Seeing the Blues at Hornsby Bend

I had one goal when I went to Hornsby Bend yesterday and today.  That was to get some decent pictures of male full color Painted Buntings.  I was successful, but I was surprised by the other birds that I saw.  So I started out at what I thought was a reasonable hour on Thursday.  I woke up at 7 and was out the door and at Hornsby Bend by 8 am.  I wasn't disappointed.  As soom as I got out of the car I heard a Painted Bunting calling in the tree in the backyard of the house next door.  I tried to find it but wanted to not get too close to invading the privacy of the homeowner, so I never actually found it even though he teased me the whole time that I was looking without showing himself.  I walked in the gate to the bird walk and saw a number of Indigo Buntings with a Painted Bunting spaced in there for good measure.  The first 500 yards of Platt trail was full of these birds, just asking to be looked at.  I took a number of pictures of these guys.

While going through my pictures last night, I came across a Blue Grossbeak that I assumed was an Indigo. 

I had one Blue Jay, which I didn't get a picture of as well as a pair of  Eastern Bluebirds on the trail from Platt to the ponds at the treatment plant.  I saw at least one Belted Kingfisher on the river.  I was trying to see a Green Kingfisher and a Ringed Kingfisher that can be found there but was not successful.  I sat for half an hour one time and a whole hour the second time and only saw the Belted a couple of times.  I just don't have the patience to sit for much longer than that when there are birds to be found with more success just around the corner.

Purple Martins were in the Martin houses and gourds at the office. as well as a pair of Barn Swallows which built a nest inside of the cover of the front entrance at the office.

Little Blue Herrons were on the ponds in Numbers.

And even the blue on the Painted Bunting has to count.  I have a friend in South Carolina who is a major Painted Bunting enthusiast.  He is going to be jealous when he sees this.

Not everything I saw was blue but it seemed that a lot was.  I did see Wood Ducks on pond 3 as well as Black-bellied Whistling Ducks.  There were a number of Black Necked Stilts including some that were nesting.

There were a number of Western Kingbirds as well as some hard to differentiate Great-crested Flycatchers.

I saw a pair of Cara-caras that spent a lot of time in a tree across the river.

Also on the water were an Osprey and numerous Cardinals flying back and forth.

11:00 PM - June 14, 2009 - post comment

bumper weekend

Hi Dave, it really does seem like you had a bumper weekend! and you got some great photos to show for it. very nice indeed.

Happy birding
Dale
http://alpinebirds.blogspot.com

Dale - 1:23 AM - June 15, 2009

Beautiful!

These are magnificent, Dave! And what serendipity: I'm heading to Hornsby this weekend, so your post is timely and inspiring. Hopefully I'll be as lucky as you were.

Best regards,


- Jason
xenogere.com

Anonymous - 5:02 PM - June 16, 2009

Western kingbirds....

Dave, great log & pics! I was birdwathcing yesterday at the Big Creek Scenic Woods, and saw what I now think was a Western Kingbird, though at the time I wasn't sure what it was, along with a male Hooded Warbler and a Redheaded Woodpecker. Thanks for the pics, much appreciated, and Hornsby Bend! I'll have to go there sometime soon.

Doug in Clear Lake City - 9:39 PM - June 18, 2009