Katy Prairie

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Last Thursday I took a slightly extended lunch break so that I could check out the bird situation in Paul Rushing Park on the Katy Prairie. I was hoping that more migrating shorebirds might have arrived.

There were several species of shorebird around: Dowitchers, Yellowlegs, Killdeer, Black-necked Stilts and American Golden Plover. However, none of them were new and only the Dowitchers let me get reasonably close.

 

The ponds were fairly quiet with other birds: All I saw were Pied-billed Grebes, Blue-winged Teal, Snowy Egrets, Great Blue Heron and Little Blue Heron, while Barn and Cliff Swallows zoomed over and sometimes under the boardwalks.

The sports fields were busier. Scores of  Savannah Sparrows and Brewer's Blackbirds were grazing, along with a few Horned Larks.

 

I was too slow to get a photo of a Cooper's Hawk that was standing on the grass but one of the Horned Larks flew up to a lamppost to give me a different view.

Eastern Meadowlarks were singing everywhere and one of them stayed still long enough for me to get a couple of photos.

So no new species on this visit but, as always, the park provided a very pleasant hour's walk ans some nice birds.

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