Backyard Bird Count

The backyard bird count was this past weekend. A few of us met on the north shore of Lake Wichita in front of Wild Bird Rescue. The Rolling Plains Chapter of Texas Master Naturalist, The North Texas Bird and Wildlife Club and Wild Bird Rescue were well represented. And, for once, the weather started off nice. Seems every time we meet for a bird count/watch it is either cold, a cold wind or raining. Or, any combination of the three. We were there for two hours and saw the following birds;

White Pelican 42
Ring-billed Gull 7
Great Egret 1
Green Heron 1
Great Blue Heron 2
American Coot 9
Double-crested Cormorant 29
Cananda Goose 300+
Mallard 4
Ring-necked Duck 3
Gadwall 3
Pintail 10
Northern Shoveler 2
Duck species 35 (too far across the lake to makes positive ID)
Killdeer 2
Pied-billed Grebe 5
Bewick's Wren 1
Marsh Wren 1
Cardinal 1
Blue Jay 1
Mockingbird 1
Eurasian Collared Dove 3
White-winged Dove 4
Robin 75
Red-winged Blackbird 14
Great-tailed Grackle 3
European Starling 1
House Finch 2
American Goldfinch 1
House Sparrow 1

This is not an accumulative count, but a count of the most you see of a species at one time. After two hours the winds picked up and the birds sought shelter. So, we did too. Great day of birding with friends.

Spring Time?

Penny Miller reported in her blog, "A Charm of Finches" she was hearing Mockingbirds sing for the first time this year. There is a Robin in the Mulberry tree here at the Rescue Center singing his little heart out!

Hopefully, spring is here and we are finished with this cold weather.

Don't forget the Backyard Bird Count this Sunday, the 20th. Here at WBR at 7:30am.

Great Backyard Bird Count

It is time for the Great Backyard Bird Count, http://www.birdscource.org/gbbc/ , February 18 - 21. This is really a great outdoor activity for families. It could also be incorporated into science activities for home schools or public schools.

You can take part for as little as 15 minutes and you don't have to be an expert on birds to take part in this event. This is a count that allows you to indicate you were not able to identify all the birds you see, and it is perfectly OK to do so.

For those of you who prefer to see what it is all about by taking part in a group activity, the Rolling Plains Chapter of Texas Master Naturalists will be hosting a count on Sunday, February 20th, at 7:30a.m. behind Wild Bird Rescue, 4611 Lake Shore Dr. Remember, the wind will be blowing off the lake so it can be chilly. Dress in layers and be comfortable.

Another Success Story

This Red-tailed Hawk came to us on Sunday, January the 16th. Lila was working and she received a phone call from a State Trooper. Evidently, a couple driving on the highway noticed a large bird laying on her side, in the highway, with one wing up in the air. The couple stopped (in the middle of the highway) and found the bird to be a live. The State Trooper stopped to see why someone had stopped in middle of the road and he was the one who picked up the hawk and called Wild Bird Rescue. Lila met him on Hwy 281 and brought the Hawk to the Rescue Center. Her initial exam did not leave a good prognosis. She was totally

non-responsive. Lila started our head trauma protocol and hoped she would still be a live in the morning.

When I came in on Monday, I found a very alert Red-tailed Hawk standing in her carrier. However, she had NO sight response. We continued our head trauma treatment and force fed her twice a day. We determined her sex by her size and weight. Raptor females are noticeably larger and heavier than the males. By Tuesday all sight had returned and she was self-feeding. What a turn-around in condition in just a matter of days. By Friday she was too much too handle in the infirmary so we moved her to the outside aviary to ensure she was strong enough to fly. On Friday, the 28th, one of our board members came by to take her to property in Archer County where she was released! YES, we do like to brag about our successes!