Golden Cheeked Warbler & Black Capped Vireo

Photo by Bill Ravenscroft

May 4, 2008, Sunday, Field Trip to Ft. Hood, Temple, TX. 5:00 AM-12:00 Noon. The skies were clear. The early morning temperatures were cool and crisp but it warmed later. Six of us from Waco left in the dark for Ft. Hood, arriving at the rendezvous at 6:25 AM, the sun having risen a little after 6 AM. We joined two from Houston, two from Kentucky, two from Temple with Rich of the Nature Conservancy and Gil, who led us around Ft. Hood. The roads were rough and we had to fjord a few creeks. Since the chiggers were out, we donned bug spray, too. Our first stop was to the Owl Creek Region where we were able to see the Golden Cheeked Warbler and the Black Capped Vireo, both endangered, many Painted Buntings, a female Summer Tanager, and a Yellow Warbler. Our second stop was to The Willows where we found Baltimore and Orchard Orioles, Indigo Buntings, Prothonotary Warblers, and Warbling Vireos. We also sighted an immature male Blue Grosbeak at The Willows. Forty-two species sighted are listed below.

Golden Cheeked Warblers
Carolina Chickadee
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Northern Cardinal
Tufted Titmouse
Yellow Warbler
Yellow-rumped “Myrtle” Warbler
Mourning Dove
Rufous Crowned Sparrow
Lark Sparrow
Cedar Waxwing
Yellow-breasted Chat
Red-tailed Hawk
Painted Buntings
Black Capped Vireos
White-eyed Vireos
Red-eyed Vireos
Summer Tanager, female
Turkey Vulture
Black Vulture
American Crow
Brown-headed Cowbird
Cliff Swallow
Barn Swallow
Least Flycatcher
Blue Gray Gnatcatcher
Black & White Warbler
Clay Colored Sparrow
Dickcissel
Indigo Bunting
Great Blue Heron
Eastern Kingbirds
Common Grackles
Baltimore Oriole
Warbling Vireo
Great Crested Flycatcher
Orchard Oriole
Prothonotary Warbler
Blue Grosbeak, imm. male
Mississippi Kite
Chipping Sparrow
Common Yellowthroat