Thursday, March 08, 2012

Katy Prairie

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Early this week I managed to do somthing that I hadn't managed to fit in for about a month: Visit the Katy Prairie on my way in to work. My main motivation was to see if any interesting sparrows were still lingering in the area. 

As usual, my drive down the Katy-Hockley Cutoff took me past several Crested Caracaras perched on utility poles.


I passed numerous Red-tailed Hawks, too.


At the Bear Creek bridge on Longenbaugh there was no sign of Pyrrhuloxias but I did spot a Harris's Sparrow.


Mixed in with many Savannah Sparrows were several Field Sparrows. One of them perched above my head and sang its little heart out for 3 or 4 minutes.




Heading back to the car ,I noticed a movement in another nearby. It was a Lark Bunting, one of the birds I had been most wanting to find.


Since it was now time for me to head to work, I tried not to stop to look at birds  as I drove down Porter Road. However, I couldn't resist braking to check out a small bird perched on a field gate. I was pleased to discover it was a Grasshopper Sparrow.


Even though Grasshopper Sparrows aren't uncommon, I rarely see them and so it was a good sighting with which to end my early morning visit to the Katy Prairie.
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