Our fiscal year is coming to an end, and it is time to think about renewing your membership. Our yearly dues (January to December) are $20.00 for an individual or family and $15.00 for full-time students.
You can send a check made out to Rio Brazos Audubon Society to the address below, or you can give them to Karen Russell at a monthly meeting.
Rio Brazos Audubon Society
P.O. Box 9055
College Station, TX 77842
January 21, 2012
59 Species found, plus a few more along the roads
B = Bastrop State Park; G = Granger Lake; S = South Shore Park, Lake Bastrop
Gadwall S2 B1
Mallard B1 (probably wild)
Northern Shoveler B1
Northern Pintail G5
Green-winged Teal G2
Ring-necked Duck S2
Hooded Merganser B1 female
Pied-billed Grebe S2 B1
Neotropic Cormorant S1 B1
Double-crested Cormorant B1
American White Pelican G~15
Great Blue Heron S1 G3
Great Egret S1
Black Vulture S5 B2
Turkey Vulture B2
Northern Harrier G1 (and an adult male south of Granger)
Sharp-shinned Hawk G1
American Kestrel G1
American Coot S~100 G~60
Whooping Crane G3
Killdeer G6
Least Sandpiper G1
Ring-billed Gull G~100
Forster’s Tern G3
Inca Dove S1
Belted Kingfisher S1
Red-bellied Woodpecker B2 G1
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker S1
Pileated Woodpecker B1 (killer looks!)
Eastern Phoebe S1 G1
Loggerhead Shrike G1
Blue Jay S1 B1
American Crow S2 B12
Carolina Chickadee S4 B1
Tufted Titmouse S2 B5
Brown Creeper B2
Carolina Wren S1
Winter Wren S1 (heard only)
Golden-crowned Kinglet S1 B1
Ruby-crowned Kinglet S6 B3
Eastern Bluebird S2 B3
Hermit Thrush S2
American Robin S7
Northern Mockingbird B1 G1
American Pipit G4
Cedar Waxwing S~20 B~30
Orange-crowned Warbler S2 B1
Pine Warbler B~15 (watched singing in burned-out pinewoods)
(Myrtle) Yellow-rumped Warbler S~40 B3
Chipping Sparrow B9
Vesper Sparrow G1
Savannah Sparrow G~25
Swamp Sparrow S1
Song Sparrow S1 G1
White-crowned Sparrow G3
Northern Cardinal S4
Eastern Meadowlark G~30
Brewer’s Blackbird G~60
American Goldfinch S2 B~30
RBAS Field Trip
El Franco Lee and San Jacinto Battlefield Parks
Harris County
12 November 2011
9 Participants
L = El Franco Lee; S = San Jacinto; X = general
Gadwall L2
Amer. Wigeon L2
Mottled Duck L2
Blue-winged Teal L~10
Cinnamon Teal L1
Nor. Shoveler L~40 S~30
Nor. Pintail L~15 S~15
Green-winged Teal L~200 S~20
Canvasback S1
Redhead S6
Ring-necked Duck S~12
Greater Scaup S~6
Lesser Scaup S~30
Surf Scoter S1
Ruddy Duck S~200
Pied-billed Grebe S3
Neotropic Cormorant S~25
Double-crested Cormorant S~5
Amer. White Pelican S8
Brown Pelican S1
Great Blue Heron L2 S3
Great Egret L1 S1
Snowy Egret L5
Little Blue Heron L1
Cattle Egret L~30
White Ibis L~10
White-faced Ibis L~10 S8
Black Vulture L3 S3
Turkey Vulture L3 S1
Osprey L1
Nor. Harrier L2 S1
Cooper’s Hawk L1
Red-shouldered Hawk L2
Red-tailed Hawk S1
Crested Caracara L3
Amer. Kestrel L2 S2
Amer. Coot S~10
Black-necked Stilt S6
Killdeer L~30
Greater Yellowlegs L~20 S1
Lesser Yellowlegs L2
Least Sandpiper L~40
Dunlin L3
Ruff L1
Long-billed Dowitcher L~10
Wilson’s Snipe L~30
Laughing Gull L1
Ring-billed Gull S1
Tern sp. X1
Rock Pigeon X
Eurasian Collared-Dove X
White-winged Dove X
Mourning Dove L~60 S~75
Monk Parakeet L1 X2 at nest
Red-bellied Woodpecker L3
Downy Woodpecker L1
Nor. Flicker L1 S1
Eastern Phoebe L6
Vermilion Flycatcher L1
Loggerhead Shrike L1 S1
Blue Jay L2
Amer. Crow L4
Tree Swallow L~10
Cave Swallow L12
Ruby-crowned Kinglet L1
Hermit Thrush S2
Nor. Mockingbird L1 S2
Eur. Starling L~75
Amer. Pipit L4
“Myrtle” Yellow-rumped Warbler L1
Chipping Sparrow L
Field Sparrow L1
Savannah Sparrow L~8 S2
Grasshopper Sparrow S2
Song Sparrow L3
Lincoln’s Sparrow L1
Swamp Sparrow L1 S3
White-throated Sparrow L1
White-crowned Sparrow L4
Nor. Cardinal L1
Red-winged Blackbird L~25
Meadowlark sp. X
Great-tailed Grackle L~20
Brown-headed Cowbird L1
Amer. Goldfinch L3
House Sparrow X
INSECTS:
Bluet sp. L
Com. Green Darner L S
Variegated Meadowhawk L
Black Saddlebags L
Com. Checkered-Skipper L
Little Yellow L S
Ceraunus Blue L
Gulf Fritillary L
Com. Buckeye S
Monarch L
Fire Ant S
RBAS Brazos Bend Field Trip
17 September 2011
7 participants
Birded: Brazos Bend State Park (B, 57 spp) and Davis Estates Road (D, 22 spp)
Mottled Duck D1
Duck sp. D~60
Wood Stork B3
Double-crested Cormorant D1
Anhinga B1 D1
Great Blue Heron B3 D1
Great Egret B2 D2
Snowy Egret B2 D1
Little Blue Heron B~10 D1
Tricolored Heron B1 D1
Cattle Egret B1 D200+
Green Heron B4 D1
Yellow-crowned Night-Heron D1
White Ibis B4 D2
Black Vulture B~10 D~10
Turkey Vulture B~20 D~50
Mississippi Kite B5
Red-shouldered Hawk B5
Crested Caracara D1
Purple Gallinule B1 (imm)
Common Gallinule B~200
American Coot B5
Killdeer B1 (heard only) D2
Solitary Sandpiper B1
Lesser Yellowlegs B8
Mourning Dove B4 D7
Barred Owl B1 (heard only)
Chimney Swift B2
Ruby-throated Hummingbird B6
Belted Kingfisher B1
Red-bellied Woodpecker B10
Downy Woodpecker B3
Pileated Woodpecker B3 (heard only)
Eastern Wood-Pewee B2
Yellow-bellied Flycatcher B1
Alder Flycatcher B2
Eastern Phoebe B1
Great Crested Flycatcher B7
Loggerhead Shrike B2 (one leaf-bathing) D3
White-eyed Vireo B7
Warbling Vireo B1
Blue Jay B6
American Crow B12 D4
Nor. Rough-winged Swallow B~10
Barn Swallow B~20
Cliff Swallow B~20
Cave Swallow B1
Swallow sp. B~75
Carolina Chickadee B~20
Tufted Titmouse B6
Carolina Wren B~20
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher B3
Eastern Bluebird B2
Northern Mockingbird B6 D7
European Starling D7
Northern Waterthrush B1
Black-and-white Warbler B2
Yellow Warbler B1
Wilson’s Warbler B2
Northern Cardinal B~20 D4
Red-winged Blackbird B~30
Common Grackle B3
Great-tailed Grackle B5
Orchard Oriole B1
Baltimore Oriole B6
Miscellaneous Birds Seen While Driving:
Black-bellied Whistling-Duck
Swainson’s Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
Rock Pigeon
Eurasian Collared-Dove
White-winged Dove
Scissor-tailed Flycatcher
House Sparrow
OTHER VERTEBRATES:
American Alligator B
American Gray Squirrel B
American Fox Squirrel B
Coyote B1
BUTTERFLIES:
Pipevine Swallowtail B1
Little Yellow B D
Gulf Fritillary B1
Common/White Checkered-Skipper B
DRAGONFLIES:
Common Green Darner B
Eastern Pondhawk B
Black Saddlebags B
Hyacinth Glider B
Record your hummingbird sightings for Texas Parks and Wildlife. Download the forms here:
http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/learning/texas_nature_trackers/hummingbird_roundup/
A group of 9 hearty individuals showed up at 7:30 for a nice walk before the extreme heat set in. Here’s the list:
Turkey vulture 2
Mourning dove 2
Eastern screech owl 1 (heard before walk began)
Ruby-throated hummingbird 1 (female)
Red-bellied woodpecker 1
Downy woodpecker 1
Acadian flycatcher 1
Barn swallow 1
American crow 1
Carolina chickadee 2
Tufted titmouse 1
Carolina wren 5
Blue-gray gnatcatcher 1
Northern mockingbird 2 (seen leaving the park after walk)
White-eyed vireo 4
Northern parula 1
Northern cardinal 3
The North American Butterfly Count was held on July 2, and here are the results. It was lower than last year due to the drought.
Pipevine Swallowtail 1
Little Yellow 1
Sleepy Orange 2
Gray Hairstreak 4
Red-banded Hairstreak 2
Reakirt’s Blue 4
Common Buckeye 1
Hackberry Emperor 1
Southern Cloudywing 1
Northern Cloudywing 2
Horace’s Duskywing 2
Com. Checkered-Skipper 8
Common/White Checkered-Skipper 1
Tropical Checkered-Skipper 1
Clouded Skipper 6
Fiery Skipper 2
Southern Broken-Dash 1
Dun Skipper 6
Com. Roadside-Skipper 1
Celia’s Roadside-Skipper 5
Brazilian Skipper 1
Ocola Skipper 1
Total 22 species, 54 individuals.
2011 Brazos County
North American Migration Count
14 May 2011
1. Canada Goose – 1
2. Blue-winged Teal – 3
3. American White Pelican – 2
4. Neotropic Cormorant – 2
5. Double-crested Cormorant – 3
6. Great Blue Heron – 7
7. Great Egret – 22
8. Cattle Egret – 34
9. Green Heron – 11
10. White-faced Ibis – 3
11. Black Vulture – 17
12. Turkey Vulture – 26
13. Mississippi Kite – 8
14. Northern Harrier – 1
15. Red-shouldered Hawk – 10
16. Red-tailed Hawk – 5
17. Crested Caracara – 1
18. Sora – 2
19. American Coot – 1
20. Killdeer – 13
21. American Avocet – 6
22. Spotted Sandpiper – 4
23. Upland Sandpiper – 1
24. Least Sandpiper – 12
25. White-rumped Sandpiper – 3
26. Baird’s Sandpiper – 1
27. Buff-breasted Sandpiper – 14
28. Long-billed Dowitcher – 7
29. Rock Pigeon – 110
30. Eurasian Collared-Dove – 11
31. White-winged Dove – 3
32. Mourning Dove – 52
33. Inca Dove – 6
34. Yellow-billed Cuckoo – 7
35. Barred Owl – 1
36. Common Nighthawk – 4
37. Chuck-will’s-widow – 1
38. Chimney Swift – 25
39. Ruby-throated Hummingbird – 9
40. Red-bellied Woodpecker – 11
41. Downy Woodpecker – 18
42. Pileated Woodpecker – 1
43. Yellow-bellied Flycatcher – 1
44. Acadian Flycatcher – 4
45. Least Flycatcher – 2
xx. Empi sp. – 1
46. Eastern Phoebe – 1
47. Great Crested Flycatcher – 5
48. Western Kingbird – 7
49. Eastern Kingbird – 1
50. Scissor-tailed Flycatcher – 20
51. Loggerhead Shrike – 4
52. White-eyed Vireo – 10
53. Yellow-throated Vireo – 1
54. Philadelphia Vireo – 1
55. Red-eyed Vireo – 2
56. Blue Jay – 32
57. American Crow – 28
58. Horned Lark – 3
59. Purple Martin – 8
60. Northern Rough-winged Swallow – 4
61. Bank Swallow – 1
62. Cliff Swallow – 200
63. Cave Swallow – 50
64. Barn Swallow – 40
65. Carolina Chickadee – 56
66. Tufted Titmouse – 9
67. Carolina Wren – 26
68. House Wren – 1
69. Blue-gray Gnatcatcher – 3
70. Eastern Bluebird – 4
71. Swainson’s Thrush – 1
72. American Robin – 4
73. Gray Catbird – 2
74. Northern Mockingbird – 57
75. European Starling – 50
76. Cedar Waxwing – 100
77. Northern Parula – 4
78. Yellow Warbler – 4
79. Magnolia Warbler – 9
80. Black-throated Green Warbler – 1
81. Black-and-white Warbler – 2
82. American Redstart – 4
83. Swainson’s Warbler – 1
84. Ovenbird – 1
85. Northern Waterthrush – 1
86. Kentucky Warbler – 1
87. Mourning Warbler – 1
88. Common Yellowthroat – 12
89. Wilson’s Warbler – 4
90. Summer Tanager – 2
91. Lark Sparrow – 23
92. Savannah Sparrow – 1
93. Lincoln’s Sparrow – 1
94. White-crowned Sparrow – 1
95. Northern Cardinal – 95
96. Blue Grosbeak – 1
97. Indigo Bunting – 2
98. Painted Bunting – 20
99. Dickcissel – 65
100. Red-winged Blackbird – 100
101. Eastern Meadowlark – 1
102. Yellow-headed Blackbird – 3
103. Common Grackle – 15
104. Great-tailed Grackle – 53
105. Brown-headed Cowbird – 14
106. House Finch – 1
107. House Sparrow – 38
Total Species – 107
Total Individuals – ca. 1700
Participants (9):
Jackie Girouard
Gary Giroux
John Hale
Chuck Hamilton
Kathy Liles
Bruce Neville
David Scott
Betty Vermeire
Mary Dabney Wilson
Parties (3)
Party hours (18):
Car – 3
Foot – 15
Party Miles (86):
Car – 70
Foot – 16
Temps 57-88, winds calm to light, sunny, clear
RBAS Birding 201 Lab
16 April 2011
Brison Park (B) and Country Club Lake (C)
Black-bellied Whistling-Duck C2
Muscovy Duck (domestic hybrids) C7
Domestic Goose C5
Blue-winged Teal C10
Northern Shoveler C2
Helmeted Guineafowl B6
Neotropic Cormorant C1
Great Egret C1
Little Blue Heron C1
Green Heron C7
Black Vulture C1
Turkey Vulture C2
Red-shouldered Hawk C1
Red-tailed Hawk C1
Merlin B1 C1
Sora C2
Purple Gallinule C1
American Coot C11
Killdeer B1* C1
Rock Pigeon C1
White-winged Dove B3 C2
Mourning Dove B1 C2
Chimney Swift B11 C2
Red-bellied Woodpecker B3 C2
Downy Woodpecker B1 C3
Loggerhead Shrike C2
Blue Jay B4 C2
American Crow C1
Nor. Rough-winged Swallow C2
Purple Martin C2
Barn Swallow C~12
Cave Swallow C3
Carolina Chickadee B1*
Carolina Wren B2*
Ruby-crowned Kinglet B3
American Robin B2
Northern Mockingbird B4 C5
European Starling B2 C5
Cedar Waxwing B~60 C9
Orange-crowned Warbler B1
Nashville Warbler B1
Common Yellowthroat C1*
Lincoln’s Sparrow B3
White-throated Sparrow B1
White-crowned Sparrow B2
Northern Cardinal B8
Red-winged Blackbird C3
Common Grackle B4
Great-tailed Grackle B~15 C~25
Brown-headed Cowbird B3
House Sparrow B3 C3
* = heard only