Another day, another bird survey

Once the windshield defrosted this morning (I don’t have a scraper), I headed out to do this week’s bird survey.  After the thousands of waterfowl we saw last week, I was really looking forward to doing the count on my own this week.  I should have known!  There’s one thing you can count on about birds…they have wings!  :)  And they used those wings to travel to other areas of the refuge.  :(  It’s not that I didn’t see any birds, I just didn’t count the numbers that we did last week.

This is a scientific survey, so the rules of what to do and where are pretty strict.  There are seven sites that I visit in the East Unit of the refuge.  The count, obviously, has to be done on non hunt days. (this area is where a public hunt is allowed on the weekends)  I don’t want anybody to mistake me for a low flying double-breasted migrant bird lady!  :)
I couldn’t count these snow geese because they just flew past outside my count area.  I just put this pick in for AL…is this that curvy S thing that leads you through the picture?

As I approach each count area, I record which birds I flush and how many.  Then, once stopped, I scan the count area for all species, and how many of each.  After five minutes of scanning, I then walk a predetermined transit that I believe is 500 feet long counting all birds that are flushed while I walk.  The levies determine the boundaries of each count area.  Some of these fields are flooded, and others aren’t.  Flooded fields are the only areas where you’ll find waterfowl.  In the other unflooded areas, I mainly count land birds and raptors that are hunting the field.
While I was driving between count areas, I came upon this red-tailed hawk perched in a dead tree.  It wasn’t long before it took flight.  High perches are what red-tails like.  Their eye power is unbelievable.  They can see a mouse a mile away!  It was early in the cool morning, so the thermals that these hawks float on to hunt just hadn’t developed yet.
The bird on the left is a Savannah sparrow, and the bird on the right is an Eastern Phoebe.  There are a gazillion Savannah sparrows on the refuge, and I generally kick them up in good numbers no matter what count plot I stop at.  That little splash of yellow on it’s eyebrow (known as a lore, in bird circles) is diagnostic of this sparrow.  The amount of yellow is variable.  Of course, the Eastern phoebe didn’t make an appearance until after my five minute scan of the 7th area, so I couldn’t count it.  :(
One of my favorite birds on the refuge is the marsh wren.  I just love the way they hop around in the reeds of the marsh and chatter away as they’re doing it.  They don’t hold still for long!  You’ve got to be quick to spot one.  Looks like this one is doing the splits!  :)

Now I’ve got a couple of hours of data entry to do of today’s sightings.  These surveys are my favorite thing to do on the refuge.  Hope you’ve enjoyed a morning in the life of a NWR volunteer…

Thanks for stopping by…. talk to you later,  Judy