Purple Martin Mania - August 21, 2009

Basic Information about the Purple Martin Roost in Downtown Tulsa:

From Tulsa Audubon Webpage:

Every summer downtown Tulsa hosts a Purple Martin roost, and this year between 100,000-250,000 birds are present. Purple Martins are highly social birds, and after leaving their nesting colonies form large, communal roosts where they sleep at night prior to and during migration. Downtown Tulsa has had a roost since the early 1980’s. This summer the best vantage point to view the Martins is the top of the downtown Doubletree Hotel parking garage.

Tulsa Audubon is hosting two Purple Martin Roost Watches on Sat. Aug. 15 and Sat. Aug. 22 at 8:15 p.m. We will meet on the top level of the Doubletree Hotel parking garage, 616 W. Seventh St., which provides a perfect overview of downtown Tulsa. You may park on the street and take the elevator to the top level, or park in the garage itself, for which there may or may not be a charge.

On Aug. 15th, everyone is also invited to join TAS members at about 6:00 p.m. at the Seven West Cafe in the Doubletree Hotel to talk about Purple Martins and have dinner.
Thank you to the Downtown Tulsa Doubletree for allowing us to their facility to observe the martins. If you are coming from out of town please call the Doubletree at 918-587-8000 for a perfect location to stay.

August 21st Watch:

I arrived at the parking garage for the Downtown Doubletree at around 7:50 pm; enough time to survey the scene and unload my tripod. To the south one could observe the Purple Martins amassing along the powerlines that are found next to HWY-51. On other nights I have witnessed the groups forming along the powerlines found near the Riverparks (roughly 15th/Riverside).

By 8:10 pm many of the birds (some cursed European Starlings were seen intermixed with the Purple Martins) had begun flying around in large groups inside the IDL (inner-dispersal loop). It seems that the birds slowly close in on their roost (the trees near the Doubletree, in this case) from 8-8:30, feeding all the while on swarms of insects.

Toward the end of the "watch" the groups had begun to concentrate around 7th street, occassionally landing on the tops of the trees. During this period huge clusters of Purple Martins would rush past the onlookers on the parking garage, some coming within mere inches of hitting the spectators. By 8:40pm , most of the birds had found a place to roost for the night.

-SPQ 8/26/2009

Deep Fork NWR - Montezuma Creek - Schulter, OK - (May 30, 2009)

May 30th Excursion:

I arrived at the Montezuma Creek area at around 10:00 am. It was a warm day so much of the bird activity had died down by the time I began my hike around the area.

I walked along the south side of the large pond found at the Montezuma Creek area. One can view a rather large (considering its location) Beaver lodge that is found near the south bank of the pond. I have not seen any beaver activity in or around it the two times I have visited the area, but I certainly don't rule out the possibility of live beavers inhabiting it.

The distinctive call of several male Red-winged Blackbirds rose from somewhere around the pond, while the familiar calls of Indigo Buntings could be heard emanating from the forests bordering the trail. Several Turkey Vultures drifted lazily on columns of hot air (called thermals) in search of the scent of a carcass.

I followed the trail east toward the junction with Montezuma Creek. About 200 yards down the path I encountered a thick swath of mosquitoes, which convinced me to spend more time exploring the areas closer to the pond. I turned back and walked 20 yards, found a good spot underneath a large oak tree, and setup my scope.

While watching for birds from under the oak I heard a loud ruckus coming from the undergrowth behind me. I turned quietly and watched a young White-tailed doe wade through the foliage, ultimately standing less than 50 feet from my position. The wind was blowing from the north, so I had the advantageous position of being upwind from the doe, a considerable bonus considering the sensitivity of a deer's sense of smell. I sat motionless for several minutes watching her then slowly reached into my bag to get my camera. The sound and motion of reaching for my camera must have spooked the doe because she bolted back to the east as knelt next my camera bag.

I followed the trail back to the pond, this time opting for the branch that lead north to a small dock found on the east bank of the pond. Here I scanned the pond for any waterfowl or wading birds, but found neither. From deep within the forest I could hear the call of two Red-shouldered Hawks, though I would never actually see the raptors.

With the day nearing noon, I slowly made my way back to my car. I packed up my gear and began the drive back into Tulsa.

Location: Deep Fork NWR - ("Montezuma Creek") - Schulter, OK

Observation date: 5/30/09 Number of species: 8

Turkey Vulture - Cathartes aura 2

Red-shouldered Hawk - Buteo lineatus 1

Ruby-throated Hummingbird - Archilochus colubris 1

American Crow - Corvus brachyrhynchos 2

Carolina Chickadee - Poecile carolinensis 4

Tufted Titmouse - Baeolophus bicolor 2

Indigo Bunting - Passerina cyanea 2

Red-winged Blackbird - Agelaius phoeniceus 2

Photos:

Top: The pond found near the parking area of the Montezuma Creek section (viewable from HWY-75)

Middle: An (as-of-yet) unidentified wildflower.

Bottom: A photo of one of the small sloughs extending from Montezuma Creek into the surrounding forest.

-SPQ 6/4/2009

Deep Fork NWR - Cussetah Bottoms - Schulter, OK - (May 30, 2009)

May 30th Excursion:

When I arrived at the Cussetah Bottoms parking area of Deep Fork NWR at 8:10 there was one other vehicle already there. Being that it was so early I assumed that the car belonged to another eager birder.

After unpacking my gear I spent 20 minutes or so photographing the various wildflowers found in the small field near the parking area. The dew on the flowers and other forbs made for some terrific photos, in particular the Indian Paintbrushes.

I began by following the trail to the north toward the "Group Education Area", which consists of a small platform that juts out into a pond. However, as I began down the trail I encountered the owner of the car I spotted in the parking area. It was an older woman talking on her cell phone while walking the trail with a grandchild. This was not some short call either; she walked the entire trail twice, the entire time talking at an elevated volume on her phone. Since she has arrived before I did I can only assume her chatter scared away any of the wading birds and waterfowl that would haunt the pond in the mornings. More to the point: why would someone drive out to a wildlife refuge to talk on the phone?

I observed a male Common Yellowthroat singing persistently from a perch above the pond. Later while on the other observation platform I would see his mate foraging among the leaves of a small tree. Sadly, I didn't see any other birds on or around the pond.

During the walk I could hear a strange, yet familiar call coming from west of the refuge. Later, while driving on the gravel road next to the refuge I encountered a man photographing something in a tree with a large telephoto lens. He informed me he was taking photos of a Barred Owl, which was probably what was making the strange noise I heard earlier.

I walked along the boardwalk between the observation deck and the nature trail. Unfortunately the nature trail was thick with mosquitoes, so I opted instead to trek over to the photographic blind found to the south of the boardwalk.

During the walk to the photographic blind I spotted several Carolina Chickadees, a couple of Tufted Titmice, and a few Blue-Gray Gnatcatchers. I noticed that a pavilion has been erected alongside the path, most likely intended as a place for people to eat lunch. The last time I was at Cussetah Bottoms a bulldozer was in the process of clearing the space for the future pavilion.

Strangely, there was little activity at the photographic blind as well. I saw a single Great Blue Heron flying lazily over the field behind the blind towards the Deep Fork River. The metallic call of a male Brown-headed Cowbird alerted me to the bird's presence.

I walked back along the path to the parking area, pausing to focus my binoculars on a Red-bellied Woodpecker climbing the trunk of one of the larger trees. I loaded my gear into the car and began the short drive to my next destination, the Montezuma Creek area of Deep Fork NWR.

Location: Deep Fork NWR ("Cussetah Bottoms") - Schulter, Oklahoma

Observation date: 5/30/09 Number of species: 16

Great Blue Heron - Ardea herodias 1

Killdeer - Charadrius vociferus 2

Yellow-billed Cuckoo - Coccyzus americanus 2

Barred Owl - Strix varia 1

Ruby-throated Hummingbird - Archilochus colubris 2

Red-bellied Woodpecker - Melanerpes carolinus 1

Eastern Phoebe - Sayornis phoebe 1

American Crow - Corvus brachyrhynchos 2

Carolina Chickadee - Poecile carolinensis 3

Tufted Titmouse - Baeolophus bicolor 2

Carolina Wren - Thryothorus ludovicianus 3

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher - Polioptila caerulea 6

Common Yellowthroat - Geothlypis trichas 2

Northern Cardinal - Cardinalis cardinalis 2

Indigo Bunting - Passerina cyanea 3

Brown-headed Cowbird - Molothrus ater 1

Photos (Numbered from Top to Bottom)

1-4) I am pretty sure that the yellow wildflower in this group is a Black-eyed Susan. I checked it via http://www.kswildflower.org/bycolor.php, and it was the closest match.

5-7) A ubiquitous wildflower in Oklahoma during the early summer, the Indian Paintbrush. (From Kansas State Wildflowers):Native Americans used an infusion of flowers to treat colds and and would use the plant as a love charm by hiding it on the person who was the object of their infatuation.

8) A cluster of leaves I photographed. I like how well the picture caught the darkness in the background.

9) An (as-of-yet) unidentified wildflower.

10) A view of the dew-laden field I encountered when I first arrived at Cussetah Bottoms.

11) A ladybug ascending the leaf of a plant.

12) An (as-of-yet) unidentified wildflower.

-SPQ 6/4/2009

Berryhill Park - Searcy, AR (May 25, 2009)

About Berryhill Park:

http://www.searcy.com/city/parks-and-rec/parks

May 25th Stroll:

We arrived at the Berryhill parking area at around 8:45 am. Instead of walking south into the park we followed the paved trail north along Gin Creek.

I must admit that much of my time during this outing was spent photographing the various plants and wildflowers growing along the trails. The last few days off had been rainy or overcast, so I had very few opportunities to take pictures, thus I took full advantage of the sunshine on Monday.

The first thing I noticed was the small groups of Barn Swallows soaring near the creek and above the field in search of insects. These little acrobats were gliding and swooping all over the area, their forked tails a good identifier to help distinguish between Barn and Cliff Swallows (Cliff Swallows tend to have more of a squared tail).

As I strolled along Gin Creek I could hear an incessant call coming from the peak of one of the larger nearby trees. After several minutes of sleuthing I spied the source: a male Eastern Towhee, his black and orange plumage a dead giveaway. The Eastern Towhee song is often described as drink-your-tea! , a decent translation considering the interesting trill at the end. I was able to point the bird out to both my father and grandmother, who, like me, were amazed at the volume of the song coming from such a tiny source. I first spotted an Eastern Towhee this winter in the North Woods of Oxley Nature Center and first heard the song while in Pawnee County near Lake Keystone.

While photographing some flowers I noticed a large form flying overhead. I looked up, watched the form land on a tree, and identified it as a Mississippi Kite. The small raptor then glided out from the tree, drifting on the breeze in search of insects to feast upon. In the past 3 weeks I have seen a large number of Mississippi Kites gliding about over the Tulsa metro area, some in surprising locales (a couple were spotted above a dilapidated industrial lot in Midtown Tulsa). Unfortunately, the MK did not hang around long enough for me to point him out to my father and grandmother.

As we walked back to our vehicle we spotted a small group of European Starlings vocalizing from their perch on an electric line.

Location: Berryhill Park - Searcy, AR

Observation date: 5/25/09 Number of species: 8

Mississippi Kite - Ictinia mississippiensis 1

Blue Jay - Cyanocitta cristata 1

American Crow - Corvus brachyrhynchos 2

Barn Swallow - Hirundo rustica 10

European Starling - Sturnus vulgaris 3

Eastern Towhee - Pipilo erythrophthalmus 1

Northern Cardinal - Cardinalis cardinalis 3

Common Grackle - Quiscalus quiscula 2

Photos (Numbered from top to bottom):

1) A photo of some dew-covered Yucca blossoms found along Gin Creek.

2) An (as-of-yet) unidentified purple wildflower.

3) A developing blackberry.

4) A photo of the towering tree in which we spotted the singing Eastern Towhee.

5) A small white flower known as Daisy Fleabane. (From Kansas State Wildflower Website): Ancient Europeans believed that the odor of this genus repelled fleas, thus the name fleabane. This seems to have no basis in fact.

6) Another photo of a dew-covered Yucca blossom.

7) A small insect crawling along one of the petals of a Yucca blossom.

8) A grouping of some (as-of-yet) unidentified yellow wildflowers.

-SPQ 5/28/2009

Holla Bend NWR - Auto Tour - Dardanelle, AR - (May 24, 2009)

About Holla Bend NWR:

http://www.fws.gov/hollabend/

http://www.fws.gov/Refuges/profiles/index.cfm?id=43590

(From the Fish and Wildlife Service Website):

Holla Bend NWR, established in 1957, is located 8 miles down river from Dardanelle, Arkansas. The refuge is situated on a bend of the Arkansas River which was cut off when the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers straightened the river in 1954 for flood control. Refuge lands include over 7,000 acres of agricultural fields, bottomland forest, and open water.

The refuge's primary purpose is to provide a winter home for a portion of the millions of ducks and geese that use the Mississippi Flyway each year. During these spring and fall migrations as many as fourteen species of ducks and four kinds of geese will stop by the refuge for a short visit. During the winter, it is not uncommon for the refuge to host up to 100,000 ducks and geese at once. Bald eagles are also common in the winter from December through February.

Spring brings thousands of neotropical migratory songbirds that use the refuge as a rest area on their journey from Central and South America. Many species of vireos, warblers, buntings, and orioles inhabit the woodlands, during this time. Most only stay for a short time to rest, but others use the refuge as a nesting area. Herons, egrets, and other wading birds feed in shallow pools and alligators can be seen in the refuge lakes and ponds.

Refuge lands include agricultural fields, bottomland forest, and open waters. Portions of Holla Bend's wetlands were bottomlands surrounding remnants of the old Arkansas River channel. The largest open-water portion of the old river bed consist of approximately 390 acres. The remainder of the old channel has filled in leaving three small lakes connected by shallow willow sloughs. The other wetlands areas on the refuge consist of impoundments scattered throughout refuge farm fields. These units produce a variety of natural foods including a predominance of smartweeds, as well as sedges and panicums.

The Refuge supports a wide diversity of wildlife, including three endangered and threatened species: the bald eagle, American alligator and the Arkansas endangered barn owl. Eagles can be seen along the river and field impoundments in the winter months along with migratory and resident waterfowl. Alligators stay close to the small lakes and willow sloughs feeding on fish and unlucky wading birds. Barn owls use nest boxes under the Refuge equipment shed and their nest can be seen in thick willow stands along the old river channel. Other commonly seen wildlife species include raccoon, bobcats, deer, turkey, egrets, herons and gulls.

May 24th Tour:

A series of scattered thunderstorms were present throughout much of western Arkansas and eastern Oklahoma on May 24th. We drove through rain for the majority of our drive from Tulsa to Holla Bend. The past week had also seen a decent amount of precipitation, making for especially marshy conditions at the refuge (considering the NWR is built on a flood plain).

As we began down the main road for the refuge a pair of Wild Turkey hurriedly crossed the road 15 yards in front of us.

We decided to drive through the refuge following the auto tour path which would allow us to stop and watch the fields for birds. At our first stop we rolled down the windows so as to allow for a better view but within 30 seconds we had swarms of mosquitoes surrounding the car with a dozen making their way into the car. Given this development, we were forced to observe the refuge through the windows of the car.

On almost every stop we made one could hear the distinctive call of a Dickcissel. Often we would be able to observe the bird singing from an exposed perch on a shrub or small tree. I first encountered these fellas at Tishomingo 2 weeks ago, though they were far more abundant at Holla Bend. We also noticed a single House Finch singing from atop a stalk of grass.

While driving along the northern road we saw a single Northern Bobwhite Quail scrambling out of the path of our car and then fly several yards to a overgrown area in an adjacent field. When we stopped at the observation tower found on the western side of the refuge we could hear numerous quail vocalizing, the namesake of the bird : "b, Bob white!" . Though I have seen these before at the Nickel Preserve near Tahlequah, Oklahoma , this would be the first recorded sighting.

From the observation tower one can observe the former path of the Arkansas River, a large oxbow lake. We spotted three Great Egrets perched on a series of snags in the middle of the old river channel. As mentioned above, we could hear numerous Dickcissels and Northern Bobwhite vocalizing as we stood on the observation tower.

Several Indigo Buntings ( 3 male, 1 female) were seen throughout the drive as well as a couple of male Red-winged Blackbirds. While parked near the refuge HQ one could hear the high-pitched calls of several Blue-gray Gnatcatchers.

Location: Holla Bend NWR - Auto Tour - Dardanelle, AR

Observation date: 5/23/09 Number of species: 12

Wild Turkey - Meleagris gallopavo 2

Northern Bobwhite - Colinus virginianus 2

Great Egret - Ardea alba 3

Mourning Dove - Zenaida macroura 1

Scissor-tailed Flycatcher - Tyrannus forficatus 4

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher - Polioptila caerulea 8

Northern Cardinal - Cardinalis cardinalis 2

Indigo Bunting - Passerina cyanea 4

Painted Bunting - Passerina ciris 1

Dickcissel - Spiza americana 12

Red-winged Blackbird - Agelaius phoeniceus 2

House Finch - Carpodacus mexicanus 1

New Addition to SPQ's Lifelist:

165) Northern Bobwhite Quail ( http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Northern_Bobwhite/id)

Photos:

Top: A view of one of the many agricultural fields found throughout the refuge.

Bottom: A view of the Arkansas River's former path (Old River Channel) as seen from the observation tower.

-SPQ 5/28/2009

Mohawk Park / Oxley Nature Center - Tulsa, OK - (May 24, 2009)

May 24th Outing:

A series of storms had rolled through northeast Oklahoma the previous night so the ground at MHP-ONC was noticeably soggy. While walking through MHP to the entrance to Oxley I spotted a Red-bellied Woodpecker searching for insects along the trunk of a tree. I could not get a clear look at the RBWP's head, so I was unable to determine it's sex. Males have a red cap that extends to their bill, while females' caps do not extend that far. Hence, it is often easy to identify a RBWP from far away, but determining the sex requires a closer look.

I walked north along Coal Creek and noticed unusually large concentrations of mosquitoes were present, bringing to mind my unfortunate encounter at Tishomingo NWR. Such swarms of insects force me to adopt a "touch-n-go" approach to photography/birding; that is I try and stay moving to keep the 'squitoes from attacking me, stopping occasionally to locate a bird or take a photo.

As I was about to pass Warren Bridge when I noticed a White-tailed doe foraging on the opposite bank of Coal Creek. My first attempt to capture a photo without my tripod was unsuccessful (@ maximum focal length too), but when I used the tripod I took several decent pictures.

I climbed the stairs to the observation deck, deployed my tripod and scope, and watched the Lake Sherry area for avian activity. Strangely, by being 6 feet above the ground on the observation deck I had no problem with the mosquito hordes. 20 yards north of my position a Snowy Egret mucked about in the mud, its jerky strides intended to scare up hiding morsels. When the SE became aware of my presence it took wing and relocated to the other side of the lake. 2 Spotted Sandpipers remained along the banks, probing for food among the mud. The unmistakable rattle call of a Belted Kingfisher could be heard coming from the southeast portion of Lake Sherry, an area out of view for me.

On the surface of the lake I could see a group of ducks foraging in the shallows. Upon closer inspection I could see that there were 3 male Mallards and a single male Green-winged Teal composing the group.

While scanning the lake with my scope I heard a squawking commotion to the west of the platform, near the area where Coal Creek meets Lake Sherry. I saw a 2 wading birds fly from the creek to a large tree on the opposite bank of Lake Sherry, quite a distance from my position, but not out of range for my scope. I zeroed in on the top branches of the tree and identified 2 Little Blue Herons perched atop the tree. 2 more LBHs flew past the observation deck toward the east part of Lake Sherry, possibly to avoid some predator or threat.

Suddenly, I heard another squawk from the same area and spotted a Yellow-crowned Night Heron heading to the east part of Lake Sherry. YBH have a much more stubby bill than other wading birds, an specialization that allows them to eat more shellfish. While watching the YCNH disappear on the other bank, a small buzz and squeak could be heard coming from behind me. As I swung around I saw a small blur fly past my head and land on a branch nearby. I peered through my binoculars at the suspect, a male Ruby-throated Hummingbird. He remained perched for 15-20 seconds before blazing off into the canopy.

When I descended the staircase for the observation deck I was greeted by a swarm of mosquitoes. I walked briskly back along Coal Creek to MHP; stopping only to identify a pair of Tufted Titmice and a male Red-winged Blackbird.

Location: Mohawk Park--Oxley Nature Center

Observation date: 5/23/09 Number of species: 16

Mallard - Anas platyrhynchos 3

Green-winged Teal - Anas crecca 1

Great Blue Heron - Ardea herodias 1

Snowy Egret - Egretta thula 1

Little Blue Heron - Egretta caerulea 4

Yellow-crowned Night-Heron - Nyctanassa violacea 1

Spotted Sandpiper - Actitis macularius 2

Ruby-throated Hummingbird - Archilochus colubris 1

Belted Kingfisher - Megaceryle alcyon 1

Red-bellied Woodpecker - Melanerpes carolinus 1

American Crow - Corvus brachyrhynchos 4

Tufted Titmouse - Baeolophus bicolor 2

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher - Polioptila caerulea 3

Northern Cardinal - Cardinalis cardinalis 3

Indigo Bunting - Passerina cyanea 2

Red-winged Blackbird - Agelaius phoeniceus 3

Photos:

Top: An oak leaf covered in the early morning dew.

Bottom: A photo of the White-tailed Doe I spotted on the west bank of Coal Creek near Warren Bridge.

-SPQ 5/27/2009

Mohawk Park / Oxley Nature Center - Tulsa, OK (May 17, 2009)

Map:

http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?hl=en&ie=UTF8&msa=0&ll=36.229164,-95.891247&spn=0.008464,0.013733&t=h&z=16&msid=103228297516276567813.00046a708c7dc634016e1

May 17th Adventure:

My car was being repaired during the past week so I opted to ride my bike to Mohawk Park to bird watch on Sunday. I was able to navigate the neighborhoods to Virgin & Sheridan, where I was forced to ride on the side of Sheridan for roughly a mile. Fortunately, it was early on Sunday morning so there wasn't too much traffic to contend with.

I rode northeast through Mohawk Park to an area which is closed to auto traffic but not bicycle or foot traffic. I chained my bike to a large picnic table on the lower level of the pavilion overlooking the Mohawk Livestock Corral. On the posts of the corral several Eastern Kingbirds sat attentively waiting to spot insects to eat.

I spent 20 minutes of so watching for birds from the upper part of the pavilion. I saw a small flash of yellow darting among the leaves of a nearby tree. It took several minutes to get a clear look at the flash, but when I did I quickly identified it as a Yellow Warbler, the breast streaks being a good identifier. An Eastern Phoebe was spotted on the railing, it's call attracted my attention.

I proceeded north along the road to an area dominated by unmaintained fields, a perfect habitat for sparrows and buntings in spring. Here I spotted several male Indigo Buntings as well as a pair of male Painted Buntings. A troop of 4 American Goldfinches could be observed frolicking in a tree along the road, unfortunately I could not determine their gender. From the road I could see a group of 9-12 Barn Swallows sitting on an old telephone wire. Periodically, one or two would abandon their perches and glide about the surface of Lake Sherry in pursuit of insects.

I followed the path that runs along the north bank of Lake Sherry, stopping to count Canada Geese that floated on the lake. Usually, I see several types of waterfowl in the lake, but on Sunday I only saw Canada Geese. Last summer it was not unusual to see 4 types of wading birds along the edge of water (Great Blue Heron, Great Egret, Little Blue Heron, and the Snowy Egret were the most common, though the Green Heron and American Bittern were often present). Maybe some other visitors spooked them before I arrived.

I followed the small trail known as "DC's Trail" north across a small bridge to another road and headed back east. I saw a small group (15-20) of Chipping Sparrows foraging for seeds and the like on the pavement. A pair of Eastern Bluebirds were seen waiting on a perch for passing insects.

I returned the my bike at around 10:40 am and headed home via my earlier route.

Bird Count:

Location: Mohawk Park--Oxley Nature Center

Observation date: 5/17/09 Number of species: 16

Canada Goose - Branta canadensis 10

Red-shouldered Hawk - Buteo lineatus 1

Red-bellied Woodpecker - Melanerpes carolinus 2

Eastern Wood-Pewee - Contopus virens 2

Eastern Phoebe - Sayornis phoebe 1

Eastern Kingbird - tyrannus Tyrannus 3

Blue Jay - Cyanocitta cristata 1

Barn Swallow - Hirundo rustica 250

Eastern Bluebird - Sialia sialis 2

Yellow Warbler - Dendroica petechia 1

Chipping Sparrow - Spizella passerina 18

Northern Cardinal - Cardinalis cardinalis 3

Indigo Bunting - Passerina cyanea 6

Painted Bunting - Passerina ciris 2

Red-winged Blackbird - Agelaius phoeniceus 2

American Goldfinch - Carduelis tristis 4

Photos: (Numbered from Top to Bottom)

1) A top-down shot of a Prairie Larkspur.

2) A colorful series of leaves of an (as-of-yet) unidentified plant.

3) A purple wildflower known as "Red Clover".

4-6) Several photos of unidentified wildflowers growing around the livestock corral.

7) An unidentified cluster of white and yellow wildflowers.

8) A yellow wildflower known as "Goat's Beard" or "Western salsify". The head in fruit looks very similar to a dandelion (wispy, cotton-like seeds).

9) A photo of the small stream over which one crosses when hiking on "DC's Trail".

10) The early morning dew on the slender leaf of a plant.

11) An unidentified flower that I noticed growing in my front yard following the MHP-ONC outing.

-SPQ 5/21/2009