Trout Creek area, La Salle Parish, May 20 and 21 -- warblers, wildflowers, etc.

   On 5/20 I birded three routes in central/west-central La Salle Parish, all of them including the common thread of crossing Trout Creek. I would return to some of the same areas and adjacent areas the following day. These are some of my favorite areas for springtime birding, and as always there's other wildlife and interesting plantlife to come across while you're out there. The wood warblers are particularly interesting to me, and I'll place emphasis on them in this post. A complete bird list for each of the two days, with numbers for all the species, will follow that day's account.

Sparrow Street habitat shot

   The weather on the morning of 5/20 was cloudy and foggy, starting temperature was about 63 degrees f., little or no wind at beginning, and things were wet from the previous day's rain. The first location I birded was Sparrow Street (around 2 miles, by vehicle), between Goodpine and highway 8. This road crosses an upper branch of Trout Creek which bears a sign designating Trout Creek one the Louisiana Scenic River Systems. There was a decent variety of warblers on this first route: Black-and-white Warbler - 3, Swainson's Warbler - 2, Kentucky Warbler - 1, Common Yellowthroat - 1, Hooded Warbler - 4, Pine Warbler - 6, Yellow-breasted Chat - 5.
   Wildflowers in bloom included, but weren't limited to, Coreopsis, Lobelia, fleabane/daisy species, Rudbeckia, Helenium (H. brevifolium?? or H. flexuosum??), Ruellia, Prunella, Clintonia, Venus's Looking-glass (Triodanis), and Southern Arrow-wood Viburnum (Viburnum dentatum).

habitat shot: southern part of Snyder Rd

   Next, I headed downstream and birded the southern section of Snyder Road and a side road, Choctaw Cemetery Road. These rich, diverse woods make this part of Snyder one of my favorite birding spots. I birded here from 7:14 am to 8:14 am; conditions were 64 to 66 degrees f., overcast with some fog, near calm; and distance was about 1.1 mile. Warblers at this location that morning were Worm-eating Warbler - 1, Black-and-white Warbler - 1, Swainson's Warbler - 1, Hooded Warbler - 6, Northern Parula - 1. The list is shorter than I'd expected for this location, though likely there were two or three more species around that I'd have heard if I'd hung around longer. Swainson's Warbler can be heard once in the video.

   Green (Bronze) Frog and Cope's Gray Treefrog were heard along Snyder Road that morning.


Little Wood-Satyr (Megisto cymela)

   The butterfly highlight of the day for me was the Little Wood-Satyr (Megisto cymela) that I spotted just south of the junction w/ Choctaw Cem. Rd. This was my first Little Wood-Satyr of the year.

Coreopsis sp.

   Coreopsis, Lobelia, and sensitive briar (Mimosa) were common wildflowers here, as well, and I also found some Orange Milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa) and Winecup or Poppy-Mallow (Callirhoe species, maybe C. digitata?). There were also Carolina Nightshade (Solanum carolinense) blooming. Flowering shrubs and trees included the Viburnum, as well as huckleberry, and Mimosa tree (Albizia julibrissin). Blackberry/dewberry ranged from still in bloom to having some near-ripe fruit. Yucca of some species was also seen with blooms. These are just of few of the diverse flowering plants growing in this location.

Lobelia species found along Snyder Road 



Searcy-Eden Rd beside Trout Creek

   The final route of the day's Trout Creek area trilogy was Searcy-Eden Road and Mt Sinai Road, which I drove from south to north, taking the Mt Sinai Rd shortcut. This route is about 5.2 miles; conditions were: temperatures in the upper 60's f., overcast, some light breeze. I birded it from 8:15 am to 9:38 am.
   At Trout Creek I heard a Louisiana Waterthrush. I was beginning to worry I'd not have Swainson's Warbler along this route, but finally heard one from Searcy-Eden Road someplace north of Mt Sinai Road. The warbler list for this route is as follows: Worm-eating Warbler - 1, Louisiana Waterthrush - 1, Black-and-white Warbler - 1, Swainson's Warbler - 1, Kentucky Warbler - 2, Hooded Warbler - 12, Pine Warbler - 14, Prairie Warbler - 1, Yellow-breasted Chat - 8.
   Kentucky Warbler and Black-and-white Warbler can be heard singing in this video, as well as an Eastern Towhee's "drink-Teeeaa!" song and a constantly calling Northern Cardinal.


 

Pine Warbler, Mt Sinai Road, La Salle Parish

   At some point along the road one crosses from the Trout Creek watershed to that of Bayou Funny Louis. The road crosses several small tributaries of BFL before reaching its northern terminus at hwy 500. At one of these creek crossings I spotted what I think is an Ebony Jewelwing (Calopteryx maculata). I have no experience identifying damselflies, but I am considering starting to learn, and the insect (seen in video, the only photo I got was of even poorer quality) seemed pretty distinctive. Obviously, my i.d. might be incorrect, but hey it's my first attempt at damselfly i.d.! lol. There will be much to learn, that is for sure.

wildflowers along Searcy-Eden Rd, La Salle Parish

Orange Milkweed or Butterfly Milkweed
 (Asclepias tuberosa)

   There was a lot of wildflower diversity to take in. In addition to the ubiquitous Coreopsis, Lobelia, sensitive briar, Rudbeckia, etc., I spotted a few new species for the season including a species of Beebalm (Eastern Beebalm - Monarda bradburiana is my tentative i.d.), Bitterweed (Helenium; H. amarum?), and coneflower species (Echinacea). Orange Milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa) and Poppy-Mallow (Callirhoe) were here as well. Along one stretch in the northern part of the route, there was a lot of Clintonia. Enough that I found it noteworthy.

 beebalm species (possibly Monarda bradburiana -- Eastern Beebalm?)

Clintonia, Searcy-Eden Rd, La Salle Parish

   Combined bird list from that morning is below, followed by an account of birding the Trout Creek area on 5/21.

"TG" = Trout-Goodpine (Sparrow St), "SnRd" = Snyder Road (and Choctaw), "SE" = Searcy-Eden Rd (and Mt Sinai), followed by number of individuals of that species from that location

Red-shouldered Hawk, Searcy-Eden Road

Red-shouldered Hawk - SE 1

Mourning Dove - TG 1,  SE 3,

Yellow-billed Cuckoo - SnRd 2

Ruby-throated Hummingbird - SE 1

Red-bellied Woodpecker - SE 5
Pileated Woodpecker - SE 3

Eastern Wood-Pewee - SnRd 1
Acadian Flycatcher - TG 1,  SnRd 2,  SE 3
Great Crested Flycatcher - TG 2,  SnRd 2,  SE 1
Eastern Kingbird - TG 2,  SE 1,

White-eyed Vireo - TG 10,  SnRd 4,  SE 12
Red-eyed Vireo - TG 5,  SnRd 4,  SE 6

Blue Jay - TG 3,  SnRd 3,  SE 2
American Crow - TG 3,  SnRd 3,  SE 8

Purple Martin - SE 3
Barn Swallow - SnRd 1

Carolina Chickadee - TG 3,  SnRd 3,  SE 9
Tufted Titmouse - TG 2,  SnRd 6,  SE 13

Carolina Wren - TG 7,  SnRd 3,  SE 13

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher - TG 5,  SnRd 3,  SE 8

Eastern Bluebird - TG 3,  SE 2
Wood Thrush - SnRd 2,  SE 1

Brown Thrasher - TG 1
Northern Mockingbird - TG 1,  SE 3

Cedar Waxwing - TG 6,  SE ? (calls of one or more heard, but bird/flock not seen)

Worm-eating Warbler - SnRd 1,  SE 1
Louisiana Waterthrush - SE 1
Black-and-white Warbler - TG 3,  SnRd 1,  SE 1
Swainson's Warbler - TG 2,  SnRd 1,  SE 1
Kentucky Warbler - TG 1,  SE 2
Common Yellowthroat - TG 1
Hooded Warbler - TG 4,  SnRd 6,  SE 12
Northern Parula - SnRd 1
Pine Warbler - TG 6,  SE 14
Prairie Warbler - SE 1
Yellow-breasted Chat - TG 5,  SE 8

Chipping Sparrow - SnRd 1,  SE 1
Eastern Towhee - TG 2,  SnRd 1,  SE 3

Summer Tanager - TG 3,  SnRd 1,  SE 2
Northern Cardinal - TG 13,  SnRd 4,  SE 27
Blue Grosbeak - TG 2,  SE 3
Indigo Bunting - TG 4,  SE 10
Painted Bunting - SE 1

Brown-headed Cowbird - SnRd 1,  SE 3
Orchard Oriole - TG 2,  SnRd 1,  SE 1

morning, north section of Snyder Rd

   I returned to Snyder Road the next morning, 5/21, but this time started in the north and drove the entire length of the road. The weather was clear, sunny, drier than the day before. Birds were very active, especially early on. While on the northern section of the road, I spotted several flyover herons including 5 Cattle Egrets, a Green Heron, and 2 Yellow-crowned Night-Herons.

habitat shot: cutover section of north part of Snyder Rd

 

   There were Brown-headed Nuthatches in the pines along this north part of the route in the vicinity of Placid Oil, where I also heard Chipping Sparrow calling. A Loggerhead Shrike and a Northern Flicker were nice finds in the cutover section of the northern part of the route. A Northern Mockingbird harassing a Red-shouldered Hawk was an interesting bit of behavior to watch.

   The habitat gets progressively more wooded and richer as you head south from there, passing from cutovers and younger pines, to middle-aged pine woods, to dense mixed thickets/woods, to the mature woods, especially the hardwood creek bottoms, around Trout Creek.
   The warbler list for Snyder Road this morning is as follows: Worm-eating Warbler - 3, Black-and-white Warbler - 3, Swainson's Warbler - 1, Kentucky Warbler - 2, Common Yellowthroat - 2, Hooded Warbler - 12, Northern Parula - 1, Pine Warbler - 8, Prairie Warbler - 8, Yellow-breasted Chat - 10.

Little Wood-Satyr

   Funny enough, a Little Wood-Satyr was at the same spot I had seen one the previous day. I assume it's probably the same individual.
   Among the flowers seen, (which were mostly the same species seen on the previous day's lists) were a lot more Callirhoe and Echinacea, and a small patch of what I think is Hoary Skullcap (Scutellaria incana), which would be a new one for me, if that is the correct i.d. (I still consider myself a novice at flower identification! Could be incorrect, but at least should be correct on genus.)

Callirhoe species (Winecup, Poppy-Mallow), Snyder Rd, La Salle Parish, Louisiana

coneflower species (Echinacea)

Scutellaria species: my best guess at this point is maybe Scutellaria incana -- Hoary Skullcap?

   After this, I made a pass along Sparrow Street, going from south to north this time, and continued birding into parts of Goodpine and Trout. There was a Louisiana Waterthrush where Sparrow Street crosses Trout Creek. The bird wasn't singing, but called a few times. I saw it twice, each time when it landed down in the creek near the bridge. Warbler list for this 'Goodpine' area visit follows: Worm-eating Warbler - 2, Louisiana Waterthrush - 1, Black-and-white Warbler - 1, Swainson's Warbler - 1, Kentucky Warbler - 1, Common Yellowthroat - 2, Hooded Warbler - 5, Pine Warbler - 2, Prairie Warbler - 1, Yellow-breasted Chat - 5.

habitat shot: Louisiana Waterthrush location

   In the inhabited parts of Trout-Goodpine, I found a few species that you don't find out in the wilder places, including European Starling, House Sparrow, and Eurasian Collared-Dove. Eastern Meadowlarks were singing in a couple of places -- around a cow pasture and a hay field.

   Combined bird list for 5/21 morning is below, w/ some photos and vids:

female Ruby-throated Hummingbird, and flowering Mimosa tree (Albizia julibrissin), Snyder Road

"SnRd" = Snyder Road, "TG" = Trout-Goodpine, followed by number of individuals of that species from that location

Cattle Egret - SnRd 5
Green Heron - SnRd 1
Yellow-Crowned Night-Heron - SnRd 2

Turkey Vulture - TG 1
Red-shouldered Hawk - SnRd 1,  TG 2

Eurasian Collared-Dove
 Goodpine, La Salle Parish, Louisiana

Red-tailed Hawk - SnRd 1

Eurasian Collared-Dove - TG 2
Mourning Dove - SnRd 4,  TG 2

Yellow-billed Cuckoo - SnRd 2,  TG 1

Ruby-throated Hummingbird - SnRd 1

Red-bellied Woodpecker - SnRd 3
Downy Woodpecker - SnRd 1,  TG 2
Northern Flicker - SnRd 1
Pileated Woodpecker - SnRd 1

Eastern Wood-Pewee - SnRd 2
Acadian Flycatcher - SnRd 1,  TG 2
Great Crested Flycatcher - TG 2
Eastern Kingbird - SnRd 1,  TG 2

Loggerhead Shrike - SnRd 1

White-eyed Vireo - SnRd 18,  TG 8
Red-eyed Vireo - SnRd 8,  TG 3

Blue Jay - SnRd 8,  TG 3
American Crow - SnRd 5, TG 4

Carolina Chickadee - SnRd 8,  TG 7
Tufted Titmouse - SnRd 10,  TG 7

Brown-headed Nuthatch - SnRd 2

Carolina Wren - SnRd 6,  TG 4

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher - SnRd 7,  TG 4

Eastern Bluebird - SnRd 2,  TG 1
Wood Thrush - SnRd 2

Brown Thrasher - SnRd 1,  TG 1
Northern Mockingbird - SnRd 3,  TG 3

European Starling - TG 4

Worm-eating Warbler - SnRd 3,  TG 2
Louisiana Waterthrush - TG 1
Black-and-white Warbler - SnRd 3,  TG 1
Swainson's Warbler - SnRd 1,  TG 1
Kentucky Warbler - SnRd 2,  TG 1
Common Yellowthroat -  SnRd 2,  TG 2
Hooded Warbler - SnRd 12,  TG 5 (a pair of Hooded Warblers from SnRd are in the two brief vids - female in the first, male in the second)
Northern Parula - SnRd 1
Pine Warbler - SnRd 8,  TG 2
Prairie Warbler - SnRd 8,  TG 1
Yellow-breasted Chat - SnRd 10,  TG 5

Eastern Towhee - SnRd 6,  TG 6

Summer Tanager - SnRd 1,  TG 1
Northern Cardinal - SnRd 18,  TG 15
Blue Grosbeak - SnRd 1,  TG 1
Indigo Bunting - SnRd 3,  TG 4

Eastern Meadowlark - TG 2
Brown-headed Cowbird - SnRd 3,  TG 2
Orchard Oriole - SnRd 6,  TG 2

House Sparrow - TG 3

female Ruby-throated Hummingbird, and flowering Mimosa tree (Albizia julibrissin), Snyder Road

Sicily Island Hills, Catahoula Parish, Louisiana (5/7/2016)

   I made an afternoon trip to Sicily Island Hills WMA on Saturday afternoon. I didn't have time to explore too far on foot, but its always nice to get out there and enjoy the interesting, unique forest. (WMA regulations can be found here: LDWF S. I. Hills aka Sonny Gilbert WMA, and remember that to use a WMA you must posses a Wild Louisiana Stamp or a Louisiana hunting or fishing license and check in and check out at the self-clearing station.)

Rock Falls trailhead

   The geography and geology of Sicily Island Hills itself is pretty fascinating. "The Island" is a roughly circular area of upland that rises from the floodplain on the east side of the Ouachita River, NE of Harrisonburg. Essentially, its the far eastern tip of the Kisatchie Wold that long ago got cut off from the rest of the hill country by erosion and the shifting river channels. (Further info can be found here: SCS Soil Survey of Catahoula Parish). I entered on the road that comes from the south, which rises steeply into the hills. Forest type is upland hardwoods and mixed pine-hardwoods, generally.

looking across Rock Creek at the falls

 

    The star attraction in this part of the hills is Rock Falls (at 17 feet, its probably the tallest waterfall in Louisiana). The falls is accessible from a trail that makes the steep, twisting descent from the ridge-top road to follow Rock Creek upstream a short distance to the falls. There's a small foot bridge over the little springwater stream, just upstream of the falls, and the trail continues on through the impressive woods, crossing small branches of the creek and offering excellent viewing opportunities for those interested in native forest plants and a variety of wildlife.

Rock Falls

Rock Falls

   Common woodwarblers found here during the spring and summer include Hooded Warbler, Black-and-white Warbler, Worm-eating Warbler, and Northern Parula; all of which were around during this trip. Pine Warblers are common and present year-round. Though I haven't encountered Louisiana Waterthrush on my limited visits here, the habitat in some parts seems perfect for them and I don't doubt that they can be found there.
   Wood Thrush, Summer Tanager, Acadian and Great Crested Flycatchers, Red-eyed and White-eyed Vireos, and Yellow-billed Cuckoos are among the other common neotropical species that make these woods their home for the breeding season.
   Ruby-throated Hummingbirds were found around the Red Buckeye, which are common and in bloom this time of year.

Red Buckeye, Sicily Island Hills, Catahoula Parish, Louisiana

part of a patch of Indian Pink growing along the road south of the Rock Falls trailhead

Indian Pink

   There were a few wildflower species in bloom other than the iconic Red Buckeye (Aesculus pavia). The highlight for me, personally, were the two significant patches of Indian Pink or Woodland Pinkroot (Spigelia marilandica). This is not a flower I've encountered since I began seriously attempting to identify and record wildflowers last spring. As you can see in the pictures below, the flowers are trumpet-shaped and red with split, five-lobed bells that curl back and expose the yellow underside.

close-up of Indian Pink (Spigelia marilandica), Sicily Island Hills, Catahoula Parish, Louisiana

The plants were low-growing (a foot or so tall) and were found in the narrow road margin in the edge of the trees.

Indian Pink (Spigelia marilandica), Sicily Island Hills, Catahoula Parish, Louisiana

   Other wildflowers in bloom that day included Coralbean (Erythrina herbacea), Verbena (V. halei or V. officinalis?), Lobelia sp., Viburnum sp., Ruellia sp., Black-eyed Susan sp., Fleabane sp., Buttercup (Ranunculus sp.), Phlox sp., Buttonweed (Diodia virginiana). Again - still learning my wildflowers, so the identifications should be treated as those of an enthusiastic amateur! : )  (http://southeasternflora.com/)

   With any luck, I'll make a longer trip to SI Hills later this spring or summer. There's a lot to see out there. I've never visited the trails north of Big Creek, and I'm thinking that would be a fine all-day trip!

first step of Rock Falls

................................................................................................................................
  

Kisatchie National Forest / Catahoula Hummingbird and Butterfly Garden, Grant Parish, 4/22/2016

Eastern Bluebird, Catahoula Hummingbird and Butterfly Garden, Grant Parish, Louisiana

   One of the most enjoyable things about getting out in nature is sharing the experience with someone. This time I was joined by my very dear long-time friend Keisha Johnson. This was her first time birding, but being the intelligent and inquisitive person she is, she'd been curious about it for some time.


Baltimore Oriole, Catahoula Hummingbird and
Butterfly Garden, Grant Parish

   Before visiting the Catahoula Hummingbird and Butterfly Garden and Work Center Road area of Kisatchie National Forest, in the Catahoula Ranger District in Grant Parish, we made a quick visit to Sparrow Street near Jena in La Salle Parish. The Swainson's Warbler observed there by myself and Tom Pollock on 4/15 was singing again this morning, as was another one near the south end of the road. Lots of other songbirds, including Yellow-breasted Chat, Prairie Warbler, Red-eyed Vireo, and Indigo Bunting, were also singing. Oddly, we didn't get Hooded Warbler -- one of our region's most common summer woodland birds -- on this trip.
   When we arrived at the butterfly garden, there was a group of both Baltimore Oriole and Orchard Oriole present, along with several Gray Catbirds. Red-headed Woodpecker was calling nearby, but no sign of the resident Red-cockaded Woodpeckers who have a colony adjacent to the garden.

tentative i.d.: Northern Cloudywing (Thorybes pylades), Catahoula Hummingbird and Butterfly Garden, Grant Parish

Broad-headed Skink at Butterfly Garden

   There were limited flowers in bloom at the garden at this time (it's still a bit early) and the only butterfly we got there was a presumed Northern Cloudywing (tricky, confirmation of i.d. pending.). We did see an impressive Broad-headed Skink and colorful Common Five-lined Skink as well as a Green Anole. Green Treefrog and Cope's Gray Treefrog were heard.

Common Five-lined Skink at Butterfly Garden

   We walked the old road or trail that surrounds the northern part of the block of woods southwest of the garden. Here's a good example of the type of pine forest found in the Kisatchie NF. Among the bird species singing and presumably on breeding territories in the woods were Bachman's Sparrow and Pine Warbler. Brown-headed Nuthatches were especially common. Chipping Sparrows and Mourning Doves were also regularly seen and heard.

Northern Mockingbird, Kisatchie National Forest, Grant Parish

Mourning Dove, Kisatchie NF, Grant Parish

   The woods are surrounded by a wide band of open, meadow-type habitat where species that prefer weedy and brushy habitats are found. Prairie Warblers were common, as were Yellow-breasted Chat and Blue Grosbeak.
   Along the path are a number of bluebird nest boxes, many apparently occupied.
   Three Anhingas were seen gliding west, high overhead. Presumably they were passing from appropriate wetland/swamp habitat near Little River or Catahoula Lake to appropriate habitat around Iatt Lake or Red River. Or, who knows where?
   Raptors present included a pair of Red-tailed Hawks, three Broad-winged Hawks soaring quite high, and, alongside the BWHA, a Mississippi Kite. Keisha was the first to notice all of these species.

tentative i.d.: Swarthy Skipper (Nastra lherminier), Kisatchie National Forest west of Work Center Rd.
I'm not 100% on this i.d.

   We encountered a few Lepidoptera species on this approximately two-mile walk. Several (tentative i.d.) Swarthy Skippers were seen. I encountered this species here last year and it appears they may be quite common here. We had good looks at three larger butterflies: the American Lady, ...


American Lady (Vanessa virginiensis) nectaring on Coreopsis, west of Work Center Road

 ...the Question Mark, ...

Question Mark (Polygonia interrogationis) feeding on scat

 ...and the Common Buckeye.

Common Buckeye (Junonia coenia), Kisatchie NF

A couple of times, we also had poor looks at yellow sulphur-type butterflies as well. Several small moths were seen, but the only easily i.d.-ed one was The Wedgling.

The Wedgling (Galgula partita), Kisatchie NF west of Work Center Road

tentative i.d.: Curtiss' Milkwort, Kisatchie NF west of Work Center Rd.
I find this i.d. questionable, but it's the closest match I've found so far.

 

   Wildflowers were fairly impressive. Coreopsis (possibly Lobed Tickseed -- Coreopsis auriculata?), Phlox (possibly Hairy Phlox -- P. amoene?) and Spiderwort (Tradescantia) were among the most frequently encountered.

Coreopsis sp., west of Work Center Rd.

Phlox species, west of Work Center Road

Spiderwort species, west of Work Center Road, Kisatchie NF, Grant Parish

tentative i.d.: Helmet Flower

Helmet Flower (tentative i.d. Scutellaria integrifolia), with their purple-blue, white-marked flowers were noticed a few times.
There were a good many Venus's Looking-Glass (Triodanis perfoliata) plants seen without blooms, but a few with the lovely purple flowers were eventually found. Both Yellow Woodsorrel (Oxalis stricta, tentative i.d.) and Violet Woodsorrel (Oxalis violacea, tentative i.d.) were found to be pretty common, as was Blue-eyed Grass (Sisyrinchium).

tentative i.d.: Violet Woodsorrel, Kisatchie NF

A Lobelia (possibly Lobelia appendiculata -- Pale Lobelia??) was spotted.

Lobelia species, Kisatchie NF near the butterfly garden

Tentatively i.d.-ed Curtiss' Milkwort (Polygala curtissii), Cutleaf Geranium (Geranium dissectum), and Sicklepod Coffeeweed (Senna obtusifolia) were also encountered. Introduced species that have joined the native flora included Japanese Honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica), Crimson Clover (Trifolium incarnatum), and tentatively-identified Ligustrum privet species.

tentative i.d.: Cutleaf Geranium in foreground, w/ Yellow Woodsorrell in background

   It should be noted that I'm a novice at wildflower identification, so there could certainly be some misidentified plants on the list (http://southeasternflora.com/ and http://www.wildflower.org/plants/ are good online resources to check i.d.'s for yourself, should you be interested.).
   This was an excellent Earth Day spent in the field. By the end of our birding, Keisha (Miss never-been-birding) was independently identifying some birds and exhibiting skills at picking out birds, animal tracks, and other things of interest that many people more acquainted with the outdoors would usually overlook. My advice to any birders (or herpers, or butterflyers, etc.) reading this is to take a non-birder(etc.) friend in the field with you sometime. They might just be a natural, and you might just get them hooked on the outdoors!
   Complete bird list for the B-fly Garden and Kisatchie NF location is below.

Brown-headed Cowbird, near butterfly garden

........................................................................................
8:42 am to 12:33 pm
67 to 81 degrees f., sunny, light breeze
walked approx. 2 miles

Anhinga - 3

Turkey Vulture - 2
Mississippi Kite - 1
Broad-winged Hawk - 3
Red-tailed Hawk - 2

Mourning Dove - 5

Chimney Swift - 2

Ruby-throated Hummingbird - 2

Red-headed Woodpecker - 1
Red-bellied Woodpecker - 1
Downy Woodpecker - 1
Northern Flicker - 1

Eastern Wood-Pewee - 3
Eastern Kingbird - 2

Red-eyed Vireo - 1

Blue Jay - 3

Purple Martin - 8
Barn Swallow - 1

Carolina Chickadee - 3
Tufted Titmouse - 1

Brown-headed Nuthatch - 9

Carolina Wren - 4

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher - 2

Eastern Bluebird - 5

Gray Catbird - 5
Brown Thrasher - 1
Northern Mockingbird - 3

Cedar Waxwing - 10

Common Yellowthroat - 2
Pine Warbler - 2 (probably more)
Prairie Warbler - 5
Yellow-breasted Chat - 6

Bachman's Sparrow - 1 (probably more)
Chipping Sparrow - 7
Savannah Sparrow - 2

Summer Tanager - 1
Northern Cardinal - 2
Blue Grosbeak - 5
Indigo Bunting - 2

Brown-headed Cowbird - 2
Orchard Oriole - 9
Baltimore Oriole - 4

American Goldfinch - 2
..............................................................................................................

Spring migration is well underway; warblers, tanagers, buntings, and more in La Salle Parish

Swainson's Warbler singing beside Sparrow Street, west of Jena, La Salle Parish

   I joined Tom Pollock for some birding in wooded rural La Salle Parish on April 15. We planned to visit Snyder Road - a favorite spot of both of ours for Swainson's Warbler and other neotropical songbirds that arrive on their local breeding grounds around this time of year. However, while casually birding as we drove Sparrow Street on the way out there we heard a Swainson's singing right beside the road and stopped to have a listen and hopefully see this typical shy little woodland bird. We weren't disappointed.

   The Swainson's Warbler, singing frequently just south of the little Trout Creek bridge, was seen several times and eventually posed for a few minutes on a perch at the edge of the road clearing (junction of Sparrow Street and Ernestine Road). This, we both agreed, was the best view we'd ever gotten of a typically shy SWWA, and the photos and videos that resulted were, while not great quality, quite good for a species which normally seems reluctant to leave the thick underbrush of it's preferred habitat.

Swainson's Warbler, Sparrow Street, La Salle Parish

   We did use audio playback a bit at first to try to get the bird to come to us, but not excessively, and the most rewarding period was when we stopped the playback and just let the bird do its thing.
   I could go on about the Swainson's Warbler (it's a personal favorite species of mine), but the stop was fortuitous also for being a great spot to get several other neotropical species. Especially some of the SWWA's fellow wood warblers. A male Hooded Warbler - one of several who were singing within earshot of this spot - also put in an appearance, and we heard Black-and-white Warbler, Worm-eating Warbler (FOS), Common Yellowthroat, Prairie Warbler, Yellow-breasted Chat, as well as the resident Pine Warblers. All were singing, some of them - yellowthroat, Prairie, and Pine - were also seen.

male Hooded Warbler, Sparrow Street west of Jena, La Salle Parish

male Prairie Warbler, Sparrow Street, La Salle Parish

   Other recently-arrived neotrops besides warblers that were heard or seen here were Red-eyed Vireo, Wood Thrush, Indigo Bunting, Great Crested Flycatcher (FOS), and Eastern Kingbird (flyover headed north). Eventually, the sporadic sprinkles coalesced into a steady drizzle and we called it quits for the morning after less than an hour at the SWWA spot. We had a fruitful morning without even reaching our intended destination.
   Other FOS seen in the Jena area that morning included a male Summer Tanager and a possible (brief glimpse in poor light) Blue-winged Warbler.
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male Indigo Buntings, photo from last year's
spring migration (4/23/15)

   Recently, I've been hearing lots of Indigo Buntings passing overhead during nocturnal outings. These are among the most recognizable and abundant neotropical migrants around and rainy days during mid-April often bring them into yards where they frequent bird feeders while getting a respite from the weather. They seem to be everywhere I look this week! I am certainly not complaining.
This is a great time of year to look for migrants of various sorts and a great variety of birds - some who will be breeding in our area, some who are only stopping by on their way further north - will be showing up in a park or forest or backyard near you. Keep your eyes and ears open; there's no telling what you might find!

Palm Warbler, 4/11/2016, Jena, La Salle Parish.

 

Chalk Hills afternoon, other Catahoula and La Salle Parish observations

Phlox blooming in the Chalk Hills

   On April 3rd I joined Beth Willis and Tom Pollock for some birding. The final goal was to search for Whip-poor-wills and Chuck-wills-widows at nightfall along Posey-Webb Camp Highway in and around the Chalk Hills, but first we did a little birding elsewhere in La Salle and Catahoula Parishes. We heard a Black-and-White Warbler (first of season for me) and saw a soaring Bald Eagle near the Whitehall community in La Salle. We checked out the flood waters along Hwy 126 between Manifest and Sandy Lake, including where it cuts across the Bushley Bayou Unit of Catahoula NWR. Though water levels are dropping, the water is still high and there's a couple-of-mile stretch where the water is up by the road. Here we saw a few Blue-winged Teal as they swam from the roadside and off into the woods.

water over the road at one of the entrances to Catahoula NWR Bushley Bayou Unit along Hwy 126,
a typical scene along this stretch of highway at this time

   Lots of Phlox (which species, I can't say) were in bloom along Hwy 126 where it climbs into the Chalk Hills between Manifest and Aimwell. These bright purple flowers were also seen along P-WC Hwy. A few of the other wildflowers seen during this outing, in various locations, include Common Vetch, False Garlic, and Viola species (maybe Sweet White Violet? Bog White Violet?).

tentative i.d.: Common Vetch

Louisiana Waterthrush habitat
along Posey-Webb Camp Hwy

   Driving Posey-Webb Camp Hwy (just a narrow blacktop road) west-to-east, we found only the expected species until we stopped at the little creek east of the junction with Posey-Webb Camp Road (a tributary or branch of Hawthorn Creek, I believe). Here we heard at least one Wood Thrush, which was a first-of-season for us and saw and heard three Louisiana Waterthrushes, which were also FOS. The LAWA were very vocal; two singing and all calling as they made their way up the creek and crossed back-and-forth over the road several times. The birds were vocalizing on their own at first, then responded to playback that we used briefly to get them into view. However, when the audio was ended they continued to chase each other back and forth and vocalize enthusiastically. My guess is we were witnessing a territorial male, with his mate nearby, drive off another male.(?) Vocalizing can be heard in the video.
   Other birds heard and seen at that stop included Hairy Woodpecker, Pileated Woodpecker, an assortment of the expected woodland birds, and some flyover Great Egrets.
   Back at the cutover at the junction of the road mentioned above we spotted a Great Horned Owl scanning the grass and brush for prey from it perch at dusk. This was our first stop to listen for Chuck-wills-widow and Whip-poor-will. The method we used was to listen, then use playback to try to illicit a response, then listen again before moving to the next promising spot, listening w/ the windows down as we went. We worked our way back to the west end of the road at Aimwell, but didn't get any definitive Chuck or Whip vocals. However, we thought that we may have heard one or the other very distant and calling only a few times when we were at the owl location.
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   On April 6 I joined Tom for a trip out to Catahoula NWR Headquarters Unit. As we suspected, the unit was closed from high water (word from refuge staff is that it will likely be a month before water levels are low enough and roads dry enough to open the refuge).  So, we made a visit to the nearby Little River Recreation Area (Catahoula Parish). Here I had my FOS Prothonotary Warbler.

Prothonotary Warbler at Little River Recreation Area

We stopped near the Hwy 84 bridge over Old River (La Salle Parish) to watch the Cliff Swallows that have a nesting colony there. We couldn't locate a single Barn Swallow in the mix. During the last few years the Cliffs seem to have incrementally replaced the Barns, which used to be the dominant swallow species nesting at the bridge. Video is of Cliff Swallows at the bridge.
   We made token attempts at the Stephenson Rd and Bursley Bayou Rd entrances to the Bushley Bayou Unit of the refuge (yeah, there doesn't seem to be a consensus on the spelling/pronunciation of the name of the bayou... lol. I usually heard "Burshley".) in Catahoula Parish. Both were closed because of the flood, but the wildflowers along these roads were nice to see, including lots of Spider Lilies along BB Rd and some Swamp Leatherflower along Stephenson Rd and loads of Ranunculus (buttercups) everywhere.

Swamp Leatherflower, entrance to Catahoula NWR Bushley Bayou Unit on Stephenson Road

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   Tom also reports that on a short visit to Snyder Road west of Jena in La Salle Parish, also on 4/6, that he heard Red-eyed Vireo, but no Hooded Warbler or other of the several neotropical warbler species that will be present here for the breeding season (this is one of the best places to find Swainson's Warblers in this area, April-July).
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   Some neotropical migrants that I have found to have arrived already in La Salle and Catahoula Parishes include Green Heron, Mississippi Kite (one seen briefly in flight, earlier than I usually see them), Chimney Swift, Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Eastern Kingbird, White-eyed Vireo (though they are occasionally found wintering here), Purple Martin, Barn Swallow, Cliff Swallow, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher (though they are moderately common wintering birds in some places in the southern part of the parish), Wood Thrush, Gray Catbird (though a small number winter in the area), Black-and-White Warbler, Louisiana Waterthrush, Northern Parula, Prothonotary Warbler, Hooded Warbler, Orchard Oriole (one male seen, earlier than expected). Likely, many more species have also arrived.

   Butterflies I've seen so far this season in the same region include Horace's Duskywing, (Common) Checkered-Skipper, Eastern Tiger Swallowtail, either Spicebush or Pipevine Swallowtail (forgot to record which), Red-banded Hairstreak, Clouded and/or Cloudless Sulphurs, a possible Monarch, Common Buckeye, Pearl Crescent, Carolina Satyr (glimpsed), ...and probably more that I am forgetting. Video is of Red-banded Hairstreak nectaring on False Garlic.
   Spring has sprung - looking forward to much more as the season progresses.