Date: 7/13/22 6:58 pm From: David Arbour <arbour...> Subject: Red Slough Bird Survey - July 13
It was mostly clear, brutally hot (heat index of 110+), with a slight wind on the bird survey today. 53 species were found. Very little singing was heard today and Passerines were scarce. I started in the dark around 5:00 a.m. hoping for some nightjars and owls but only found one owl and some bats. Caught the morning flight out of the heronry but numbers were down on ibis', Great Egrets and Little-blue Herons. No storks this week. The big highlight of the day was finding 4 Limpkins feeding together on Push Creek. Also got to see a Purple Gallinule karate kick a Cattle Egret in the chest with both feet when it landed to close to its young and sent it flying away. Also, if you want to see Least Bitterns and King Rails, the observation platform/photo blind on Pintail Lake is the place to be early in the morning. Got great close-up looks at both species. The King Rail crossed the gravel road by the platform a couple times with pauses and a Least Bittern was putting on a show in the cattails next to the platform. Here is my list for today:
Black-bellied Whistling Duck - 11
Canada Goose - 5
Wood Duck - 12
Pied-billed Grebe - 15
Neotropic Cormorant - 13 (4 on nests.)
Anhinga - 31 (numerous near fledging young.)
Least Bittern - 3
Great-blue Heron - 5
Great Egret - 9
Snowy Egret - 20
Little-blue Heron - 55
Cattle Egret - ~10,000
Green Heron - 8
Yellow-crowned Night-Heron - 6
White Ibis - 274
Black Vulture - 1
Turkey Vulture - 60
Red-shouldered Hawk - 1
Cooper's Hawk - 1
King Rail - 2
Purple Gallinule - 83 (also 7 broods of young.)
Common Gallinule - 63 (also numerous broods of young.)
