Nice Morning at Sheldon Lake

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Deanne and I had a nice morning's birding yesterday at Sheldon Lake, starting with good views of an adult Bald Eagle over the environmental center.

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The area around the ponds was very busy with Chipping Sparrows, Yellow-rumped Warblers, Blue-gray Gnatcatchers and Eastern Phoebes.

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Chipping Sparrow

Wading birds were few and far between: We saw only one three Little Blue Herons and one each of White Ibis, Great Egret and Tricolored Heron.

Young Little Blue Heron

Water birds were scarce, at least in the easily visible areas, probably partly because so much of the water is covered with water hyacinth. However, there were hundreds of American Coots, several Pied-billed Grebes and Common Moorhens. Carpenter's Bayou had only a few Ring-necked Ducks and a solitary Wood Duck.

Water Hyacinth on Carpenter's Bayou

At the (closed) parking lot on Garrett Road an Anhinga was drying its wings in the sun. When I approached, it kept lowering its head and neck, puffing up its orange throat pouch and croaking like a frog. I've never seen this curious behavior from an Anhinga before although I've read about it.