Greetings All:
I birded MacKenzie Park and the Purina Mountain Bike Trail (a small
portion of that time was spent with Peter Keyel) yesterday and today
(mostly with Sheri Anderson). Birding was, in general, better
yesterday but today's experience was, in some ways, much more
enjoyable as a heavy rain brings out the best in our river/lake
system!
First, there was the response of fish to the flooding of MacKenzie
Park. Portions of the parking lot at the horseshoe pits, the adjacent
wetlands, and the grassy areas along the river were flooded and there
were a few catfish swimming across the road and lots of carp
frollicking in the flooded grassy areas (I am using the word
frollicking to maintain the listserv's PG-13 rating). Getting to see
so many very happy fish at the beginning of a hike is always nice.
Second, there was the washing away of the hideous odor that has
accompanied any Canyon Lakes of Lubbock experience of late. There were
portions of the river I could easily have walked across yesterday and
there was none of that today and, as is always the case when water
levels are low, the stench was horrific. Today, the main smell was of
willows. The river is best visited, regardless of bird activity, after
a big flush!
Bird-wise, things were a bit slow today and the interesting birds were
those that were pushing the limits in terms of migratory dates. I had
an American Bittern drop into the vegetation along the river at
MacKenzie Park and we had a scruffy-looking Ruby-crowned Kinglet (in
the flooded woods between the bicycle ramps and the paintball arena)
and three Brewer's Sparrows scattered along the grasslands portion of
the bike trail atop the escarpment - both flagged as late in eBird,
which is consistent with the late movement of songbirds noted by
numerous observers elsewhere in the region and state. We also had
vigorously singing Yellow-breasted Chats at the flooded woodland near
the bike ramps and at the woodlot to the east, towards the northern
end of the trail.
In other highlights, a few butterflies (Dainty Sulphurs and a Question
Mark) were noted and we stumbled across a mid-sized Coachwhip.
If only the winds, last night, had been from the north ... we could
have topped things off with a better selection of stalled migrants:)
Anthony Hewetson