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| male Chestnut-sided Warbler |
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Related Posts:
. Feb., 2023 (including CNWR):
. CNWR, spring migration 2022:
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During April, 2023 I made six visits to Catahoula National Wildlife Refuge's Headquarters Unit and one each to the Willow Lake and Bushley Bayou Units. Most trips to the refuge were solo birding ventures, where I birded by driving the roads and making many stops and taking some short walks, but on April 30 I accompanied some family members, some of whom were fishing, and on that visit I did a couple of bird lists from specific spots along Cowpen Bayou.
Some habitat shorts before continuing...
Headquarters Unit...
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| park-like area around HQ buildings just inside refuge entrance gate |
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| heading down east leg of refuge loop - This stretch of the road is one of my spring migrant honey holes. |
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| east leg of refuge loop |
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| woods along refuge loop |
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| refuge loop heading toward north end of Duck Lake - Checkered White butterfly spot |
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| north end of Duck Lake |
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| north end of Duck Lake - windy spell during 4/21/23 visit |
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| west leg of refuge loop along Cowpen Bayou - 4/30/23 |
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| 4/30/23 - Cowpen Bayou |
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| Cowpen Bayou - 4/30/23 |
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Bushley Bayou Unit...
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| Minnow Ponds Rd. at new access road to impoundments levee |
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| shallow-water impoundments/levee near Minnow Ponds Rd. |
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| ditto |
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| Minnow Ponds Road |
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| Green's Creek at Dry Bayou Road |
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| Green's Creek (muddy from recent rains) |
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Willow Lake Unit...
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| Willow Lake Road |
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| ... |
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| ... |
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| ... |
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| ... |
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This year, spring migration started off quite slow. But, things really picked up in the second half of April, and I had some very good birding visits to Catahoula NWR during that time, specifically April 21, 24, and 26. There were a good assortment of transient warblers, including *Worm-eating, Blue-winged, *Black-and-white, Tennessee, Cerulean, Blackburnian, Bay-breasted, Chestnut-sided, Yellow, and Black-throated Green Warblers, and Northern Waterthrush and *American Redstart.
*Breeds in the area, but in my experience not on the refuge (habitat not right).
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(video: male Yellow Warbler foraging, singing - 4/24/23)
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(video: male Chestnut-sided Warbler foraging, singing - 4/26/23)
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Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Scarlet Tanager, Swainson's Thrush, and Baltimore Orioles put in an appearance (in my experience, it's been a good spring in this region of the state for Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Scarlet Tanager, and to an extent, Swainson's Thrush).
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| male Rose-breasted Grosbeak - Willow Lake Unit, 4/21 |
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Besides spring migrants, there were other notable bird observations. I'd only seen Inca Dove on Catahoula NWR twice before--once on HQ Unit, once on Bushley Bayou Unit. On April 24 of this year I saw an Inca Dove on the HQ Unit, in the road about a half mile SW of the HQ buildings area., making it my third time to see this species on the NWR. Inca Doves are not uncommon in agricultural and residential areas bordering the refuge, so it's not surprising that they show up on the refuge from time to time (actually, it seems to me that they should be encountered on the NWR more frequently than they have been in my experience).
(video: Inca Dove - 4/24)
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| Inca Dove and female Brown-headed Cowbird |
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On April 26 I watched a Great Blue Heron who had caught a lamprey sling the noodle-y fish around, presumably trying to kill it before consuming it. This was at the inflow/outflow structure at the north end of Duck Lake. This was the first time I'd seen a heron with a lamprey.
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| Great Blue Heron with lamprey |
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| ditto |
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Generally speaking, butterfly activity was modest on the refuge during my visits. There was a notable observation, however. I'd never seen Checkered Whites on Catahoula NWR, or anywhere in La Salle Parish, until seeing three on the CNWR HQ Unit on April 26. They were in the road where it 'T's behind the refuge buildings on the road to the north end of Duck Lake.
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| Checkered White |
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| Checkered White |
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I noticed a flowering plant that I'd never noticed on the refuge before...
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| tentative ID: Heart-leaved Skullcap (Scutellaria ovata) - 4/26, HQ Unit |
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| ditto |
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Below are the bird lists and lists for other groups of wildlife, broken down by location (Unit of the NWR).
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Catahoula NWR Headquarters Unit
April 2, 2023
8:05 am; 1 hr, 29 mins; 2.4 miles
60F; cloudy; east wind ~5mph; water level marker: 39.4'
33 bird species
April 10, 2023
10:22 am; 1hr, 52 mins; 2.8 miles
64-69F.; generally sunny/mixed sky; east wind 10-15mph; water level marker: 39.5'
36 bird species
April 21, 2023
8:11 am; 2 hr, 17 min; 2.5 miles
66F.; overcast; drizzle of rain part of the time; wind calm, then rather windy, then less windy, water level: almost to top of marker, illegible
56 bird species
April 24, 2023
6:37 am; 4 hr, 20 min; 2.8 miles
48-59F.; cloudy, some sun before end; calm at first, then wind picking up to about 10-15mph; water level: 41.1'.
67 bird species
April 26, 2023
8:48 am; 3 hr, 30 min; 2.8 miles
63-73F.; variable sky; NE wind 5-10mph; water level: 40.2'
60 bird species
(April 30th stationary counts have their own separate list following this one)
Birds:
Wood Duck - 2, 0, 0, 0, 2
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| Wood Ducks - Cowpen Bayou, 4/26 |
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Blue-winged Teal - 5, 0, 0, 2, 1
Pied-billed Grebe - 0, 1, 0, 0, 0
Inca Dove - 0, 0, 0, 1, 0
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| Inca Dove |
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Mourning Dove - 4, 0, 4, 3, 1
Yellow-billed Cuckoo - 0, 0, 0, 2, 0
Chimney Swift - 3, 0, 4, 1, 1
Ruby-throated Hummingbird - 0, 0, 0, 3, 4
Spotted Sandpiper - 0, 0, 1 (FOS), 1, 1
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| Spotted Sandpiper - 4/26/23 |
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Double-crested Cormorant - 0, 1, 0, 0, 0
cormorant sp. - 2, 0, 0, 0, 0
Anhinga - 0, 0, 1, 2, 1
Great Blue Heron - 3, 2, 4, 5, 4
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| Great Blue Heron - 4/26/23 |
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Great Egret - 5, 2, 5, 4, 4
Snowy Egret - 1, 1, 0, 5, 1
Little Blue Heron - 0, 0, 3, 4, 0
Tricolored Heron - 0, 0, 0, 1 (FOS), 0
Cattle Egret - 0, 0, 0, 2, 0
Green Heron - 0, 0, 1, 0, 0
White Ibis - 0, 0, 14, 85, 0
Black Vulture - 0, 0, 0, 2, 2
Turkey Vulture - 0, 2, 5, 2, 2
Red-shouldered Hawk - 0, 0, 1, 1, 1
Red-bellied Woodpecker - 4, 4, 1, 4, 5
Downy Woodpecker - 1, 0, 4, 4, 4
Pileated Woodpecker - 3, 2, 2, 2, 2
Northern Flicker - 1, 0, 0, 0, 0
Eastern Wood-Pewee - 0, 0, 0, 0, 1
Acadian Flycatcher - 0, 0, 2, 6, 4
Great Crested Flycatcher - 0, 1, 1, 3, 2
Eastern Kingbird - 0, 0, 3, 5, 2
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| Eastern Kingbirds - there were 4 on the fence - April 24 |
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White-eyed Vireo - 6, 8, 6, 9, 8
Yellow-throated Vireo - 1, 1, 2, 0, 1
Warbling Vireo - 0, 0, 1 (FOS), 0, 0
Red-eyed Vireo - 3, 13, 9, 13, 9
Blue Jay - 3, 1, 4, 3, 4
American Crow - 5, 3, 6, 8, 5
Carolina Chickadee - 7, 10, 4, 9, 10
Tufted Titmouse - 13, 13, 9, 16, 13
Northern Rough-winged Swallow - 0, 1, 0, 0, 0
Tree Swallow - 0, 0, 30, 50, 2
Barn Swallow - 0, 0, 5, 4, 0
Cliff Swallow - 0, 0, 0, 2, 0
swallow sp. - 0, 0, 20, 100, 15
Ruby-crowned Kinglet - 4, 1, 0, 2, 0
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher - 6, 10, 4, 4, 6
House Wren - 0, 1, 0, 0, 0
Carolina Wren - 8, 9, 7, 17, 10
Gray Catbird - 0, 0, 0, 7, 6
Northern Mockingbird - 0, 0, 0, 1, 0
Eastern Bluebird - 0, 0, 1, 1, 1
Swainson's Thrush - 0, 0, 0, 1, 0
Catharus sp. - 0, 0, 0, 2, 0
Wood Thrush - 0, 0, 1, 3, 3
Cedar Waxwing - 5, 2, 6, 7, 18
American Goldfinch - 0, 1, 0, 0, 1
Chipping Sparrow - 0, 0, 0, 0, 1
White-throated Sparrow - 8, 2, 1, 2, 0
Savannah Sparrow - 0, 1, 2, 0, 0
Song Sparrow - 1, 0, 0, 0, 0
Swamp Sparrow - 2, 0, 0, 0, 0
Yellow-breasted Chat - 0, 0, 1, 1, 3
Orchard Oriole - 0, 1, 6, 5, 8
Red-winged Blackbird - 9, 0, 6, 4, 3
Brown-headed Cowbird - 10, 5, 13, 16, 20
Common Grackle - 13, 1, 20, 41, 15
Worm-eating Warbler - 0, 0, 1, 0, 1
Northern Waterthrush - 0, 0, 1 (FOS), 1, 1
Blue-winged Warbler - 0, 0, 0, 4, 0
Black-and-white Warbler - 0, 0, 0, 3, 2
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(video: male Black-and-white Warbler foraging, singing - 4/24/23)
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Prothonotary Warbler - 6 (FOS), 12, 8, 10, 10
Tennessee Warbler - 0, 0, 20 (FOS), 13, 13
Kentucky Warbler - 0, 2, 1, 1, 1
Common Yellowthroat - 0, 0, 1, 0, 2
Hooded Warbler - 1, 4, 1, 4, 6
American Redstart - 0, 0, 0, 1 (FOS), 0
Cerulean Warbler - 0, 0, 0, 3, 1
Northern Parula - 4, 8, 1, 3, 5
Blackburnian Warbler - 0, 0, 1 (FOS), 0, 0
Bay-breasted Warbler - 0, 0, 0, 1 (FOS), 0
Yellow Warbler - 0, 0, 0, 4 (FOS), 2
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(video: Yellow Warbler song - north end of Duck Lake, 4/24/23)
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Chestnut-sided Warbler - 0, 0, 1 (FOS), 2, 1
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| male Chestnut-sided Warbler - 4/26/23 |
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Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) - 0, 1, 1, 0, 0
Black-throated Green Warbler - 0, 0, 2, 0, 1
warbler sp. - 0, 0, 10, 9, 6
Summer Tanager - 1, 4, 5, 6, 6
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| female Summer Tanager - 4/26/23 |
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Scarlet Tanager - 0, 0, 0, 1, 0
Northern Cardinal - 29, 16, 8, 15, 13
Rose-breasted Grosbeak - 0, 0, 2 (FOS), 1, 2
Blue Grosbeak - 0, 0, 0, 0, 1
Indigo Bunting - 0, 5, 15, 3, 14
Painted Bunting - 0, 0, 6 (FOS), 8, 10
passerine sp. - 6, 1, 7, 5, 7
Stationary Counts along Cowpen Bayou on April 30
stop 1 - 3:02pm; 20 min; 4 observers
stop 2 - 3:33pm; 1 hr, 51 min; 4 observers
Mourning Dove - 0, 1
Yellow-billed Cuckoo - 0, 1
Ruby-throated Hummingbird - 1, 1
American White Pelican - 13, 0
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| American White Pelicans |
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Anhinga - 0, 1
Black Vulture - 0, 1
Turkey Vulture - 0, 1
Red-bellied Woodpecker - 1, 2
Downy Woodpecker - 2, 0
Pileated Woodpecker - 1, 0
Eastern Wood-Pewee - 1, 0
Acadian Flycatcher - 2, 2
Eastern Kingbird - 0, 1
White-eyed Vireo - 1, 1
Yellow-throated Vireo - 1, 1
Red-eyed Vireo - 1, 0
Blue Jay - 0, 2
American Crow - 0, 1
Carolina Chickadee - 2, 4
Tufted Titmouse - 2, 1
Barn Swallow - 0, 1
Carolina Wren - 1, 2
Gray Catbird - 0, 2
Orchard Oriole - 1, 1
Baltimore Oriole - 0, 1
Red-winged Blackbird - 0, 1
Common Grackle - 0, 1
Prothonotary Warbler - 1, 1
Tennessee Warbler - 2, 1
Northern Parula - 0, 1
Chestnut-sided Warbler - 0, 1
Summer Tanager - 0, 1
Northern Cardinal - 1, 2
Indigo Bunting - 0, 1
Painted Bunting - 1, 2
passerine sp. - 0, 2
Additional species, seen or heard along refuge loop on 4/30/23 visit: Wood Duck, Mourning Dove, Great Blue Heron, Great Egret, Snowy Egret, Little Blue Heron, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Eastern Bluebird
Other Wildlife (HQ Unit, all dates)
Mammals:
Swamp Rabbit, Fox Squirrel, feral hogs
Herps:
Green Treefrog, Squirrel Treefrog, Cope's Gray Treefrog, Blanchard's Cricket Frog, American Bullfrog, Green (Bronze) Frog, Southern Leopard Frog; American Alligator, Diamond-backed Watersnake, Pond Slider, softshell turtle sp. (Rough Softshell?)
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| Diamond-backed Watersnake (fresh roadkill) - near N end of Duck Lake, 4/10/23 |
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| shoftshell turtles - Duck Lake, 4/21/23 |
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Fishes:
brook lamprey sp., Western Mosquitofish, Blackspotted and/or Blackstripe Topminnow, Longear Sunfish, Redear Sunfish, Bluegill
Butterflies:
Horace's Duskywing -
Pipevine Swallowtail -
Black Swallowtail -
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| Black Swallowtail - 4/10/23 |
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dark swallowtail sp. -
Checkered White - 3 on April 26th (my first for CNWR and La Salle Parish)
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| Checkered White - 4/26/23 |
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Cloudless Sulphur -
Orange Sulphur -
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| Orange Sulphur - 4/26/23 |
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American Snout -
'Astyanax' Red-spotted Purple -
Hackberry Emperor -
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| Hackberry Emperor - 4/10/23 |
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Pearl Crescent -
Phaon Crescent -
American Lady -
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| American Lady - 4/10/23 |
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Question Mark -
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| Question Mark - 4/10/23 |
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Monarch -
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Bushley Bayou Unit
April 8, 2023
10:47 am; 2 hr, 25 min; 1.8 miles
unseasonably chilly (upper 50s-low 60s F.); overcast most of time, becoming mixed, mostly sunny before end; north wind 5-10mph.
46 bird species
Birds:
Pied-billed Grebe - 2
Chimney Swift - 3
Great Blue Heron - 1
Great Egret - 4
Little Blue Heron - 1
Black Vulture - 8
Turkey Vulture - 9
Bald Eagle - 1
Red-shouldered Hawk - 3
Belted Kingfisher - 1
Red-bellied Woodpecker - 2
Downy Woodpecker - 1
Pileated Woodpecker - 2
Northern Flicker - 1
Great Crested Flycatcher - 2
Eastern Kingbird - 1 (FOS)
White-eyed Vireo - 6
Yellow-throated Vireo - 2
Red-eyed Vireo - 5
Blue Jay - 3
American Crow - 4
Carolina Chickadee - 3
Tufted Titmouse - 8
Northern Rough-winged Swallow - 1
Purple Martin - 1
Tree Swallow - 5
Barn Swallow - 2
Cliff Swallow - 30
swallow sp. - 10
Ruby-crowned Kinglet - 1
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher - 6
Carolina Wren - 4
Eastern Bluebird - 1
White-throated Sparrow - 6
Swamp Sparrow - 3
Eastern Towhee - 1
Orchard Oriole - 1
Red-winged Blackbird - 8
Brown-headed Cowbird - 2
Common Grackle - 3
Prothonotary Warbler - 2
Kentucky Warbler - 1
Common Yellowthroat - 2
Hooded Warbler - 2
Northern Parula - 1
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) - 2
Northern Cardinal - 7
passerine sp. - 1
Other Wildlife (Bushley Bayou Unit):
Mammals: Eastern Gray Squirrel *Despite decades of visiting Catahoula NWR, this was the first time I've seen a Gray Squirrel on the refuge! Fox Squirrels are, of course, common there, but the lack of Eastern Grays was a curiosity. This individual, a young squirrel, was in the area by the Minnow Ponds Rd. entrance area by the hunter check-in kiosk, just a couple of hundred feet from the NWR boundary. The habitat just beyond LA-8 at the entrance suddenly transitions to hilly uplands (edge of the Kisatchie Wold), so this is near a different habitat to what's on the NWR. Point is, this squirrel was just barely in the NWR, but hey, that counts I guess).*
Herps: Cajun Chorus Frog, Green Treefrog, Blanchard's Cricket Frog, American Bullfrog, Green Frog
(video: song of Cajun Chorus Frogs)
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Willow Lake Unit
April 21, 2023
10:32 am; 48 mins; 0.9 miles
upper 60s F.; cloudy; wind S 10mph; wet from morning's rain; high water: water threatening to go over road in some low places
31 bird species
Birds:
Wood Duck - 1
Mourning Dove - 2
Great Blue Heron - 1
Turkey Vulture - 1
Northern Harrier - 1
Downy Woodpecker - 1
Pileated Woodpecker - 1
Great Crested Flycatcher - 1
White-eyed Vireo - 6
Red-eyed Vireo - 2
Blue Jay - 2
American Crow - 4
Carolina Chickadee - 1
Tufted Titmouse - 3
Sedge Wren - 2
Carolina Wren - 2
Eastern Towhee - 4
Yellow-breasted Chat - 6
Orchard Oriole - 4
Red-winged Blackbird - 1
Brown-headed Cowbird - 2
Common Grackle - 1
Prothonotary Warbler - 2
Common Yellowthroat - 4
Hooded Warbler - 1
Prairie Warbler - 1
Summer Tanager - 3
Northern Cardinal - 8
Rose-breasted Grosbeak - 1
Indigo Bunting - 6
Painted Bunting - 3
passerine sp. - 2
Other Wildlife (Willow Lake Unit):
Herps: Green Treefrog, Blanchard's Cricket Frog, Green Frog
As always, if you spot an incorrect ID or have suggestions for those that I'm unsure about, feel free to comment and let me know.
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