Catahoula NWR: October-November, 2022

Limpkin - HQ Unit, 11/21

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Related Posts:

 - CNWR Butterfly Count, Sept. 2022:

https://falloutbird2014.blogspot.com/2022/09/catahoula-nwr-naba-butterfly-count-2022.html

 - CNWR, Summer, 2022:

https://falloutbird2014.blogspot.com/2022/09/catahoula-nwr-and-adjacent-locations.html

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   I didn't make as many trips to Catahoula NWR during October and November of 2022 as I normally would during this part of the season most years. However, there was some good birding to be had on some of the days that I did go. On each of these trips I was with a couple of family members who were squirrel hunting part of the day, and along for the wildlife observation/sightseeing the rest of the day. Also, I birded while they hunted; sometimes accompanying them into the woods, sometimes sticking to the road to bird on foot while they went into the woods to hunt. 

   The bird highlight from the period covered in this post was seeing a Limpkin--a La Salle Parish first, from what I can tell--on November 21st. The Limpkin was across the road from the north end of Duck Lake ("Little Lake" on some maps) on the Headquarters Unit of the refuge. We spent a good long time watching it forage in the shallows and along the shoreline, where it was seen to eat mussels. I returned to look for the Limpkin on December 1st, but did not relocate the bird. Details of that visit will be in the CNWR December post, but briefly: general bird situation (species and numbers) basically similar to the Nov. 21 visit.

   Here are some habitat shots before continuing...

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north end of Duck Lake, CNWR HQ Unit -- 11/21

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Limpkin spot, across the road from north end of Duck Lake - 11/21/22

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north end of Duck Lake - 11/13

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west leg of refuge loop along Cowpen Bayou, HQ Unit - 11/21

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ditto - 11/13

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ditto - 11/13

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ditto - 11/21

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Cowpen Bayou, HQ Unit - 11/21

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ditto - 11/21

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ditto - 11/21

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woods inside southern part of refuge loop on HQ Unit - 10/8

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woods near east leg of refuge loop on HQ Unit - 10/8

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Dry Bayou Road on Bushley Bayou Unit - 11/21

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ditto - 11/13

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ditto - 11/21

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ditto - 11/13

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ditto - 11/13

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ditto - 11/13

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Bushley Bayou - 11/13

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ditto - 11/21 (after rain)

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Below are the bird lists for the October date (HQ Unit) and the two November dates (HQ and Bushley Bayou Units on both dates). After that are photos of some of the other wildlife observed.

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October, 2022

Catahoula NWR Headquarters Unit (La Salle Parish)

October 8, 2022

6:44 am; 3 hr, 54 min; 7.1 miles; 3 observers

mild; mixed sky/generally sunny; breeze ~3-10mph

Blue-winged Teal - 20

duck sp. - 3

Mourning Dove - 2

Killdeer - 2

shorebird sp. - 20

Anhinga - 5

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Anhinga - Cowpen Bayou, Oct. 8

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Great Blue Heron - 6

Great Egret - 6

Snowy Egret - 3

Little Blue Heron - 2

white egret sp. - 5

Black-crowned Night-Heron - 1

Red-shouldered Hawk - 2

Barred Owl - 2

Belted Kingfisher - 1

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker - 1

Red-bellied Woodpecker - 10

Downy Woodpecker - 4

Hairy Woodpecker - 2

Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted) - 1

Eastern Phoebe - 4

Blue Jay - 2

American Crow - 2

Carolina Chickadee - 7

Tufted Titmouse - 3

Carolina Wren - 11

Red-winged Blackbird - 8

Magnolia Warbler - 2

warbler sp. - 4

Summer Tanager - 1

Northern Cardinal - 14

Rose-breasted Grosbeak - 1

Indigo Bunting - 3

passerine sp. - 14

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November, 2022

Catahoula NWR Headquarters Unit (La Salle Parish)

November 13, 2022

12:58 pm; 1 hr, 20 min; 2.3 miles; 3 observers

chilly; clear; breezy

north part of refuge loop--starting from refuge entrance, going past north end of Duck Lake, and a little ways down west leg of loop along Cowpen Bayou

Nov. 21, 2022 

8:52 am; 2 hr, 42 min; 2.7 miles; 3 observers

cold; variable sky; not much wind to speak of

north part of refuge loop--starting from refuge entrance, going past north end of Duck Lake, and a little ways down west leg of loop along Cowpen Bayou

'x' = species detected but number of individuals not determined

Snow Goose - 0, 70

Greater White-fronted Goose - 0, 25

Wood Duck - 0, 3

Blue-winged Teal - 1, 0

Northern Shoveler - 60, 100

Gadwall - 0, 50

Mallard - 0, 200

Northern Pintail - 0, 25

Canvasback - 0, 1

Ring-necked Duck - 0, 6

Ruddy Duck - 1, 0

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Ruddy Duck - Duck Lake, 11/13

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duck sp. - 300, 1200

Pied-billed Grebe - 1, 2

Limpkin - 0, 1

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Limpkin - 11/21/22, across the road from north end of Duck Lake on the HQ Unit - The Limpkin was hanging out on the little point where Duck Lake Slough and the backwater area come together across from the inflow/outflow structure. It then waded in the shallows, foraging, and was seen feeding on mussels on the muddy shoreline.

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ditto

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Limpkin feeding on mussel

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ditto

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ditto

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Limpkin and Great Blue Heron

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American Avocet - 115, 47

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American Avocets - 11/13

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American Avocets - 11/21

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Killdeer - 0, 2

Long-billed Dowitcher - 90, 1

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1 Lesser Yellowlegs (left), Long-billed Dowitchers - 11/13

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Lesser Yellowlegs - 3, 0

Greater Yellowlegs - 0, 3

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Greater Yellowlegs - 11/21

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shorebird sp. - 60, 15

Anhinga - 1, 3

Great Blue Heron - 4, 7

Great Egret - 2, 0

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Great Egret - 11/13

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Black Vulture - 1, 2

Turkey Vulture - 4, 7

Osprey - 0, 1

Bald Eagle - 1, 2

Red-shouldered Hawk - 0, 1

Belted Kingfisher - 1, 3

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker - 1, 4

Red-bellied Woodpecker - 0, 3

Downy Woodpecker - 0, 3

Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted) - 0, 2

American Kestrel - 1, 0

Eastern Phoebe - 0, 6

Blue Jay - 0, 2

American Crow - x (heard, see: crow sp.), 10

Fish Crow - x (heard, see: crow sp.), 0

crow sp. - 100 (large flyover group), 0

Carolina Chickadee - 2, 3

Tufted Titmouse - 0, 1

Ruby-crowned Kinglet - 1, 1

Golden-crowned Kinglet - 7, 10

Carolina Wren - 1, 3

Eastern Bluebird - 0, 1

American Pipit - 0, 20 (flyover group)

American Goldfinch - 0, 2

White-throated Sparrow - 6, 1

Savannah Sparrow - 3, 2

Song Sparrow - 0, 1

Pine Warbler - 0, 1

Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) - 1, 18

Northern Cardinal - 3, 5

passerine sp. - 1, 10

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Catahoula NWR Bushley Bayou Unit (Catahoula Parish)

Nov. 13, 2022

10:26 am; 2 hr, 16 min; 3.6 miles; 3 observers

chilly; clear; breezy

Minnow Ponds Road and Dry Bayou Road

Nov. 21, 2022

11:46 am; 2 hr, 16 min (not a typo, coincidentally same as prev. visit) ; 3.5 miles; 3 observers

cold; variable sky; light breeze

Minnow Ponds Road and Dry Bayou Road

'x' = species detected but number of individuals not determined

Snow Goose - 48, x (heard-only flyovers)

Greater White-fronted Goose - 36, x (ditto)

Wood Duck - 0, 2

Mourning Dove - 0, 1

Great Blue Heron - 0, 1

Black Vulture - 7, 26

Turkey Vulture - 11, 8

Northern Harrier - 1, 0

Barred Owl - 0, 1

Belted Kingfisher - 1, 0

Red-bellied Woodpecker - 1, 0

Downy Woodpecker - 2, 2

Norther Flicker - 0, 2

American Kestrel - 0, 1

Eastern Phoebe - 5, 3

Blue-headed Vireo - 1, 0

Blue Jay - 0, 1

American Crow - 2, 5

Carolina Chickadee - 6, 5

Tufted Titmouse - 4, 3

Tree Swallow - 0, 1

Ruby-crowned Kinglet - 2, 3

Golden-crowned Kinglet - 13, 9

Winter Wren - 0, 1

Carolina Wren - 2, 2

American Pipit - 1, 0

American Goldfinch - 1, 0

Chipping Sparrow - 0, 1

Dark-eyed Junco (Slate-colored) - 2, 0

White-throated Sparrow - 5, 1

Swamp Sparrow - 4, 3

Red-winged Blackbird - 0, 60

Orange-crowned Warbler - 0, 1

Pine Warbler - 2, 0

Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) - 3, 7

Northern Cardinal - 4, 5

passerine sp. - 6, 4

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Mammals (all dates, all locations):

rabbit sp. (Swamp Rabbit or Eastern Cottontail?)

White-tailed Deer

Fox Squirrel

Northern Raccoon

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Northern Raccoon sleeping in tree - 11/13

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North American Mink

North American River Otter

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North American River Otter - HQ Unit, 11/21

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ditto

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ditto

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ditto

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Herps (all dates, all locations; incomplete--will look at field notes for additional species and edit soon):

Squirrel Treefrog

American Alligator

Pond Slider

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American Alligator - Cowpen Bayou, Oct. 8

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   As always, if you spot any incorrect IDs or have suggestions for any that I'm unsure about, feel free to comment and let me know.

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Great Blue Heron and American Avocets - HQ Unit, 11/13

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Kisatchie National Forest (Including National Catahoula WMP), Grant Parish: October, 2022

Gulf Fritillary - FS Rd. 128 - 10/28/2022

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Related Posts:

- KNF June-July 2022: https://falloutbird2014.blogspot.com/2022/09/kisatchie-national-forest-including.html

- KNF Oct. 2021: https://falloutbird2014.blogspot.com/2021/12/kisatchie-national-forest-including.html

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October 14, 2022: Butterfly Garden and Adjacent Parts of Kisatchie NF

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   On October 14th I visited the Catahoula Hummingbird and Butterfly Garden, located in Kisatchie National Forest, on Work Center Road near the Catahoula Ranger District office. From the garden I walked the dirt/gravel road/trail that surrounds the large block of open pines, part of he Stuart Seed Orchard, immediately southwest of the garden.

   Below are some habitat shots before continuing...

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butterfly garden

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ditto

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ditto

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woods beside garden recently thinned; logging/thinning operation was going on by LA-8

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hitting the trail...

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large block of open pines, surrounded by trail and weedy/grassy/brushy meadow, SW of garden

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There was more human activity this day than I had expected, including work being done on roads around the seed orchard. You can see the dust from passing gravel trucks (or crushed rock, actually I think) on FS Rd. 146 in this pic.

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SE corner of the block of open pines - I saw Palm Warbler and Bachman's Sparrow in this locale, along with a sizable group of Pine Warblers and co.

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ditto

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ditto

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ditto

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   Bird activity was fairly good, as was butterfly activity. I got a few first-of-season (FOS) bird species (House Wren, Sedge Wren, Palm Warbler, Yellow-rumped Warbler). I heard a Great Horned Owl call three times over an approx. 5-minute period in the western side of the block of pines, just north of the shortcut across the pines. This was around 1:40pm on a sunny day (not every owl is a "night-owl", haha). In the southeast corner of the block of open pines there was a very busy mixed flock--actually it was mostly Pine Warblers (about 14, if I recall correctly), but with a few Eastern Bluebirds and Brown-headed Nuthatches tagging along. Checking each bird that I could see as best I could, I found one Palm Warbler in the mix as well (could have been more than one, but seemed more likely the same individual seen repeatedly). Palm Warblers are found here in the seed orchard and butterfly garden environs this time of year with some regularity. I also flushed a Bachman's Sparrow at this spot, and got a very quick look at it when it landed on a branch for a moment.

   There were a good many butterflies out (especially at the garden, but also in places along the trail), but the diversity of species was disappointingly low, with some expected species for this location and time of the season curiously missing (no Long-tailed Skippers, for example). I was especially keen to double-check all the Eastern Tailed-Blues that I saw to make sure that I wasn't overlooking any Ceraunus Blues, a species that has been found here in the part of the NF around the garden and seed orchard in autumn some years. I saw none this time.

   Bird list and butterfly list are below...

Catahoula Hummingbird and Butterfly Garden and Stuart Seed Orchard (Kisatchie NF, Catahoula Ranger District)

October 14, 2022

12:04pm-3:45pm; approx. 2 miles on foot

warm; clear; light breeze

Birds:

Mourning Dove - 2

Turkey Dove - 2

Great Horned Owl - 1

Red-bellied Woodpecker - 2

Downy Woodpecker - 2

Red-cockaded Woodpecker - 2

Pileated Woodpecker - 1

Northern Flicker - 1

Eastern Phoebe - 2

Blue Jay - 5

American Crow - 1

Carolina Chickadee - 2

Brown-headed Nuthatch - 8

House Wren - 7 (FOS)

Sedge Wren - 1 (FOS)

Carolina Wren - 11

Gray Catbird - 2

Northern Mockingbird - 1

Eastern Bluebird - 13

House Finch - 2

Bachman's Sparrow - 1

Chipping Sparrow - 4

Eastern Meadowlark - 1

Palm Warbler - 1 (FOS)

Pine Warbler - 20

Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) - 7 (FOS)

Northern Cardinal - 2

Indigo Bunting - 3

passerine sp. - 5

Butterflies (1st number is for garden, 2nd number is for trail/meadow/woods):

Common Checkered-Skipper - 1, 1

checkered-skipper sp. - 0, 2

Fiery Skipper - 3, 8

Ocola Skipper - 0, 1

Pipevine Swallowtail - 6, 1

Cloudless Sulphur - 29, 8

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Cloudless Sulphur - butterfly garden

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Orange Sulphur - 2, 0

Sleepy Orange - 5, 3

Little Yellow - 8, 70

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Little Yellows puddling on trail

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Red-banded Hairstreak - 2, 0

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Red-banded Hairstreak - butterfly garden

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Eastern Tailed-Blue - 0, 7

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Eastern Tailed-Blue - trail

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Gulf Fritillary - 26, 16

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Gulf Fritillary - garden

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Gulf Fritillary - trail

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Variegated Fritillary - 1, 2

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Variegated Fritillary - trail

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Common Buckeye - 3, 30

Red Admiral - 0, 1

Pearl Crescent - 2, 14

Phaon Crescent - 1, 1

Carolina Satyr - 3, 5

butterfly sp. - 0, 13 (unsatisfactory looks: too distant or lost and not relocated)

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A few wildflower pics...

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false foxglove (Agilinus) sp. - trail

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Rabbit Tobacco or Sweet Everlasting (Pseudognphalium obtusifolium), I'm pretty sure - trail

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Downy Lobelia or similar lobelia species (Lobelia puberula / Lobelia sp.) - trail

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October 28, 2022: National Catahoula Wildlife Management Preserve and Kisatchie NF Catahoula Ranger District

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   On October 28 I returned to Kisatchie National Forest in Grant Parish, starting in National Catahoula Wildlife Management Preserve--part of Kisatchie NF, divided between the Winn and Catahoula Ranger Districts--then continuing through parts of KNF Catahoula Ranger District south of the WMP. The route I took in the WMP was in the eastern part, following Bear Creek Road and part of Forest Service Road 102. After exiting the WMP on 102, I passed through a short stretch of private land before reentering Kisatchie NF. Here I resumed birding, turning south down FS Rd 169, taking that to FS 128, east on 128 to where 169 turns south, then down 169 to 120. I took FS Rd 120 east to the junction with FS 103 at the edge of a block of private land. That's where I ended my birding effort for the day, but I passed through more of KNF Catahoula RD going SE along the rest of FS 120 on my way out to US-165.

   Below are some habitat shots before continuing...

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Bear Creek Rd. just inside WMP boundary south of Bear Creek (a major creek in these woods)

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Bear Creek Rd.

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habitat along Bear Creek Rd.

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ditto (a particularly birdy spot, including Red-cockaded Woodpeckers)

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ditto

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logging (thinning) operation going on near the 5-way intersection of Bear Creek Rd., Lincecum Village Rd., and FS Rds. 131 and 102. Noise from this could be heard for a long ways. For the first half-mile or so of 102 I didn't detect many birds or make many stops, until I got far enough along that the sound of the equipment wasn't much of an impediment. 

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FS Rd. 102

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ditto

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FS 102 at Indian Creek

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Indian Creek (one of the main creeks in these woods) - Low after weeks of drought conditions, but the recent rainfall event seems to have added a little much-needed water to what was remaining in this and other streams around here.

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Indian Creek

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FS Rd. 102 at swampy area/pond in creek bottoms west of Indian Creek - This area with the swampy pond, taken with the adjacent creek bottom woods in one direction and going up the hill to the WMP-private land boundary at the edge of the cutover in the other, was one of the birdy-est areas of the day. I walked approx. 0.3 miles along the road within the area described.

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ditto

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ditto

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looking back to creek bottoms from part-way up hill west of bottoms

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property boundary / cutover on private land bordering KNF - FS Rd. 120

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FS Rd 169 north of FS 128

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FS Rd 169 - Red-breasted Nuthatch spot, and an all-around birdy locale. This was one of the best spots of the day, and by happenstance I got 3 FOS species here: the Red-breasted Nuthatches, plus, as luck would have it, flyovers of a Northern Harrier and Snow Geese. Also notable, to me at least, is that I had individuals of all three of our nuthatch species at this spot: Red-breasted (2), and 1 each of Brown-headed and White-breasted. Neat.

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FS Rd 128 - The habitat along 128 is sandy, hilly open pine woods, with some tiny spring-water gullies that head-up near the road.

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FS Rd. 169 just south of 128

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FS Rd. 120 at south end of FS 169 - looking west to Sandy Branch bridge

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Sandy Branch (a tributary of Fish Creek) - For much of the year this is a clear, flowing spring-fed creek; the dry conditions during much of this Sept.-Oct. has taken its toll. The small spring seeps along 128 in above pics are heads of this creek.

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ditto - downstream side of bridge

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junction FS 169 and 120, looking east

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small spring gully (tributary of Sandy Branch) that 120 crosses

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small creek bottoms (Sandy Branch and tributary) along south side of 120 ~ south end of 169

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Fish Creek bottoms along FS 120

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Fish Creek (one of the main creeks in these woods) at FS Rd 120 - Even Fish Creek is very low and no longer flowing thanks to a largely dry Sept.-Oct.

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ditto

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Fish Creek bottoms - lots of fallen timber from Hurricane Laura in these creek bottom woods

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beaver pond at corner of FS Rds 120 and 103 - end of my birding route for the day

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   It's always a good day's birding when you get to watch a group of Red-cockaded Woodpeckers going about their business. There are numerous colonies of these endangered birds scattered throughout KNF in Grant Parish, so it can be easy to forget that they are scarce in unprotected areas outside of the NF and other public lands, and likely extirpated from some parishes within their traditional piney-woods native range. 

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 (video: Red-cockaded Woodpeckers - Bear Creek Rd., NCWMP)

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   This day was a great one for picking up first-of-season winter species. I ended up seeing or hearing my FOS Snow Goose, Northern Harrier, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Winter Wren, Hermit Thrush, Dark-eyed Junco, Savannah Sparrow, Song Sparrow, Swamp Sparrow, and Orange-crowned Warbler. 

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 (video: a Winter Wren - FS Rd. 102, NCWMP -- I 'pished' and squeaked a few times to get it to stay on its perch for video and pic, but didn't pester it longer than needed.)

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FOS Red-breasted Nuthatch - FS Rd 169 - same individual in both pics

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Red-breasted Nuthatch - FS Rd 169

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   Winter Wrens were relatively common (10 all day). I heard the first one of the day actually sing a few times. I also heard one of the Hermit Thrushes singing--a beautiful sound that you just don't hear enough here in their winter range. It only sang a few times, but what a nice surprise.

   Best birding was in NCWMP and at select spots along the route after leaving the WMP, especially on the part of FS 169 north of 128. The worst birding was FS Rd 128 and the part of 169 south of 128: very few birds were detected in those areas. FS Rd. 120 was so-so this time around (usually a pretty good area for birding, especially the creek bottom areas). This might be an artifact of the fact that I was there midday/early afternoon, and so the areas I birded in the morning when birds are more active are going to end up looking much better by comparison. 

Bird List...

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National Catahoula Wildlife Management Preserve

10/28/22

7:14am; 3 hrs, 17 mins; 3.2 miles

50s-60F.; mixed/variable sky; wind from calm to N ~5mph

portions of Bear Creek Rd. and FS Rd. 102

Kisatchie NF Catahoula Ranger District

10/28/22

10:36am - 2:19pm ; 1.8+0.8+2+1.5 = 6.1 miles

60s-70F; sky variable--mostly sunny to start with, becoming overcast before end; wind N and E ~3-10mph

FS Rd. 169, parts of FS Rds. 128 and 120

First number is for NCWMP, second is for the portions of KNF south of the WMP

"FOS" = personal first-of-season detection of that species

'x' = species detected but number of individuals not ascertained

Snow Goose - 0, x (FOS)

Mourning Dove - 1, 0

Great Blue Heron - 1, 0

Northern Harrier - 0, 1 (FOS)

Red-shouldered Hawk - 1, 0

Buteo sp. - 0, 1

Red-headed Woodpecker - 4, 0

Red-bellied Woodpecker - 11, 4

Downy Woodpecker - 3, 3

Red-cockaded Woodpecker - 4 (maybe 5), 0

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 (video: Red-cockaded Woodpeckers - Bear Creek Rd.)

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Pileated Woodpecker - 7, 3

Northern Flicker - 5, 2

American Kestrel - 1, 0

Eastern Phoebe - 7, 3

Blue Jay - 6, 2

American Crow - 6, 10

Carolina Chickadee - 11, 12

Tufted Titmouse - 8, 4

Ruby-crowned Kinglet - 8, 7

Golden-crowned Kinglet - 10, 10

Brown Creeper - 0, 1

Red-breasted Nuthatch - 0, 2 (FOS)

White-breasted Nuthatch - 3, 1

Brown-headed Nuthatch - 1, 2

House Wren - 3, 0

Winter Wren - 5 (FOS), 5

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Winter Wren - FS 102, NCWMP

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Carolina Wren - 17, 9

Gray Catbird - 1, 0

Brown Thrasher - 1, 0

Eastern Bluebird - 3, 0

Hermit Thrush - 4 (FOS), 2

American Robin - 1, 0

Chipping Sparrow - 0, 2

Dark-eyed Junco - 0, 2 (FOS)

White-throated Sparrow - 14, 4

Song Sparrow - 1 (FOS), 0

Swamp Sparrow - 5 (FOS), 2

Eastern Towhee - 3, 0

blackbird sp. - 1, 0

Orange-crowned Warbler - 1 (FOS), 0

Pine Warbler - 3, 0

Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) - 19, 4

Northern Cardinal - 8, 4

passerine sp. - 8, 5

*Savannah Sparrow - 2 (FOS), FS Rd 120 at gas facility short distance west of US-165 (2:40pm)

 

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Butterflies (all locations):

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Tropical Checkered-Skipper - 3

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Tropical Checkered-Skipper nectaring on Blue Mistflower - FS Rd 120

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Cloudless Sulphur - 1

Little Yellow - 24

Gulf Fritillary - 7

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Gulf Fritillary - FS Rd 128

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Gulf Fritillary - FS Rd 120 at Sandy Branch

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Gulf Fritillary - FS Rd 120 at Sandy Branch

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Variegated Fritillary - 2

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Variegated Fritillary - FS Rd 128

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Common Buckeye - 5

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Common Buckeye - FS Rd 128

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Carolina Satyr - 1

possible Monarch - 2 or 3 (flyovers/flyby)

butterfly sp. - 1 or 2 un-IDed, poorly seen from vehicle

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Other wildlife:

   I saw two White-tailed Deer, each crossing the road. Squirrels were cutting/dropping acorns or other mast in a few places. I don't think I recorded any reptiles or amphibians.

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tentative ID: Turbulent Phosphila Moth caterpillars - on the banks of Fish Creek at FS 120

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   Some wildflower pics...

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Downy Lobelia or similar sp. (Lobelia puberula or other L. sp.) - FS Rd 102 at Indian Creek, NCWMP

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tentative ID: Golden Aster or Narrowleaf Silkgrass (Pityopsis graminifolia) - FS Rd 128

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maybe Gaillardia aestivalis??? - FS Rd 128

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Yaupon (Ilex vomitoria) or similar sp. of holly (Ilex) - Bear Creek Rd.

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   As always , if you spot any incorrect IDs or have suggestions for those that I'm unsure about, feel free to comment and let me know.

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