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| White-breasted Nuthatch -- August 12, 2018 |
Related Posts:
March-April visits to this location -
https://falloutbird2014.blogspot.com/2018/05/nature-at-jenas-vision-trail-march.html
Some Catahoula Parish parks and recreation areas -
falloutbird2014.blogspot.com/2018/10/parks-rec-catahoula-parish-10102018.html
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This post covers visits to Jena's Vision Trail (Jena, La Salle Parish) on May 6, July 22, August 12, and September 16, 2018. Please note that these are the observations of an amateur - a birder and general nature enthusiast without formal training and limited experience with some of the groups of organisms covered here, so there could be mistakes. I try to do my research before posting, but sometimes I rush to publish a post before too much time has passed since the subject matter covered.
Here are some habitat shots with descriptions of the route along which these birds and other fauna and flora were observed. Let's take a walk...
Starting off at the parking lot situated on the west side of Austin Road just north of junction with Sycamore Street, I take the Vision Trail from the northwest corner of parking lot, crossing over the foot bridge on East Prong of Hemp's Creek.
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| confluence of East Prong and Middle Prong (main branch) of Hemphill ("Hemp's") Creek - near parking lot -- 8/12 |
The Trail follows the Middle Prong of Hemp's Creek north behind the ball field, and then swings east, crossing Austin Road, East Prong on a foot bridge, and Terrall Street.
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| Middle Prong of Hemp's Creek -- 9/16 |
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| heading east approaching Austin Road -- beyond that: East Prong of Hemp's Creek, Terrall Street with ball fields off to either side, the pine tree covered hill where the park is located. The trail loops around it. -- Photo taken 8/12 |
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| looking south (downstream) along East Prong of Hemp's Creek from northernmost foot bridge - 9/12 |
The Vision Trail continues up the north side of the park beside Terrall Street, then follows Edwards Street south then west along the east and south sides of the park, before crossing back over Austin Rd by the south end of the parking lot where we started.
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| looking back west on trail beside Terrall Street at north edge of park - 8/12 |
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| looking back west from Edwards Street, northeast corner of park - 8/12 |
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| looking west along trail and Edwards Street from southeast corner of park -- 8/12 |
From here, I follow the Trail over the foot bridge on Hemp's Creek, west along the north side of Sycamore Street, and make the crossing to the south side.
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| looking upstream from foot bridge on Hemp's Creek - south of confluence of east and middle prongs -- 8/12 -- One issue I'm seeing worsen with each visit is that Hemp's Creek and Middle Prong are silting up, the banks eroding more with each large rain. The fish are increasingly disappearing from the section of creek upstream from the bridge where this photo was taken. The smaller East Prong creek has a stronger presence of vegetation along its banks and remains more diverse and fish-y (though it is too small for some fish one sees in the main creek). |
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| looking back (east) toward Hemp's Creek from where trail crosses Sycamore Street -- 7/22 |
From here, the the Vision Trail parallels a gully going south through a beautiful little piece of mixed pine-hardwoods, before coming out at the edge of the Mac's grocery store parking lot.
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| woods south of Sycamore Street -- 8/12 |
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| woods south of Sycamore Street - 9/16 |
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| foot bridge over gully where trail exits woods |
From here the trail goes south beside the gas station to cross US-84 and continue on south, though I didn't go across US-84 on any of the four outings covered in this post.
In addition to the main trail, there's an unpaved side loop on the west side of Hemp's Creek, north of Sycamore Street, that I sometimes include on my route.
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| July 22 |
On the May 6 visit I incorporated the walking track, a third-of-a-mile loop located across Sycamore Street from the Vision Trail, into my birding.
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| walking track -- May 6 |
May 6:
9:51 a.m.; 2 hrs 55 min
1.3 miles +
73 - 86 degrees F.; clear; some light breeze
I also included the walking track, across Sycamore Street from the trail, on this visit.
July 22:
6:18 a.m.; 2 hrs 32 min
1.3 miles +
79 - 85 F.; sunny; light breeze
I included the unpaved loop on the west side of the creek on this morning's route. Most/all of the birds, though, would be ones heard or seen from nearby parts of the main trail.
August 12:
8:20 a.m.; 2 hrs 39 min
1.3 miles
77 - 88 degrees F.; sky variable cloud and sun; light breeze
September 16:
9:18 a.m.; 2 hrs 54 min
1.3 miles
83 - 93 degrees F.; sunny; faint breeze
Birds:
Mourning Dove - 7, 6, 2, 4
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| Mourning Dove -- 5/6 |
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| Mourning Doves -- 7/22 |
Yellow-billed Cuckoo - 0, 0, 1, 0
Chimney Swift - 0, 1, 1, 0
Great Blue Heron - 0, 1, 0, 0
Great Egret - 0, 0, 1, 0
Black Vulture - 1, 0, 0, 0
Turkey Vulture - 2, 0, 0, 2
Mississippi Kite - 0, 2, 1, 0
Red-shouldered Hawk - 3, 1, 0, 0
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| Red-shouldered Hawk - 5/6 |
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| Red-shouldered Hawk - 5/6 |
Red-headed Woodpecker - 5, 4, 4, 3
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| Red-headed Woodpecker -- west end of Terrall St, 5/6 -- There were 2 or 3 breeding pairs around the park that I'd encounter during these walks. |
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| Red-headed Woodpecker -- west end of Terrall St, 5/6 -- This one shows what I'm interpreting to be a brood patch on it's belly. |
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| Red-headed Woodpecker -- walking track, near active nest hole, 5/6 -- This one has just picked up an insect from the track. |
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| Red-headed Woodpecker at active nest hole -- walking track, 5/6 |
The video below is a Red-headed Woodpecker near corner of Edwards St and Terrall St:
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| Red-headed Woodpeckers - parent bringing food to offspring -- corner of Edwards St and Terrall St, 8/12 |
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| Red-headed Woodpeckers -- feeding time (same birds as above vid. and pic.) |
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| Red-headed Woodpecker, near corner Edwards and Terrall -- 8/12 |
Red-bellied Woodpecker - 3, 3, 2, 5
Downy Woodpecker - 2, 2, 2, 3
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| female Downy Woodpecker - 9/16 |
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| female Downy Woodpecker - 9/16 - Foolishly, I'd labeled this Hairy Woodpecker. Thanks to _ and _ for pointing out that it is Downy. I recorded it as Downy in my notes, but looking at the pics later on I noticed the lack of black marks on white outer tail feathers and lazily assumed Hairy, without considering the rest of the bird's features. There's a moral about paying attention or making assumptions or something to this story. haha. |
Pileated Woodpecker - 1, 1, 2, 2
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| male Pileated Woodpecker -- 8/12 |
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| male Pileated Woodpecker -- 9/16 |
Northern Flicker - 2, 0, 1, 1
Eastern Wood-Pewee - 1, 0, 1, 1
*Alder/Willow ("Traill's") Flycatcher - 0, 0, 0, 1
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| *tentative i.d.: "Trail's Flycatcher" -- 9/16 |
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| tentative i.d.: "Trail's" Flycatcher -- 9/16 |
Great Crested Flycatcher - 7, 1, 0, 0
Eastern Kingbird - 1, 3, 1, 3
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| Eastern Kingbird - 5/6 |
White-eyed Vireo - 3, 4, 3, 8
Red-eyed Vireo - 2, 0, 0, 3
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| Red-eyed Vireo eating magnolia fruit -- 9/16 |
Blue Jay - 10, 4, 10, 8
American Crow - 3, 5, 6, 26
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| crows |
Purple Martin - 0, 1, 0, 0
Barn Swallow - 2, 1, 0, 0
Carolina Chickadee - 5, 2, 3, 6
Tufted Titmouse - 4, 2, 2, 0
White-breasted Nuthatch - 0, 2, 1, 1
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| White-breasted Nuthatch -- 8/12 |
Brown-headed Nuthatch - 2, 3, 2, 5
Carolina Wren - 0 (?!), 8, 12, 3
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| Carolina Wren -- 8/12 |
Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher - 1, 0, 1, 8
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| Blue-gray Gnatcatcher - 9/16 |
Eastern Bluebird - X, 11, 6, 5
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| female Eastern Bluebird |
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| male Eastern Bluebird |
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| male Ea. Bluebird exiting nest box on the big Sycamore near west end of Terrall St -- This pair was usually around this spot, often entering and exiting this next box, when I came by during visits to the trail this spring. -- 5/6 |
Wood Thrush - 2, 2, 0, 0
American Robin - 2, 1, 0, 0
Gray Catbird - 0, 0, 1, 0
Brown Thrasher - 5, 0, 0, 1
Northern Mockingbird - 6, 5, 4, 7
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| Northern Mockingbird - 5/6 |
European Starling - 4, 1, 2, 0
House Finch - 2, 5, 12, 8
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| female House Finch -- 8/12 |
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| male House Finch -- 8/12 |
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| House Finches -- 8/12 |
(video: House Finch family -- 8/12)
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| House Finches -- August 12 |
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| House Finches -- July 22 |
Chipping Sparrow - 8, 2, 3, 3
Orchard Oriole - 7, 0, 0, 0
Brown-headed Cowbird - 2, 0, 0, 0
Louisiana Waterthrush - 2, 1, 0, 0
(video: songs of Louisiana Waterthrush, Carolina Wren, and Hooded Warbler, and calls of American Crow and Carolina Chickadee -- woods south of Sycamore Street, May 6)
Hooded Warbler - 2, 2, 1, 4
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| male Hooded Warbler - 5/6 - the one singing in above video |
American Redstart - 0, 0, 0, 1
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| male American Redstart - 9/16 |
Yellow Warbler - 0, 0, 0, 1
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| Yellow Warbler - 9/16 |
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| Yellow Warbler - 9/16 |
Pine Warbler - 6, 0, 1, 4
Summer Tanager - 0, 0, 1, 1
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| Summer Tanager - 9/16 |
Northern Cardinal - 15, 8, 13, 12
Blue Grosbeak - 1, 0, 0, 0
Indigo Bunting - 1, 0, 0, 0
Dickcissel - 0, 0, 0, 1
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| Dickcissel - 9/16 |
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| Dickcissel - 9/16 |
House Sparrow - 5, 3, 0, 2
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| male and female House Sparrow -- July 22 |
Mammals:
Eastern Gray Squirrel, Eastern Fox Squirrel
Herps:
Blanchard's Cricket Frog, Green Treefrog, Cope's Gray Treefrog, Green (Bronze) Frog; Little Brown Skink
Fish:
Redfin Shiner, Striped Shiner, shiner/minnow (Cyprinid) sp., Blackspotted and/or Blackstripe Topminnow...
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| either Black-spotted or Blackstripe Topminnow - I'm thinking Black-spotted Topminnow -- 9/16 |
Western Mosquitofish, Bluegill, Longear Sunfish...
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| male Longear Sunfish -- July 22 |
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| male Longear Sunfish -- July 22 |
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| ... |
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| ... |
Orangespotted Sunfish, Spotted Bass, Largemouth Bass
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| Largemouth Bass -- 9/16 |
Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths):
Butterflies -
Long-tailed Skipper -
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| Long-tailed Skipper nectaring on Jacquemontia -- 9/16 |
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| Long-tailed Skipper nectaring on Jacquemontia -- 9/16 |
Silver-spotted Skipper -
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| Silver-spotted Skipper nectaring on Peppervine -- 8/12 |
Horace's Duskywing -
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| Horace's Duskywing -- 8/12 |
Tropical Checkered-Skipper -
Common/White Checkered-Skipper -
Fiery Skipper -
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| Fiery Skipper nectaring on Jacquemontia -- 9/16 |
Clouded Skipper -
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| Clouded Skipper nectaring on Jacquemontia -- 9/16 |
*swallowtails? - I can't recall any specific swallowtails, unfortunately, though it's likely that I encountered some of the common ones such as Eastern Tiger Swallowtail and Pipevine Swallowtail.
Cloudless Sulphur -
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| Cloudless Sulphur -- 8/12 |
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| Cloudless Sulphur nectaring on Oenothera "primrose" -- 8/12 |
Little Yellow -
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| Little Yellow (possibly ovipositing) -- 9/16 |
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| Little Yellow -- 7/22 |
Gray Hairstreak -
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| Gray Hairstreak nectaring on clover -- 5/6 |
Summer Azure -
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| Summer Azure -- 7/22 |
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| Summer Azure -- 8/12 |
Monarch -
Gulf Fritillary -
Viceroy -
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| Viceroy -- 8/12 |
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| Viceroy -- 8/12 |
'Astyanax' Red-spotted Purple -
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| 'Astyanax' Red-spotted Purple -- 7/22 |
Pearl Crescent -
American Lady -
Carolina Satyr -
Moths -
Blackbit Moth -
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| Blackbit Moth -- 9/16 |
Juniper Geometer??, .........
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| possibly Juniper Geometer?? -- July 22 |
(Odonata) Dragonflies and Damselflies:
Dragonflies -
Eastern Pondhawk, Blue Dasher, Eastern Amberwing, saddlebags sp. (probably Black Saddlebags), skimmer spp., and certainly others, but I neglected to actually record dragonflies in my notes.
Damselflies -
Ebony Jewelwing, Blue-tipped Dancer, and possibly others
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| tentative i.d.: Blue-tipped Dancer -- May 6 |
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| tentative i.d.: Blue-tipped Dancer -- May 6 |
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| tentative i.d.: Blue-tipped Dancer -- 5/6 |
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| tentative i.d.: a pair of Blue-tipped Dancers --5/6 |
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| tentative i.d.: Blue-tipped Dancers -- 9/16 |
Wildflowers:
Cardinalflower ...
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| Cardinalflower (Lobelia cardinalis) on the creek bank -- 9/16 |
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| Cardinalflower on the creek bank -- 9/16 |
Bear's Foot ...
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| Bear's Foot (Smallanthus uvedalia) |
Orange Daylily ...
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| tentative i.d. Orange Daylily (Hemerocallis fulva) on the creek bank -- 8/12 |
Southern Magnolia ...
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| Southern Magnolia -- 5/6 |
Oenothera primrose spp. ...
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| primrose sp. (Oenothera), with Cloudless Sulphur butterfly -- 8/12 |
Bigroot Morning-Glory ...
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| tentative i.d.: Bigroot Morning-Glory (Ipomoea pandurata) -- 7/22 |
Cotton Morning-Glory, White Morning-Glory, Hairy Clustervine ...
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| Clustervine (Jacquemontia tamnifolia) -- 8/12 |
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| Clustervine (Jacquemontia) -- 8/12 |
Partridge Pea ...
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| Partridge Pea (Chamaecrista) sp. -- 8/12 |
Peppervine (Ampelopsis arborea), Hypericum sp./spp. ...
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| St. Andrew's Cross -type Hypericum sp. -- 8/12 |
Spiderwort (Tradescantia) sp. ...
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| Spiderwort () sp. -- May 6 |
Lactuca sp. ...
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| Lactuca sp. -- 5/6 -- Is it L. floridana (Woodland Lettuce)? |
Persicaria sp. ...
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| Persicaria sp. -- 8/12 |
Strophostyles sp. ...
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| tentative i.d.: Strophostyles sp. -- 8/12 |
Climbing Hempvine (Mikania scandans), and clovers (Trifolium), to name a few...
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| This one's new to me, and I'm not sure what it is, but it bears a close resemblance to pictures of Mimulus "monkeyflower". I have a feeling it could be Mimulus alatus, the Sharpwing Monkeyflower. That's my best guess at this point. Photo -- July 22 |
As always, if you spot an incorrect i.d. or have a suggestion for one I'm unsure about, feel free to let me know.
The 'circa Summer' post for Catahoula NWR should be up in a day or so.
Peace;
J.
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