Back at Work

Bird activity on the CyFair campus has quieted down a lot now that spring songbird migration is over and summer has arrived. As a result, I won’t be walking the Nature Trail very often in the next three months. Instead I’ll start checking out the two large retention ponds at the entrance to the college.

I did my first walk by the ponds before work on Tuesday. The area is very peaceful when there aren’t many students around!

As usual, Northern Mockingbirds were everywhere. However, and unusually, none of them were singing or calling.

So apart from the hum of traffic in the background, the main noise was the calling of male Red-winged Blackbirds, the red of their epaulets standing out against the black of the rest of their plumage.

I was surprised to see a Downy Woodpecker climbing one of the small pines on the banks of the northern pond. I very occasionally see a Downy along the Nature Trail but I've never before seen one on this side of the campus.

As I walked along, a small flock of Black-bellied Whistling Ducks flew over, followed by a Great Blue Heron. A couple of Barn Swallows were skimming the water’s surface, hunting bugs for breakfast. In a nearby tree a Loggerhead Shrike was already tucking in to its breakfast.

One of our nesting pair of Green Herons was fishing at the water’s edge but flew off as I came into sight. Two Mourning Doves that had been were exploring the path ahead of me also flew off in a panic as I approached.

A few minutes later I came across this fledgling Mourning Dove by the side of the waterfall that links the college’s artificial river to the southern retention pond.

The fledgling looked too young and helpless to be out by itself but I couldn’t see any adults in the area. I hope the little guy manages to survive!

My last sighting was of a Cormorant drying off its wings near the waterfall.

I've seen the same bird in the same area every day for several weeks, so I guess it has decided to take up residence here, at least for a while.
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