Central Louisiana Birding & Wildlife: Catahoula NWR, Spring & Summer 2017

male Painted Bunting -- HQ Unit, 7/3/17

****As always, if you spot any misidentified species, other incorrect info (or plain old dumb mistakes), feel free to drop me a comment and let me know. I'm always finding things that need to be reassessed or updated.
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related blog entries:
Easter birding on Catahoula NWR
Catahoula NWR Butterfly Count, 2017
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Here's a review of observations from this spring and summer on the four units of Catahoula NWR in La Salle and Catahoula Parishes. I drew from lists covering the period of March 23 to September 4, 2017, which covers the spring migration and breeding season, as well as the first stirrings of fall migration. Beyond birds, there are also lists of Mammals, Herps (Amphibians and Reptiles), Fishes, Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths). I was planning to include Odonata (Damselflies and Dragonflies) and a list of some wildflowers, but considering the length of this blog entry(!), those'll have to be covered on future posts.
Before we continue, some habitat shots...

French Fork Unit (La Salle Parish) -- Muddy Bayou entrance parking by pond

Headquarters Unit (La Salle Parish) -- north end of Duck Lake

Headquarters Unit (La Salle - Catahoula Parish line) -- refuge loop going south along edge of refuge just past entrance area (my migrant honey-hole -- I have good luck finding spring and sometimes fall migrants along this stretch of road)

Headquarters Unit (La Salle Parish) -- refuge loop

Headquarters Unit (La Salle Parish) -- the nature trail

Headquarters Unit (La Salle Parish) -- observation platform at end of nature trail - looks west across Duck Lake. The Osprey nest is near the far shore

Willow Lake Unit (La Salle Parish)

Bushley Bayou Unit (Catahoula Parish) -- Green's Creek - the Louisiana Waterthrush spot

Bushley Bayou Unit (Catahoula Parish) -- Minnow Ponds Road, heading back toward entrance (hills of Kisatchie Wold rise abruptly on the other side of highway 8 from entrance)

Bushley Bayou Unit (Catahoula Parish) -- levee between 2 of the 3 impoundments north of Minnow Ponds Road

*********************** The Lists: ****************

immature Wood Stork -- HQ Unit, 7/3

Birds:

FOS = "first of season" First date that I detected that species' arrival on the refuge for this spring-summer season; used here for migrant species that spend the breeding season on Catahoula NWR and some waterbirds that show up during the summer. Species that I only detected during periods of Spring and/or Fall migration have the dates of each individual sighting. "last seen" = Final dates that some winter species were detected this spring.

Black-bellied Whistling-Duck -- FOS 4/18
Wood Duck
Northern Shoveler -- 8/27 (FOS for this Fall-Winter species)

Northern Shoveler -- HQ Unit, 8/27

Blue-winged Teal -- 4/18
Gadwall -- last seen 3/23
Pied-billed Grebe
Wood Stork -- FOS 7/3

adult Wood Storks -- HQ Unit, 9/2

Neotropic Cormorant -- FOS 7/31

Neotropic Cormorant -- HQ Unit, 7/31

Double-crested Cormorant
Anhinga

Anhinga -- HQ Unit

American White Pelican -- "last seen" 4/30 & 5/7 - a lingering individual seen across Duck Lake from the observation platform, well after I'd stopped seeing them regularly as a winter visitor.
Great Blue Heron

Great Blue Heron -- HQ Unit (both)

Great Egret
Snowy Egret

Snowy Egret in the rain -- HQ Unit, 8/27

Tricolored Heron -- HQ Unit, 8/19

Little Blue Heron -- FOS 3/23
Tricolored Heron -- FOS 7/24
Cattle Egret -- FOS 4/22
Green Heron -- FOS 4/30
Black-crowned Night-Heron -- FOS 4/30
Yellow-crowned Night-Heron -- FOS 5/16
White Ibis -- FOS 4/18
Glossy/White-faced Ibis -- FOS 4/22
Roseate Spoonbill -- FOS 6/2

Is it a Glossy or a White-faced Ibis? -- HQ Unit, 8/27

Roseate Spoonbill -- HQ Unit, 8/27

Roseate Spoonbills (adult left, immature right) and White Ibis -- HQ Unit, 8/27

Black Vulture
Turkey Vulture
Osprey -- Species seen at least a couple of times during the past fall-winter. Single individual seen at north end of Duck Lake on 4/16; pair at nest on 5/7, bird on nest 5/13. Nest in dead cypress across Duck Lake from observation platform. Matthew King spotted the nest on 5/7. I haven't checked on nest since 5/13. Then on 8/27 I saw one at HQ Unit (north end of Duck Lake) and another at Willow Lake Unit.

Osprey pair at nest -- Duck Lake, HQ Unit, 5/7

Mississippi Kite -- FOS 4/22
(video: Breakfast w/ Mississippi Kite, at Bushley Bayou Unit, 7/11)

Cooper's Hawk -- Adult seen on 8/18 harassing shorebirds at impoundments on Bushley Bayou Unit.
Bald Eagle -- Adult seen at HQ Unit on 9/2
Red-shouldered Hawk
(video: immature RS Hawk feeding - 7/3)

Common Gallinule -- HQ Unit, 5/7

Broad-winged Hawk -- 9/2
Red-tailed Hawk
Purple Gallinule -- Seen on 5/20 at French Fork Unit at Muddy Bayou entrance off hwy 28.
Common Gallinule -- FOS 5/7
Black-necked Stilt -- 6/2, 8/27, 9/2
Semipalmated Plover -- 8/27
Killdeer
Least Sandpiper -- 7/31, 8/18, 8/27
Pectoral Sandpiper -- 8/18, 8/27
dowitcher sp. -- 8/27 - My initial feeling was Short-billed Dowitcher, but I am not sure.
Spotted Sandpiper -- 4/30, 7/24, 7/31, 8/18, 8/27, 9/2

Black-necked Stilts -- HQ Unit, 8/27

Killdeer -- HQ Unit, /

Semipalmated Plover -- HQ Unit, 8/27

Least Sandpipers -- Bushley Bayou Unit, 8/18

Pectoral Sandpiper -- Bushley Bayou Unit, 8/18

(Short-billed??) Dowitcher -- HQ Unit, 8/27

Spotted Sandpiper -- HQ Unit, 7/24

Greater Yellowlegs -- 4/2, 8/18, 8/27, 9/2
Lesser Yellowlegs -- 8/27
(video: Greater Yellowlegs, Black-necked Stilt, dowitcher sp. -- HQ Unit, 8/27)

gull sp. -- 8/27 - A very poor look from my position seating in the truck of a gull flying away against a gray sky. I think it had a white head.
Eurasian Collared-Dove -- flyover on HQ on 9/2 - I rarely encounter this species on the NWR, though it is common nearby
Mourning Dove
Yellow-billed Cuckoo -- FOS 4/22

Yellow-billed Cuckoo w/ caterpillar -- HQ Unit, 9/2

Eastern Screech-Owl
Barred Owl
(video: calling Barred Owl - with vocalizations of Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Tennessee Warbler, and White-eyed Vireo in background - HQ Unit, 4/30)

Barred Owl -- HQ Unit, 3/23

Chimney Swift -- FOS 4/18
Ruby-throated Hummingbird -- FOS 4/16
(video: A female RT Hummingbird bathing on wet blackberry/dewberry leaves -- morning of 4/18, Bushley Bayou Unit. Background bird vocalizations include Kentucky, Hooded, and Swainson's Warblers; White-eyed and Red-eyed Vireos; Carolina Wren, Brown-headed Cowbird, and Tufted Titmouse.)

Belted Kingfisher
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Hairy Woodpecker
Pileated Woodpecker

Pileated Woodpecker -- HQ Unit, 5/7

Eastern Wood-Pewee -- FOS 4/30

Eastern Wood-Pewee -- HQ Unit, 9/2

Acadian Flycatcher -- FOS 4/18
Great Crested Flycatcher -- FOS 4/16

Great Crested Flycatcher -- Willow Lake Unit, 7/3

Eastern Kingbird -- FOS 4/2
White-eyed Vireo -- FOS 3/23 - This species may be present in small numbers during winter -- at least, I have found this species on the refuge and elsewhere in La Salle Parish during winter some years, but I didn't find any this past winter.
Yellow-throated Vireo -- FOS 3/23
(video: YT Vireo singing - HQ Unit, 3/23. ...That beeping? Yeah, left the car door open. haha.)

Red-eyed Vireo -- FOS 3/23
Blue Jay
American Crow
Fish Crow
Northern Rough-winged Swallow -- FOS 7/31
Purple Martin -- FOS 4/2
Tree Swallow -- 4/30
Bank Swallow -- 9/2
Barn Swallow -- FOS 4/16
Cliff Swallow -- FOS 4/22
Carolina Chickadee
Tufted Titmouse
Sedge Wren -- 4/16, 4/18 - Tends to go unnoticed on the refuge during Winter (my personal experience). Commonly heard singing at Willow Lake and Bushley Bayou Units during Spring, before departing. Wintering individuals or passing migrants (or both, I assume)?

Carolina Wren
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Ruby-crowned Kinglet -- last seen 3/23
Eastern Bluebird
Wood Thrush -- FOS 4/18
(video: song of Wood Thrush - Dry Bayou Road x Rhinehart Lake Trail on Bushley Bayou Unit, 5/16.)

Gray Catbird -- 4/18, 4/22 - Detected only in period of migration, though this species is possibly present in small numbers in winter (I find them wintering elsewhere in La Salle Parish some years) and should be present as a summer breeder somewhere on the NWR.
Brown Thrasher
Northern Mockingbird
Cedar Waxwing -- last seen 5/13
Worm-eating Warbler -- 9/2, 9/4 - A moderately common breeder in adjacent upland woods, but I wouldn't expect to find them nesting on the NWR. Regularly found there during migration and post-breeding dispersal.
Louisiana Waterthrush -- FOS 4/6 - Territorial pair present at Green's Creek on Bushley Bayou Unit this breeding season.
Blue-winged Warbler -- 8/27

Blue-winged Warbler - left side of pic -- HQ Unit, 8/27

Black-and-White Warbler -- 4/16, 4/30, 5/13 - A fairly common breeder in adjacent upland woods, but I do not know of any definite breeding activity on the NWR. Common as a migrant.
Prothonotary Warbler -- FOS 4/2
(video: male singing and foraging -- HQ Unit, 4/16)

female Prothonotary Warbler gathering nest materials -- Green's Creek on Bushley Bayou Unit, 6/16

Nice bundle - as big as your head!

Prothonotary Warbler and Swainson's Warbler -- Green's Creek on Bushley Bayou Unit, 6/16

Swainson's Warbler -- FOS 4/16

Swainson's Warbler -- Green's Creek on Bushley Bayou Unit, 6/16

(video: a singing Swainson's Warbler at HQ Unit on 7/3.)

Don't be shy! -- Swainson's Warbler at Willow Lake Unit,

Swainson's Warbler -- Willow Lake Unit, 7/24

(video: Swainson's Warbler -- Willow Lake Unit, 7/24)

(video below: singing of Swainson's Warbler -- Willow Lake Unit, 8/27. This individual, which I've heard many times, has a signature version of the song, giving 3 or 4 short 'pick-up notes' before the "tew, tew, whip-poor-will". All of the Willow Lake Swainson's Warblers in these videos and photos are of the same individual/pair, reliable at the same spot nearly every time I visited April-August. Those WL Unit birds were last detected on 8/27 - none on my 9/2 visit. A SWWA was still present at BB Unit Green's Creek territory on 9/4. This breeding season I located 5 or 6 presumed SWWA territories (up to 8 or 9 if birds at near-ish locations weren't same) on the refuge (HQ, Willow Lake, and Bushley Bayou Units), based on: singing males, presence in same area (seen or heard) on more than one visit, aggressive response when played recording of SWWA song.)

Tennessee Warbler -- 4/22, 4/30, 5/7, 5/13 - A very abundant Spring migrant on the refuge, late April through early May.

male Tennessee Warbler -- Cowpen Bayou on HQ Unit, 4/30

(video: song of Tennessee Warbler -- refuge loop on HQ Unit, 4/22)

Kentucky Warbler -- FOS 4/18

Kentucky Warbler -- HQ Unit, 4/30

Common Yellowthroat
Hooded Warbler -- FOS 4/16
American Redstart -- 5/7, 5/13 - Occasionally found as a breeder in nearby upland woods, but so far I haven't encountered this species on the NWR outside of migration and post-breeding dispersal. One of the more reliable migrant warblers on the NWR.
Northern Parula -- FOS 3/23

male Northern Parula -- Cowpen Bayou on HQ Unit, 3/23

Magnolia Warbler -- 5/7, 5/13
Bay-breasted Warbler -- 5/13
Blackburnian Warbler -- 5/13

male Blackburnian Warbler -- HQ Unit, 5/13

Blackpoll Warbler -- 4/30 - Tom Pollock and I saw it at HQ Unit entrance area. This was my first Blackpoll for Catahoula NWR.

Blink and you miss it -- male Blackpoll Warbler -- HQ Unit, 4/30. The best I could do before we lost him. Center of pic on limb in front of trunk - bird's right flank and wing and an orange foot visible.

Pine Warbler -- As a breeder, this species is present on Bushley Bayou Unit at quite limited areas of acceptable breeding habitat (places w/ pines). Specifically, family groups and singing males were detected along parts of Dry Bayou Rd between Green's Creek and the Rhinehart Lake Trail, and around Minnow Ponds Rd entrance off hwy 8.
Yellow-rumped Warbler -- last seen 3/23
Yellow-throated Warbler -- FOS 5/13
Prairie Warbler -- FOS 4/16
Black-throated Green Warbler -- 5/7
Wilson's Warbler -- 9/2 - First time I've found this species on the refuge.

female-type Wilson's Warbler -- HQ Unit, 9/2. This is the second of 2 individuals encountered that morning. Never got a good clear photo.

female-type Wilson's Warbler -- HQ Unit, 9/2. Same individual as first photo.

Chipping Sparrow -- last seen 3/23
White-crowned Sparrow -- last seen 4/18
White-throated Sparrow -- last seen 4/16
Savannah Sparrow -- last seen 4/30
Swamp Sparrow -- last seen 4/22
Eastern Towhee
Yellow-breasted Chat -- FOS 4/16

Yellow-breasted Chat -- HQ Unit, 5/13

Summer Tanager -- FOS 4/16

male and female Summer Tanagers -- HQ Unit, 4/30

a red-and-yellow male Summer Tanager -- Willow Lake Unit, 5/29

Northern Cardinal
Blue Grosbeak -- FOS 4/16 (video: a male Blue Grosbeak singing beside Minnow Ponds Road on Bushley Bayou Unit - 4/18. Brown Thrasher drops in for a sec.)

Indigo Bunting -- FOS 4/16

male Indigo Bunting -- HQ Unit, 4/16

Painted Bunting -- FOS 4/16
(video: male Painted Bunting singing beside Dry Bayou Road by Green's Creek bridge, Bushley Bayou Unit, 5/16)

juvenile Painted Bunting - Willow Lake Unit, 7/24

Dickcissel -- FOS 5/20
(video: a male Dickcissel singing at Willow Lake Unit on 6/16. This is the only unit where I encountered them, and the only unit where I know them to breed, but they were numerous this year. Also singing in vid.: Hooded Warbler and a second Dickcissel.)

Eastern Meadowlark -- 5/20 at Willow Lake Unit, singing
Orchard Oriole -- FOS 4/16
Baltimore Oriole -- 4/30, 8/19

male Baltimore Oriole -- HQ Unit, 4/30

Red-winged Blackbird
Brown-headed Cowbird
Common Grackle
American Goldfinch -- last seen 3/23

By the end of the period covered here, many of the summer breeder species were becoming difficult to detect as their territorial singing became less frequent or stopped altogether.

Mammals:

Eastern Fox Squirrel

Virginia Opossum
Eastern Cottontail
Swamp Rabbit
Eastern Fox Squirrel

Eastern Fox Squirrel

(video below: an unusal, "all ginger" Eastern Fox Squirrel and a typical one side by side for comparison -- HQ Unit entrance area, 4/16 ...The Easter Squirrel? haha.)

Northern Raccoon

Northern Raccoon

White-tailed Deer

White-tailed Deer doe and fawn

*American Beaver -- fresh damming/maintenance occurring during this period, though I don't recall actually seeing any beavers.
*some signs of Coyotes - tracks and scat
*feral hogs, unfortunately

Herps:
Fowler's Toad
Blanchard's Cricket Frog (heard in video below, taken on 4/16.)

Cope's Gray Treefrog
Green Treefrog
Squirrel Treefrog
Spring Peeper
Cajun Chorus Frog
American Bullfrog
Green (Bronze) Frog
Southern Leopard Frog (heard in video below, taken on 6/2.)

American Alligator

American Alligator -- HQ Unit, 4/16

Green Anole
Common Five-lined Skink

Five-lined Skink - HQ Unit nature trail boardwalk, 5/7.

Five-lined Skink -- Bushley Bayou Unit - Flat Creek crossing at refuge boundary, 8/18

Little Brown Skink
North American Racer

North American Racer -- HQ Unit, 5/7

Diamond-backed Watersnake (contrasted with last spring-summer, when Plain-bellied, Diamond-backed, and Southern Watersnakes were frequently encountered)
Cottonmouth
River Cooter
Pond Slider

Pond Slider -- HQ Unit, 6/2.

Pond Slider -- HQ Unit, 5/7.

Smooth Softshell (video below - Bushley Bayou Unit, 6/16)

Fishes:
I wasn't careful keeping track of fish this year like I was last year (I really should do one of these kinds of blog entries covering last summer on the NWR, as I had planned to - lots of fish species compared to this summer's list, and some decent photos, too.), and so this is a loose list of what I do recall or did document/record. Doubtless there should be more on the list.

Spotted Gar (video below of what looks to me to be a Spotted Gar - HQ Unit, 6/2)

Blacktail Shiner -- BB Unit
Cyprinidae (shiner/minnow) spp. -- possibly Golden Shiner and/or others
catfish sp. -- schools of fry

catfish kindergarten - Willow Lake Unit, 6/16

Blackstripe and/or Blackspotted Topminnow
Western Mosquitofish
Orangespotted Sunfish -- BB Unit
Longear Sunfish -- BB Unit
Spotted Bass -- BB Unit
Largemouth Bass

Lepidoptera:

Butterflies:

Silver-spotted Skipper

Silver-spotted Skipper nectaring on vetch -- HQ Unit, 5/20

Long-tailed Skipper
Juvenal's Duskywing
Horace's Duskywing
Common/White Checkered-Skipper -- All checkered-skippers seemed less common this year than last year.
Tropical Checkered-Skipper

Tropical Checkered-Skipper -- Bushley Bayou Unit, 8/13

Clouded Skipper
Dun Skipper -- Bushley Bayou Unit on 5/16, possibly also on 9/4
(video: Dun Skipper feeding behavior on Green's Creek bridge, BB Unit, 5/16)

Dun Skipper - BB Unit, 5/16

*Strangely absent was Fiery Skipper, which were abundant during much of spring-summer 2016.
*Unidentified skipper species -- there's always bound to be a few!

Pipevine Swallowtail

Pipevine Swallowtail -- HQ Unit, 6/23

Black Swallowtail -- Extremely numerous this Spring through beginning of Summer!!!!

ovipositing female Black Swallowtail - French Fork Unit, 6/23.

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail -- HQ Unit, 7/3

Giant Swallowtail

Giant Swallowtail nectaring on Vernonia -- Bushley Bayou Unit, 9/4

Spicebush Swallowtail

Orange Sulphur

Orange Sulphur nectaring on sensitive-briar -- BB Unit, 5/16

Southern Dogface

Southern Dogface - Willow Lake Unit, 8/12. With the light coming through the wings like that... yeah, that does kind of look like a dog's face.

Cloudless Sulphur

Cloudless Sulphur nectaring on Cardinal Flower -- Bushley Bayou Unit, 9/4

Little Yellow
*possibly also seen: Sleepy Orange.

Red-banded Hairstreak
Gray Hairstreak

Gray Hairstreak -- Minnow Ponds Rd on Bushley Bayou Unit, 6/27

Eastern Tailed-Blue

Eastern Tailed-Blue -- HQ Unit, 4/16

American Snout

American Snout - HQ Unit, 5/7

Monarch
Gulf Fritillary

Gulf Fritillary nectaring on Clustervine -- Bushley Bayou Unit, 9/4

Variegated Fritillary
'Astyanax' Red-spotted Purple
Viceroy

Viceroy -- Bushley Bayou Unit, 9/4

Hackberry Emperor -- Abundant on HQ Unit on 8/19, few and scattered on other dates and at other units.

The Emperor's Decree -- Hackberry Emperor on sign at French Fork Unit Muddy Bayou entrance, 6/23

One of many, many Hackberry Emperor's on the refuge loop, HQ Unit, on 8/19 visit. Vehicles got some of them. : (

Pearl Crescent
Common Buckeye

Common Buckeye -- Bushley Bayou Unit, 9/4

Question Mark

Question Mark - HQ Unit, 7/24. Notice the white '?' in the middle of the hind wing.

Red Admiral

Red Admiral -- BB Unit, 6/2

American Lady
Painted Lady -- Willow Lake Unit, 9/2 - I believe this may have been the first one I've seen on the refuge.
Goatweed Leafwing
Little Wood-Satyr -- Common on HQ Unit during Butterfly Count on 5/20.
Carolina Satyr

Moths: (I suggest treating my moth i.d.s w/ caution as I'm a novice at identifying moths and many species are difficult to identify anyway, even for experts.)

Luna Moth (cellphone pic. of fresh adult from HQ Unit below)

Baldcypress Sphinx (caterpillar) -- Nature trail on HQ Unit.

an unfortunate Baldcypress Sphinx Moth caterpillar - nature trail on HQ Unit, 5/7

Bird-dropping Moth sp.
Spanish Moth (caterpillar) -- Feeding on Spiderlily (Hymenocallis) just before entrance gate to HQ Unit.

Spanish Moth caterpillar eating Spiderlily -- HQ Unit, 5/13

Orange Holomelina -- nature trail on HQ Unit

Orange Holomelina - HQ Unit nature trail, 5/7

Thin-lined Owlet -- nature trail on HQ Unit

Thin-lined Owlet - HQ Unit nature trail, 4/30

unidentified Renia/Tetanolita/Owlet moth sp./spp
Vetch Looper -- These appear to be common on the refuge.

tentative i.d.: Vetch Looper - BB Unit, 5/16

Lychnosea intermicata -- A common species on HQ Unit.