The Boardwalk at Lake Weatherford in August 2023

Intro

August was a hot month at the boardwalk. I usually went out in the later morning when the temperature was in the mid-90s. The water around the boardwalk is visibly gone and replaced by grasses and wetlands plants such as frogfruits and horseweeds - I really need to work on getting more plant observations, birds are just so distracting to me at the moment.

Along with plants, I want to work on generally looking down more instead of looking up into the trees. I was very happy to find a Hispid Cotton Rat hiding in the grasses along the walkway. It makes me wonder what else is looking up at me when I walk by. Oh, and speaking of mammals, the only other mammal I have seen here have been White-Tailed Deer -- watching a fawn frolic out in the dried lake bed was one of the highlights of my observations this month!

Birds

When I first started birding, I remember being so frustrated at hearing birds "laugh" at me from the trees and being unable to see them with my binoculars. I feel like I have improved much since May and can now quickly focus on a bird that shows. Woo! This month I discovered that bird photography is WAY more frustrating than just bird watching. I purchased a lens attachment for my phone with high hopes, but the birds always seem to know when there is a camera and exit the stage immediately.

Below are some of the bird species I was able to paparazzi a photo from. I organized the birds on where I generally noticed them spending time. The boardwalk parking lot is dotted with Eastern Cottonwoods and has a powerline following E. Lake Rd with a tree line on the opposite side of the road from the parking lot. Birds here seem to not mind being close to the road. As you you walk on the boardwalk itself, you enter and leave the canopy. The canopy breaks indicate the waterways.

I am also including some of my personal observations of their behaviors. It was exciting to see a lot of scruffy/awkward juveniles in the area. They seemed to be a little more curious about me than the adults. I also noticed that most birds had their beaks parted and panting to combat the heat.

Parking Lot/Road

• Europen Starling: This was my first time noticing them in this part of the lake since observing since April. They swarmed the trees and open field near the parking lot and are loud.
• Scissor-tailed Flycatcher: My all time favorite bird! I was worried that I had missed my opportunity to get a photo of them before they left. There seems to be a lot less of them hanging around now than at the beginning of the summer.
• Barn Swallow: This power line seems to be a favorite hangout for the swallows. Had to stay in my car to get the closer photo, they abandon the hangout quick but also return quick.

Outside of Tree Canopy

• Turkey Vultures: I was most surprised to see them all hanging out at the lake like it was spring break. They would be in large groups standing on the shoreline and wading in the water. It absolutely makes sense in this heat!
• Mississppi Kite: I was VERY excited to get a photo of these birds and kind of capture how they fly.
• Eastern Phoebe: If I see a bird fly up to a fence or branch in front of my walking path and stay a little longer than most birds would tolerate, it always seems to be an Eastern Phoebe. I also noticed the tail pumping that my field guide mentioned
• Great Crested Flycatcher: The one I photographed was much more shy than the Eastern Phoebe's nearby. Absolutely gorgeous though, especially with the reddish tail feathers.

Within Tree Canopy

• Least Flycatcher: Also shy compared to the phoebe. This one moved quickly ahead of me in the branches not staying long to investigate. Flycatchers are super hard for me to identify and I spend a lot of time with my field guide trying to figure out what I saw. I settled on least in this case because of the white eye ring, the wing bars, and how small it was compared to other tyrants in this area.
• Northern Cardinal: I really like watching them forage the floor. I am also starting to think of them as the red alarms of the habitat. If I mistep, they will start their warning call and keep eyes on me as I walk past. I was honored and surprised when a juvenile decided to hang out on a branch close to me.
• Painted Bunting: Still on the hunt for an adult male. This juvenile or female fun to watch. They always kept an eye on me through the leaves though.
• Blue Gray Gnatcatcher: These are some tiny birds and they move fast! They whip their neck around and hop quickly between branches. I was lucky to find one preening on a branch hanging close to my walking path. They fluff up quite a bit and I love the steel blue colors of their feathers!
• Downy Woodpecker: I find these to be a really fun and easy bird to watch. Also very cute.
• Wilson's Warbler: I was excited to finally find and photograph a warbler. I wasn't able to easily see the blackcap on this bird so I spent a lot of time comparing warbler species in my field guide. The yellow eyebrows and darker wing tips helped, and if I looked close enough I was able to see the black cap eventually in the photo. Very fun to ID!
• Carolina Chickadee: These birds are funny to me; it's like a party starts when a group of chickadees fly into the area. They seem to be very curious and not afraid to investigate. They move around quick and will land on branches above you, stare you down and squeak at you. I would stay still and they would zoom close to me, probably attracted to the bugs that were circling around me.
• Carolina Wren: So, where a group of chickadees seems like a party, a group of Carolina Wrens is like stepping into a family fight. They are loud and flapping at eachother trying to get whatever food someone else got. But, I was excited to capture a photo of one! They are hard to track down and do not stay still for very long.
• Tufted Titmouse: The one I observed on 8.31.23 was a juvenile and hopping around the floor and looking down at fallen logs for insects. Very jumpy and hesitant of my presence. I noticed this one had started foraging when my back was turned so had to ever so slightly turn to get the photo.

Thank you for reading my naturalist adventures and ID'ing my uploads, it helps me learn tremendously!!

My Equipment

Field Guide: National Geographic Field Guide to the Birds of North America 7th Edition
Binoculars: Vortex Crossfire HD 10x42
Camera: iPhone 11 with APEXEL High Power 36X HD Telephoto Lens

Publicado el septiembre 13, 2023 09:30 TARDE por lucygoose97