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Sicily Island Hills (JC "Sonny" Gilbert WMA) and Other Catahoula Parish Locations, 12/1/22
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On December 1st, I made a trip to three locations in the Harrisonburg area in northern Catahoula Parish, with Sicily Island Hills being the main destination. Below are the bird lists for these three locations.
Fort Beauregard Historical Park (Harrisonburg)
December 1, 2022
7:55am; 31 min; 0.2 miles
37F.; clear; breezy; NE wind about 10mph
some habitat shots before bird list:
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| view from observation tower at Ft. Beauregard - looking out over Harrisonburg to the Ouachita River, LA-8 bridge |
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Turkey Vulture - 2
Red-bellied Woodpecker - 3
Downy Woodpecker - 1
Blue Jay - 1
American Crow - 7
Carolina Chickadee - 1
Ruby-crowned Kinglet - 1
Carolina Wren - 2
American Robin - 2
American Pipit - 1
American Goldfinch - 1
Dark-eyed Junco (Slate-colored) - 2
White-throated Sparrow - 3
Red-winged Blackbird - 6
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) - 2
Northern Cardinal - 3
passerine sp. - 2
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Harrisonburg Landing Recreation Area (east bank of Ouachita River, NW end of LA-929)
Dec. 1, 2022
8:31am; 1 hr, 6 min; 0.2 miles on foot
~40F.; windy (NE); clear
some habitat shots before bird list:
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| Ouachita River |
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| ditto |
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| ditto |
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| ... |
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| ... |
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Snow Goose - 50
Great Blue Heron - 1
Black Vulture - 2
Turkey Vulture - 7
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| Turkey Vulture |
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Downy Woodpecker - 1
Northern Flicker - 1
Blue Jay - 4
American Crow - 7
Ruby-crowned Kinglet - 3
Carolina Wren - 2
Northern Mockingbird - 2
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| Northern Mockingbird |
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Eastern Bluebird - 2
American Pipit - 4
American Goldfinch - 1
Chipping Sparrow - 16
White-throated Sparrow - 6
Savannah Sparrow - 1
Song Sparrow - 1
Swamp Sparrow - 1
Red-winged Blackbird - 32
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) - 9
Northern Cardinal - 3
passerine sp. - 20
.................................................................
JC "Sonny" Gilbert WMA (Sicily Island Hills)
December 1, 2022
9:45am; 2 hr, 58 min; 2.5 miles
44-56F.; clear; windy (NE)
Some habitat shots before bird list:
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| Sicily Island Hills - creek just inside south entrance to WMA |
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| Sicily Island Hills - main road through southern part of WMA |
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| side road through area that was partially logged a few years ago |
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| woods along main road |
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| Rock Falls Trail |
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| ditto |
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| ditto / Rock Falls |
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| ditto |
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| ditto |
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| Rock Falls |
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Snow Goose - 220 (flyovers)
Turkey Vulture - 5
Red-bellied Woodpecker - 3
Downy Woodpecker - 2
Pileated Woodpecker - 1
Eastern Phoebe - 3
American Crow - 1
Carolina Chickadee - 9
Tufted Titmouse - 4
Ruby-crowned Kinglet - 5
Golden-crowned Kinglet - 7
Red-breasted Nuthatch - 1
Carolina Wren - 4
Hermit Thrush - 3
Purple Finch - 1
American Goldfinch - 2
White-throated Sparrow - 15
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| White-throated Sparrow |
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Eastern Towhee - 1
Common Grackle - 12
Pine Warbler - 1
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) - 15
Northern Cardinal - 5
passerine sp. - 3
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| witch-hazel sp. in bloom - Rock Falls Trail |
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Catahoula NWR Headquarters Unit (La Salle Parish)
I made three trips to Catahoula NWR during December, 2022. Each trip was to the Headquarters Unit, where I drove part or all of the refuge loop, making numerous stops. Below are the bird lists for these visits to the refuge.
12/1/2022
1:14pm; 1 hr, 36 min; 2.5 miles
~59F.; clear sky; NE wind ~10mph
12/5/22
7:43am; 3hr, 44 min; 9.3 miles
60-69F.; very foggy; wind calm to S. 5+ mph
12/21/22
8:26am; 2 hr, 50 min; 9.2 miles
43-46F.; overcast; very little wind
'x' = species detected but number of individuals not determined
Snow Goose - 35, x, 4
Ross's Goose - 0, 0, 1
Greater White-fronted Goose - 5, x (50+), 60+
Wood Duck - 0, 21, 14
Northern Shoveler - 3, 2, 0
Mallard - 500, 100++, 60+
Northern Pintail - 300, 0, x
Green-winged Teal - 30, 40+, 0
Ring-necked Duck - 0, 1, 0
Canvasback - 0, 0, 3
duck sp. - 1800, x (1000s?), 144+
Pied-billed Grebe - 0, 2, 1
Mourning Dove - 0, 1, 1
Greater Yellowlegs - 1, 0, 0
Ahinga - 0, 3, 3
Great Blue Heron - 3, 4, 7
Great Egret - 1, 0, 1
Black Vulture - 2, 0, 0
Turkey Vulture - 4, 4, 2
Sharp-shinned Hawk - 0, 0, 1
Accipiter sp. - 0, 0, 1
Bald Eagle - 0, 1, 0
Red-shouldered Hawk - 0, 2, 2
Belted Kingfisher - 0, 4, 3
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker - 0, 4, 2
Red-bellied Woodpecker - 5, 21, 17
Downy Woodpecker - 1, 11, 21
Hairy Woodpecker - 0, 0, 2
Pileated Woodpecker - 1, 6, 5
Northern Flicker - 0, 12, 10
Eastern Phoebe - 2, 17, 13
Blue-headed Vireo - 0, 2, 1
Blue Jay - 1, 8, 7
American Crow - 4, 13, 16
Fish Crow - 0, 2, 0
crow sp. - 0, 5, 0
Carolina Chickadee - 9, 38, 26
Tufted Titmouse - 3, 16, 21
Ruby-crowned Kinglet - 4, 15, 17
Golden-crowned Kinglet - 6, 33, 9
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher - 0, 1, 0
Brown Creeper - 0, 1, 0
House Wren - 1, 1, 0
Winter Wren - 1, 2, 3
Carolina Wren - 3, 25, 17
Hermit Thrush - 0, 2, 4
Cedar Waxwing - 0, 60, 0
American Pipit - 7, 1, 0
Purple Finch - 0, 0, 2
American Goldfinch - 2, 4, 6
Chipping Sparrow - 2, 0, 0
Dark-eyed Junco (Slate-colored) - 2, 0, 4
White-throated Sparrow - 11, 12, 17
Savannah Sparrow - 1, 5, 5
Song Sparrow - 0, 7, 4
Swamp Sparrow - 2, 4, 3
Red-winged Blackbird - 0, 7, x
Orange-crowned Warbler - 0, 1, 1
Common Yellowthroat - 0, 1, 0
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) - 9, 27, 37
Northern Cardinal - 8, 23, 22
passerine sp. - 2, 9, 4
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Kisatchie National Forest Catahoula Ranger District (Grant Parish)
On December 18th I made a trip to parts of the Catahoula Ranger District of Kisatchie National Forest in Grant Parish. The areas I visited were in the area between Pollock and Bentley in south-central Grant Parish. The birds observed, divided into three separate lists, are shown below.
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Stuart Lake Road
December 18, 2022
9:05 am; 1 hr, 37 min; 3.0 miles
34-47F.; clear; NE wind ~5-10mph
habitat shots:
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| recently-thinned area near east end of Stuart Lake Rd. |
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| Glenn Emory Trail at Stuart Lake Rd. |
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| Stuart Lake Rd. |
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| ditto |
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| small creek at Stuart Lake Rd. near S. end of Fs 146 |
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Turkey Vulture - 1
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker - 1
Red-bellied Woodpecker - 4
Downy Woodpecker - 1
Red-cockaded Woodpecker - 2
(video: Red-cockaded Woodpecker foraging)
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Pileated Woodpecker - 4
Northern Flicker - 2
American Kestrel - 1
(video: male American Kestrel)
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Blue Jay - 5
American Crow - 4
Carolina Chickadee - 7
Tufted Titmouse - 5
Ruby-crowned Kinglet - 2
Golden-crowned Kinglet - 1
Brown-headed Nuthatch - 7
Carolina Wren - 11
Gray Catbird - 1
Eastern Bluebird - 3
Hermit Thrush - 3
American Robin - 30
Cedar Waxwing - 2
Purple Finch - 2
American Goldfinch - 10
Chipping Sparrow - 1
Dark-eyed Junco (Slate-colored) - 21
White-throated Sparrow - 11
Eastern Towhee - 2
Red-winged Blackbird - 2
Pine Warbler - 9
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) - 7
Northern Cardinal - 6
passerine sp. - 5
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Kisatchie NF - Forest Service Rds. 146 and 147 (Work Center Rd.) and Butterfly Garden
10:43am; 51 minutes; 1.2 miles
47-50F.; sunny; E wind ~7-10mph
habitat shots:
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| south section of FS 146 |
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| FS 146 through Stuart Seed Orchard |
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| habitat bordering butterfly garden |
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Black Vulture - 1
Turkey Vulture - 1
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker - 1
Red-cockaded Woodpecker - 1
Blue Jay - 1
American Crow - 4
Carolina Chickadee - 1
Tufted Titmouse - 2
Brown-headed Nuthatch - 1
House Wren - 1
Carolina Wren - 4
American Robin - 3
American Goldfinch - 3
Dark-eyed Junco (Slate-colored) - 1
White-throated Sparrow - 5
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) - 3
Northern Cardinal - 2
passerine sp. - 3
KNF - South Tower Road
11:40am; 29 mins; about 3 miles
50F.; E wind 7-10mph; sunny
habitat shots:
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| South Tower Road |
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| one of the small creeks along S. Tower Rd. |
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Red-bellied Woodpecker - 2
Downy Woodpecker - 1
American Crow - 1
Carolina Chickadee - 3
Tufted Titmouse - 1
Brown-headed Nuthatch - 1
Carolina Wren - 3
American Goldfinch - 3
Chipping Sparrow - 1
White-throated Sparrow - 6
Eastern Towhee - 1
Red-winged Blackbird - 13
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) - 6
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| Yellow-rumped Warbler |
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| Yellow-rumped Warbler |
.Northern Cardinal - 4
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Catahoula NWR Christmas Bird Count (Zones 2, 5, 6) - December 30, 2022
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Zone 2 (north of Catahoula Lake in La Salle Parish)
1 party, 3 observers
9:27am (late start because of rain)
party hours foot: 25 min
party hours car: 3hrs
party miles foot: 0.2
party miles car: 9.1
habitat shots:
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| There was lots of standing water from the heavy rain that had just ended that morning. - Nebo area |
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| rain-swollen Devil's Creek in Nebo area |
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| Indian Bluff Road through Devil's Creek bottoms - Nebo area |
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| ditto |
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| Lakeview Loop - Nebo area north of Catahoula Lake |
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| ditto - Field Sparrow spot |
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| Indian Bluff Rd. |
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| Indian Creek Rd. |
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| Sharptown area |
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Snow Goose - 224
Mallard - 7
Mourning Dove- 15
Great Blue Heron - 1
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| Great Blue Heron |
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Black Vulture - 2
Turkey Vulture - 14
Red-shouldered Hawk - 3
Red-tailed Hawk - 1
Red-bellied Woodpecker - 15
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| Red-bellied Woodpecker |
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Downy Woodpecker - 8
Pileated Woodpecker- 5
Northern Flicker - 11
Eastern Phoebe - 6
Loggerhead Shrike - 1
Blue Jay - 39
American Crow - 15
Fish Crow - 4
crow sp. - 4
Carolina Chickadee - 21
Tufted Titmouse - 21
Ruby-crowned Kinglet - 2
Golden-crowned Kinglet - 2
Brown-headed Nuthatch - 3
Carolina Wren - 16
Brown Thrasher - 1
Northern Mockingbird - 4
Eastern Bluebird - 12
Hermit Thrush - 2
American Robin - 20
Cedar Waxwing - 17
American Goldfinch - 13
Chipping Sparrow - 60
Field Sparrow - 1
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| Field Sparrow |
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| Field Sparrow |
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Dark-eyed Junco (Slate-colored) - 15
White-throated Sparrow - 39
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| White-throated Sparrow |
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Swamp Sparrow - 4
Red-winged Blackbird - 1
blackbird sp. - 3
Orange-crowned Warbler - 2
Pine Warbler - 4
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) - 24
Northern Cardinal - 41
passerine sp. - 16
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Zone 5 (Catahoula Parish)
1 party, 3 observers
1:06pm
party hours car: 3 hr 5 min
party miles by car: 6.7
habitat shots:
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| Little River at Archie Recreation Area - fish die-off in river attracted lots of vultures |
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| Evergreen Church Road near Archie |
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| ditto |
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| Louisiana Delta Plantation farmland (PRIVATE PROPERTY) |
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| ditto |
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| ditto |
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| ditto |
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Snow Goose - 1266
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| ... |
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| injured Snow Geese |
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Greater White-fronted Goose - 7
Northern Pintail - 3
duck sp. - 8
Eurasian Collared-Dove - 4
Mourning Dove - 135
Killdeer - 35
Long-billed Dowitcher - 89
Greater Yellowlegs - 8
shorebird sp. - 20
Great Blue Heron - 3
Great Egret - 5
Black Vulture - 38
Turkey Vulture - 312
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| Turkey Vultures |
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| Turkey Vultures feeding on dead fish |
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Northern Harrier - 6
Red-tailed Hawk - 3
Red-tailed Hawk ("Harlan's") - 1
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| apparent "Harlan's" Red-tailed Hawk - Before it flew to this perch, the bird had it's back to us and we could see the red tail. |
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Belted Kingfisher - 1
Red-bellied Woodpecker - 4
Downy Woodpecker - 3
Northern Flicker - 1
American Kestrel - 2
Eastern Phoebe - 2
Loggerhead Shrike - 1
Blue Jay - 3
American Crow - 5
crow sp. - 3
Carolina Chickadee - 1
Tufted Titmouse - 1
Horned Lark - 1
Ruby-crowned Kinglet - 1
Carolina Wren - 3
European Starling - 31
Northern Mockingbird - 1
American Pipit - 3
White-throated Sparrow - 7
Savannah Sparrow - 41
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| Savannah Sparrow |
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Song Sparrow - 4
Swamp Sparrow - 4
Eastern Meadowlark - 20
Red-winged Blackbird - 30
Brewer's Blackbird - 11
blackbird sp. - 1
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) - 7
Northern Cardinal - 5
passerine sp. - 3
Zone 6 (Catahoula Parish)
1 party, 3 observers
4:36pm
party hours car: 44 min
party miles car: 1.5
habitat shots:
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| Louisiana Delta Plantation farmland (PRIVATE PROPERTY) |
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Snow Goose - 206
Greater White-fronted Goose - 7
Mourning Dove - 1
Killdeer - 2
White Ibis - 87
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| White Ibises and Snow Geese |
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| White Ibises |
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Northern Harrier - 3
Red-tailed Hawk - 1
Loggerhead Shrike - 1
European Starling - 5
American Pipit - 300
Savannah Sparrow - 11
Eastern Meadowlark - 1
White-throated Sparrow - 2
Northern Cardinal - 4
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