The CyFair Campus

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Like other birders in our area, I was hoping that the cold front forecast for last weekend would bring a fallout of migrant birds. It didn't happen! It seems that the north winds pushed down as far as the northern coast of Mexico and so most birds had the sense not to attempt to cross the Gulf in such difficult conditions.

Monday morning did bring a handful of migrant songbirds to the CyFair campus, though. A few minutes at the nature trail before work turned up a Nashville Warbler and a Yellow-throated Green Warbler, a female Summer Tanager, an Indigo Bunting and a Baltimore Oriole (below).

We now have at least one pair of Green Herons at the college and one or both tend to hang out in the trees on the nature trail in the early morning.

The retention ponds are generally empty of birds now but the parking lot lights attract lots of Black-bellied Whistling Ducks.

 

One of my colleagues tells me that at least one pair of Western Kingbirds has returned. A couple of pairs normally nest on the campus, including one pair that has nested for 7-8 years in a row in the roof of the basketball court. When work eases up, I'll have to go over to see if the birds have started nesting yet.
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