Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Spring Creek Park, Tomball

On Monday morning we spent a couple of hours in Spring Creek Park. Although it was rather blustery, there were plenty of birds around: We ended up with 22 species, which I think is the most I've ever seen there. Unfortunately, few of the birds were in the mood to be photographed.

I got only brief glimpses through branches as this Cooper's Hawk circled overhead.


American Robins, Red-bellied Woodpeckers and Pine Warblers were the most numerous species, but we also saw several Downy Woodpeckers, Eastern Bluebirds, Northern Cardinals, Ruby-crowned Kinglets, Orange-crowned Warblers, American Goldfinch, Yellow-rumped Warblers and Carolina Chickadees.
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Carolina Chickadee

The open areas had American Pipits, Eastern Bluebirds, Chipping Sparrows and a solitary Killdeer.

Killdeer

The Cooper's Hawk was a new year bird, as was this Northern Flicker.

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White-eyed Vireo and Brown Creeper took my 2009 list to 89 species.

6 comments:

  1. This park is practically just across the creek from my house and yet I almost never go there. Very stupid of me. Sometimes the jewels closest to hand are those least appreciated.

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  2. That's very true. There's a nice undeveloped piece of land less than half-a-mile from our house but I rarely visit it.

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  3. I can relate. I just stumbled upon a nature preserve in The Woodlands that I've driven past a hundred times without ever knowing how nice it was. I finally stopped this week and it's a nice area. I didn't have any binocs with me but there seemed to be a decent number of birds. At least the habitat was rich - bottomland hardwoods with lots of drainage sloughs and wetlands.

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  4. Here's website on it if you're in the area.

    http://the-woodlands-videos.blogspot.com/2008/03/george-mitchell-nature-preserve-hikes.html

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  5. Hi, Isaac.
    I've heard of the site but have never been there.
    This reminds me that, one of these days, I need to get back over to W G Jones, as I haven't been there for years.
    Jeff

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  6. Jeff,
    A pair of cooper's hawks frequent our back yard. I have noticed that squirrels are nervous of them but have seen them close to each other frequently. Squirrels seem to know that the hawk prefers doves.

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