Central Louisiana Birding & Wildlife: Sicily Island Hills (South Side) -- Catahoula Parish, 2/25/2020 & 3/11/2020

Question Mark - 2/25/2020

Related Posts
- Sicily Island Hills on 1/28/2020 (with links to previous SI Hills posts):
https://falloutbird2014.blogspot.com/2020/02/sicily-island-hills-catahoula-parish.html

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I made a trip to the southern part of JC "Sonny" Gilbert WMA (aka: Sicily Island Hills WMA) on February 25th and again on March 11th. This area is accessed by turning off LA-8 about 5 miles northeast of Harrisonburg in northern Catahoula Parish. Habitat shots below, before we continue:

creek just inside entrance to WMA - 2/25

woods along main road, Feb. 25 ...

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looking back from end of road; Big Creek bottoms on north side

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March 11 ...

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On February 25 things were still largely in winter mode, but with hints of spring to come. Pine Warblers were singing vigorously. Purple Martins were heard overhead. A few butterfly species were on the wing, though there were very limited wildflowers in bloom. These butterflies included my FOS Black Swallowtail.

On March 11 things were looking a little more like spring. I heard my FOS Northern Parula singing, and found a Blue-gray Gnatcatcher though that species doesn't appear to be found in The Hills during winter: signs that spring migration is underway.
I also heard a Wild Turkey gobble. Resident songbirds such as Tufted Titmouse were ramping up their singing. Winter residents such as Blue-headed Vireo and Ruby-crowned Kinglet were singing as well.
There were also more butterflies -- species and individuals -- seen on March 11 compared to the February visit. These included my first Falcate Orangetip of the year and several fresh-looking Eastern Tiger Swallowtails.

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail - 3/11

The only mammals seen on either date were Gray Squirrels and Fox Squirrels.

Below are the lists for both dates, for birds, butterflies, Odonata, amphibians and reptiles, and a few of the wildflowers that were in bloom.

JC "Sonny" Gilbert WMA (Sicily Island Hills)
2/25/2020
10:19 a.m.; 4 hr, 10 min; 4.1 miles
58-69 F.; sunny; light breeze
Drove the length of the main road in the southern part of the WMA, with numerous stops, some short walks.

3/11/2020
8:42 a.m.; 5 hrs, 4 mins; 4.7 miles
64-79 F.; sky variable, then sunny; light wind
Same location and protocol as the previous visit, but with the addition of walking the approx. 0.5 mile "primitive campground road" (side road that turns left at the check-in kiosk).

x = species heard but numbers not determined

Birds:
Snow Goose - x distant flyovers, 0
Wood Duck - 0, 1
Wild Turkey - 0, 1

Wild Turkey tracks

Mourning Dove - 4, 9
Black Vulture - 1, 0
Turkey Vulture - 5, 1
Bald Eagle - 1, 0

Bald Eagle -- 2/25/20

Red-shouldered Hawk - 2, 0
Barred Owl - 0, 1
Red-headed Woodpecker - 1, 0
Red-bellied Woodpecker - 6, 13
Downy Woodpecker - 4, 11
Pileated Woodpecker - 1, 3
Northern Flicker - 0, 1
Eastern Phoebe - 2, 1
Blue-headed Vireo - 0, 2
Blue Jay - 3, 8
American Crow - 5, 3
crow sp. - 0, 2
Carolina Chickadee - 15, 18

Carolina Chickadee - 2/25

Tufted Titmouse - 28, 35
Purple Martin - 2, 1
Golden-crowned Kinglet - 0, 1
Ruby-crowned Kinglet - 12, 16
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher - 0, 1
Carolina Wren - 8, 16
Hermit Thrush - 1, 2
American Robin - 0, 1
American Goldfinch - 5, 4
White-throated Sparrow - 1, 5
Eastern Towhee - 1, 1
Red-winged Blackbird - 0, 8
Brown-headed Cowbird - 0, 5
Northern Parula - 0, 1
Pine Warbler - 37, 26
Yellow-rumped Warbler - 9, 10
Northern Cardinal - 4, 17

Herps:
Cajun Chorus Frog - 1 (heard only), 0
Cope's Gray Treefrog - 1 (heard only), 1 (HO)
Green Anole - 3, 1
skink sp. - 0, 1 (brief glimpse)

Butterflies:
Horace's Duskywing - 0, 3

Question Mark (left) and 2 Horace's Duskywings at scat on road - 3/11

duskywing sp. (Horace's or Juvenal's?) - 1 or more, 5
Pipevine Swallowtail - 0, 3
Black Swallowtail - 1, 0

Black Swallowtail - 2/25

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail - 1, 8

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail - 3/11

Spicebush Swallowtail - 0, 1
dark swallowtail sp. (PV/SB) - 4 (3 were probably Pipevine)

Falcate Orangetip - 0, 1

female Falcate Orangetip nectaring on yellow Oxalis sp. - 3/11

Southern Dogface - 0, 2
Cloudless Sulphur - 1, 5

Cloudless Sulphur - 3/11

Red-banded Hairstreak - 0, 3

Red-banded Hairstreak - 3/11

American Snout - 3, 0

American Snout -- 2/25/20

Pearl Crescent - 0, 3
Question Mark - 4, 9

Question Mark - 2/25

Question Mark ventral view of wings showing the white '?' - 2/25

Question Mark - 2/25

Red Admiral - 1, 0
Goatweed Leafwing - 4, 20

Goatweed Leafwing - 3/11

Dragonflies:
Twin-spotted Spiketail - 1, possibly some on 3/11
Common Baskettail - 3, abundant on 3/11
possibly other dragonfly spp. on 3/11
damselfly sp. - 0, 1

Wildflowers: