I never noticed until recently, but Lake Bryan is really quite small! Lake Limestone (21 sq mi), Lake Somerville (17.9 sq mi), and even the Gibbons Creek Reservoir (4.3 sq mi) are all have quite a bit more surface area than Lake Bryan (1.2 sq mi). Sometimes a duck just has to stretch its legs!


RBAS Birding
Now how about us? We kept an RBAS Ebird list for our field trips and any other “official” activity. Up to November, we had tallied 241 species! This includes such fantastic sightings as the Zone-tailed Hawk at Smith Point, the ENTIRE Del Rio trip (Rock & Canyon Wrens, Green Jay, Cassin’s, Olive, and Black-throated Sparrows, Verdin, Pyrruloxia… and more!), Bronzed Cowbirds, Wilson’s Phalarope, and Purple Gallinules just to name a few. I think all in all it was a good year to go birding in the Brazos Valley… and good year to go birding with RBAS!

Handsome Black-throated Sparrow from the Del Rio Trip

2015: More birds!
With the New Year’s Eve festivities behind us now, there’s not much left to do but get out and go birding! RBAS will have an active schedule of programs, beginner and advanced birding activities, outreach events, field trips, and a new **Members Only Field Trips**. These new Member Trips will be in addition to our regular monthly (and free) field trips and will go to places that we have to do a little leg work to get access to property.

Our first Member Trip will be to the Gibbons Creek TMPA Mine Reclamation Property in Grimes County in late January (we’re still working on the details). By the way, did you hear about the Rough-legged Hawk they had on the property at the CBC on 30December!?!?! Yeah, that place is always hiding treasures!

Don't worry- we won't make you paddle at Gibbons Creek!


We’ll announce more of the trips, and more Challenges!, as the year progresses. If you have any requests for a Member’s Trip or a regularly scheduled monthly trip, please feel free to speak up! I’m looking forward to having a great 2015 and I hope you’ll come out a bird with us!




Count: 249 Count: 240
Brazos Burelson, Grimes, Milam, Madison, Robertson, Washington
Black-bellied Whistling-Duck Black-bellied Whistling-Duck
Greater White-fronted Goose Greater White-fronted Goose
Snow Goose Snow Goose
Ross's Goose Ross's Goose
Cackling Goose  
Canada Goose Canada Goose
Wood Duck Wood Duck
Gadwall Gadwall
American Wigeon American Wigeon
Mallard Mallard
Mottled Duck Mottled Duck
Blue-winged Teal Blue-winged Teal
Cinnamon Teal Cinnamon Teal
Northern Shoveler Northern Shoveler
Northern Pintail Northern Pintail
Green-winged Teal Green-winged Teal
Canvasback Canvasback
Redhead Redhead
Ring-necked Duck Ring-necked Duck
Lesser Scaup Lesser Scaup
  Long-tailed Duck
Bufflehead Bufflehead
  Common Goldeneye
Hooded Merganser Hooded Merganser
Red-breasted Merganser Red-breasted Merganser
Ruddy Duck Ruddy Duck
Northern Bobwhite Northern Bobwhite
  Wild Turkey
Common Loon Common Loon
  Least Grebe
Pied-billed Grebe Pied-billed Grebe
  Horned Grebe
  Eared Grebe
Wood Stork Wood Stork
Neotropic Cormorant Neotropic Cormorant
Double-crested Cormorant Double-crested Cormorant
Anhinga Anhinga
American White Pelican American White Pelican
American Bittern American Bittern
Great Blue Heron Great Blue Heron
Great Egret Great Egret
Snowy Egret Snowy Egret
Little Blue Heron Little Blue Heron
Tricolored Heron Tricolored Heron
  Reddish Egret
Cattle Egret Cattle Egret
Green Heron Green Heron
Black-crowned Night-Heron Black-crowned Night-Heron
Yellow-crowned Night-Heron Yellow-crowned Night-Heron
White Ibis White Ibis
White-faced Ibis White-faced Ibis
Roseate Spoonbill  
Black Vulture Black Vulture
Turkey Vulture Turkey Vulture
Osprey Osprey
  White-tailed Kite
Mississippi Kite Mississippi Kite
Northern Harrier Northern Harrier
Sharp-shinned Hawk Sharp-shinned Hawk
Cooper's Hawk Cooper's Hawk
Bald Eagle Bald Eagle
  White-tailed Hawk
Red-shouldered Hawk Red-shouldered Hawk
Broad-winged Hawk Broad-winged Hawk
Swainson's Hawk Swainson's Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk Red-tailed Hawk
  Virginia Rail
  Sora
Purple Gallinule Purple Gallinule
Common Gallinule Common Gallinule
American Coot American Coot
Sandhill Crane Sandhill Crane
Black-necked Stilt Black-necked Stilt
American Avocet American Avocet
Black-bellied Plover  
American Golden-Plover American Golden-Plover
Killdeer Killdeer
Spotted Sandpiper Spotted Sandpiper
Solitary Sandpiper Solitary Sandpiper
Greater Yellowlegs Greater Yellowlegs
  Willet
Lesser Yellowlegs Lesser Yellowlegs
Upland Sandpiper Upland Sandpiper
Hudsonian Godwit  
Stilt Sandpiper  
Sanderling Sanderling
Dunlin  
  Baird's Sandpiper
Least Sandpiper Least Sandpiper
White-rumped Sandpiper White-rumped Sandpiper
Buff-breasted Sandpiper Buff-breasted Sandpiper
Pectoral Sandpiper Pectoral Sandpiper
  Semipalmated Sandpiper
  Western Sandpiper
Long-billed Dowitcher Long-billed Dowitcher
Wilson's Snipe Wilson's Snipe
American Woodcock  
Wilson's Phalarope Wilson's Phalarope
Bonaparte's Gull Bonaparte's Gull
Laughing Gull Laughing Gull
Franklin's Gull Franklin's Gull
Ring-billed Gull Ring-billed Gull
  Herring Gull
Black Tern Black Tern
Forster's Tern Forster's Tern
Rock Pigeon Rock Pigeon
Eurasian Collared-Dove Eurasian Collared-Dove
Inca Dove Inca Dove
Common Ground-Dove Common Ground-Dove
White-winged Dove White-winged Dove
Mourning Dove Mourning Dove
Yellow-billed Cuckoo Yellow-billed Cuckoo
Black-billed Cuckoo Black-billed Cuckoo
Greater Roadrunner Greater Roadrunner
Barn Owl Barn Owl
Eastern Screech-Owl Eastern Screech-Owl
Great Horned Owl Great Horned Owl
  Burrowing Owl
Barred Owl Barred Owl
Common Nighthawk Common Nighthawk
Chuck-will's-widow  
Eastern Whip-poor-will  
Chimney Swift Chimney Swift
Ruby-throated Hummingbird Ruby-throated Hummingbird
  Black-chinned Hummingbird
Rufous Hummingbird Rufous Hummingbird
Belted Kingfisher Belted Kingfisher
Red-headed Woodpecker Red-headed Woodpecker
Red-bellied Woodpecker Red-bellied Woodpecker
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
  Ladder-backed Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker Downy Woodpecker
Hairy Woodpecker Hairy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker Northern Flicker
Pileated Woodpecker Pileated Woodpecker
Crested Caracara Crested Caracara
American Kestrel American Kestrel
Merlin Merlin
Peregrine Falcon Peregrine Falcon
Olive-sided Flycatcher Olive-sided Flycatcher
Eastern Wood-Pewee Eastern Wood-Pewee
Yellow-bellied Flycatcher  
Acadian Flycatcher Acadian Flycatcher
Alder Flycatcher  
Least Flycatcher Least Flycatcher
Eastern Phoebe Eastern Phoebe
Great Crested Flycatcher Great Crested Flycatcher
  Great Kiskadee
Western Kingbird Western Kingbird
Eastern Kingbird Eastern Kingbird
Scissor-tailed Flycatcher Scissor-tailed Flycatcher
Loggerhead Shrike Loggerhead Shrike
White-eyed Vireo White-eyed Vireo
Bell's Vireo  
Yellow-throated Vireo Yellow-throated Vireo
Blue-headed Vireo Blue-headed Vireo
Warbling Vireo  
Philadelphia Vireo  
Red-eyed Vireo Red-eyed Vireo
Blue Jay Blue Jay
American Crow American Crow
Horned Lark Horned Lark
Northern Rough-winged Swallow Northern Rough-winged Swallow
Purple Martin Purple Martin
Tree Swallow Tree Swallow
Bank Swallow Bank Swallow
Barn Swallow Barn Swallow
Cliff Swallow Cliff Swallow
Cave Swallow Cave Swallow
Carolina Chickadee Carolina Chickadee
Tufted Titmouse Tufted Titmouse
Red-breasted Nuthatch  
White-breasted Nuthatch White-breasted Nuthatch
Brown Creeper Brown Creeper
House Wren House Wren
Winter Wren Winter Wren
Sedge Wren Sedge Wren
Marsh Wren Marsh Wren
Carolina Wren Carolina Wren
Bewick's Wren Bewick's Wren
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Golden-crowned Kinglet Golden-crowned Kinglet
Ruby-crowned Kinglet Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Eastern Bluebird Eastern Bluebird
Veery  
Gray-cheeked Thrush  
Swainson's Thrush  
Hermit Thrush Hermit Thrush
Wood Thrush  
American Robin American Robin
Gray Catbird Gray Catbird
Brown Thrasher Brown Thrasher
Northern Mockingbird Northern Mockingbird
European Starling European Starling
American Pipit American Pipit
Sprague's Pipit Sprague's Pipit
Cedar Waxwing Cedar Waxwing
  Lapland Longspur
Ovenbird  
Worm-eating Warbler  
Louisiana Waterthrush Louisiana Waterthrush
Northern Waterthrush  
Blue-winged Warbler  
Golden-winged Warbler  
Black-and-white Warbler Black-and-white Warbler
Prothonotary Warbler Prothonotary Warbler
Swainson's Warbler Swainson's Warbler
Tennessee Warbler  
Orange-crowned Warbler Orange-crowned Warbler
Nashville Warbler Nashville Warbler
Mourning Warbler Mourning Warbler
Kentucky Warbler  
Common Yellowthroat Common Yellowthroat
Hooded Warbler Hooded Warbler
American Redstart American Redstart
Northern Parula Northern Parula
Magnolia Warbler Yellow Warbler
Bay-breasted Warbler  
Blackburnian Warbler  
Yellow Warbler  
Chestnut-sided Warbler Chestnut-sided Warbler
Blackpoll Warbler  
Pine Warbler Pine Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler Yellow-rumped Warbler
Yellow-throated Warbler Yellow-throated Warbler
Black-throated Green Warbler Black-throated Green Warbler
Canada Warbler Canada Warbler
Wilson's Warbler Wilson's Warbler
Yellow-breasted Chat Yellow-breasted Chat
Spotted Towhee Spotted Towhee
Eastern Towhee Eastern Towhee
  Cassin's Sparrow
Chipping Sparrow Chipping Sparrow
Clay-colored Sparrow Clay-colored Sparrow
Field Sparrow Field Sparrow
Vesper Sparrow Vesper Sparrow
Lark Sparrow Lark Sparrow
Savannah Sparrow Savannah Sparrow
Grasshopper Sparrow Grasshopper Sparrow
Le Conte's Sparrow Le Conte's Sparrow
Fox Sparrow Fox Sparrow
Song Sparrow Song Sparrow
Lincoln's Sparrow Lincoln's Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow Swamp Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow White-throated Sparrow
Harris's Sparrow Harris's Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow White-crowned Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco Dark-eyed Junco
Summer Tanager Summer Tanager
Scarlet Tanager  
Northern Cardinal Northern Cardinal
Rose-breasted Grosbeak  
Blue Grosbeak Blue Grosbeak
Indigo Bunting Indigo Bunting
Painted Bunting Painted Bunting
Dickcissel Dickcissel
Red-winged Blackbird Red-winged Blackbird
Western Meadowlark Western Meadowlark
Eastern Meadowlark Eastern Meadowlark
  Yellow-headed Blackbird
Rusty Blackbird Rusty Blackbird
Brewer's Blackbird Brewer's Blackbird
Common Grackle Common Grackle
Great-tailed Grackle Great-tailed Grackle
Bronzed Cowbird  
Brown-headed Cowbird Brown-headed Cowbird
Orchard Oriole Orchard Oriole
Baltimore Oriole Baltimore Oriole
House Finch House Finch
  Purple Finch
Pine Siskin Pine Siskin
American Goldfinch American Goldfinch
House Sparrow House Sparrow

1 comment:

  1. Wow, we should revive this blogspot. Great stuff here!

    ReplyDelete