Thanksgiving at Daingerfield State Park

November 25-27, 2009
We decided to spend this Thanksgiving in the woods, camping at Daingerfield State Park (Texas). We took the canoe since there is a very nice lake there. We fished a little with worms, but mostly fought the wind. No fish, but the birding was better. Days were sunny and mild (mid 60’s); the nights were cold (mid 30’s).

Broadwing Hawks
Turkey Vultures
American Robin
Yellow Rumped Warbler
Ruby Crowned Kinglet
Northern Junco
Carolina Wren (h)
Carolina Chickadee
Nuthatch sp.
Tufted Titmouse
American Coots
Great Blue Heron
Great Egrets
Double Crested Cormorants
Red Bellied Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Yellow Bellied Sapsucker
Northern “Yellow Shafted” Flicker
Golden Crowned Kinglet
Yellow Warbler
Eastern Bluebird
Black and White Warbler
Blue Headed Vireo
Blue Jay
Pine Warbler
Eastern Phoebe (h)
White Throated Sparrow
American Crow

Photo by Bill Ravenscroft

Red Corral Ranch, Wimberly, Texas

May 6 through May 8, 2009.

We made it back down to one of our favorite places to do some R&R, Red Corral Ranch (RCR) near Wimberly, TX. This is huge ranch where many events take place. Weekends in the spring are often for weddings. Yet, during the week it is possible to spend two or three days in a cabin deep in the woods, and to wander about the woods and fields and not see another human being. This was exactly our plan, and we took advantage of these dates.

We have been coming to this place for several years because it is Golden Cheek Warbler and Black Capped Vireo habitat. And this visit is the first in which I was rewarded with a sighting of the Golden Cheeked. I did not find him in the usual place but about 100 yards down the road from our cabin, a beautiful bird. I have seen these in other places, but this was a first for the RCR. The five best species of birds seen on this trip have to be Summer Tanagers (both male and female), Painted Buntings (both male and female), Ladder Backed Woodpeckers, Lark Sparrow and the Golden Cheeked Warbler. Below is a list of the birds seen or heard.

Northern Cardinal
Carolina Wren
Black Capped race of Tufted Titmouse
White Eyed Vireo
House Finch
Carolina Chickadee
Black Vulture
Bewick’s Wren
Hummingbird sp.
Ladder Backed Woodpecker
Mourning Dove
Brown Headed Cowbird
Summer Tanager
Barn Swallow
Painted Bunting
Nashville Warbler
Turkey Vulture
Lark Sparrow
Red Winged Blackbird
Gray Catbird
Song Sparrow
Red Eyed Vireo
Golden Cheeked Warbler
Black and White Warbler
Yellow Billed Cuckoo