31 March 2003. "As Jim Sealy mentioned in a post to TexBirds yesterday, we had a successful TOS trip to Attwater Prairie Chicken NWR and Eagle Lake in Colorado County this past weekend. On March 29 we birded the prairie chicken refuge and the wetlands along FM3013 between Sealy and Eagle Lake. March 30th we birded Eagle Lake. I want to publicly thank refuge manager Terry Rossignol and refuge staff member Justin Roach for taking the TOS group out to the lek. Terry and Justin talked about the life history of the Attwater's Prairie Chicken and informed us about recovery efforts for this extremely endangered species. ... Saturday was a cold/blustery day, but birding was very good at the refuge and along FM3013. Part of the group(in the lead truck) saw a prairie chicken hen at very close range in a ditch along a refuge road. After departing from the main lek, where 11 prairie chickens (9 males, 2 females) were seen, the entire group saw a male booming by itself at very close range. This bird was "strutting his stuff" in tall grasses. The bird's air-sacs could be heard as they puffed out. The wind was too gusty for us to hear the air-sacs puff out on the males at the main lek. Sunday provided more-seasonal weather with sunny skies and a light breeze from the NE at Eagle Lake. One has to obtain permission from the Lower Colorado River Authority to bird the lake. Below is the trip list for the weekend.
Key: 1- Attwater Prairie Chicken NWR- NWR, 2-FM3013- 3013, and 3- Eagle Lake- EL
Pied-billed Grebe- 12, 4, 5
American White Pelican- 3 NWR
Double-crested Cormorant- 30+, 20+, 15+
Anhinga- 6 EL
American Bittern- 1 NWR
Great Blue Heron- 4, 7, 5
Great Egret- 10+, 15+, 20+
Snowy Egret- 4+ EL
Little Blue Heron- 1 along 3013 and 20+ EL
Tricolored Heron- 4+ EL
Cattle Egret- 10+, 15+, 10+
Green Heron- 1 EL
Black-crowned Night Heron- 1 EL
White Ibis- 50+ EL
Roseate Spoonbill- 2 EL
Black Vulture- 6+, 10+, 15+
Turkey Vulture- 10+, 15+, 15+
Black-bellied Whistling Duck- 5 NWR
Greater White-fronted Goose- 4 EL
Snow Goose- 8 NWR
Mottled Duck- 10+ NWR and 5+ along FM3013
Blue-winged Teal- 70+, 50+, 80+
Cinnamon Teal- 3 NWR and 3 along FM3013
Northern Shoveler- 40+, 30+, 10+
Green-winged Teal- 30+, 15+, 10+
Northern Harrier- 6+ NWR and 3 along FM3013
Swainson's Hawk- 1 NWR and 1 along Ricefield Road at 3013(Austin County)
White-tailed Hawk- 2 NWR
Red-tailed Hawk- 5, 3, 2
Crested Caracara- 15+, 3, 1
American Kestrel- 1 NWR and 1 along 3013
Greater Prairie-Chicken (Attwater race)- 12 NWR
Northern Bobwhite- 2 NWR(heard)
Sora- 1 EL(heard)
Common Moorhen- 20+ EL
American Coot- 40+, 20+, 70+
American Golden-Plover- ~30 NWR and ~40 along 3013
Killdeer- 15+, 10+, 5+
Black-necked Stilt- 4, 8, 6
Greater Yellowlegs- 5+, 30+, 30+
Upland Sandpiper- 15+ NWR and 10+EL
Least Sandpiper- 50+, 70+, 120+
Buff-breasted Sandpiper- 5+ NWR and 1 along 3013
Long-billed Dowitcher- 70+ along Ricefield Road at 3013
Wilson's Snipe- 1 along 3013
Rock Dove- 2 along 3013 and 5 at Eagle Lake Dollar General Store
Eurasian Collared-Dove- 1 along 3013 near Eagle Lake and 3 at Eagle Lake Dollar General
Store
Mourning Dove- 15+, 10+, 10+
Chimney Swift- 2 NWR and 1 along 3013
Red-bellied Woodpecker- 5+ EL
Ladder-backed Woodpecker- 1 along 3013 and 1 heard at EL
Downy Woodpecker- 1 EL
Northern Flicker- 1 EL(heard)
Eastern Phoebe- 1 EL(heard)
Scissor-tailed Flycatcher- 1 along Ricefield Road at 3013 and 2 EL
Loggerhead Shrike- 3, 3, 1
White-eyed Vireo- 6+ EL
Blue Jay- 4 EL
American Crow- 5+ EL
Purple Martin- 4 EL
Tree Swallow- 6+ EL
N. Rough-winged Swallow- 6+, 5+, 10+
Bank Swallow- 1 NWR
Cliff Swallow- 20+, 40+, 30+
Barn Swallow- 20+, 30+, 30+
Carolina Chickadee- 5 EL
Tufted Titmouse- 2 EL
Carolina Wren- 4 EL
House Wren- 2 EL
Sedge Wren- 1 along 3013(heard) and 1 EL
Ruby-crowned Kinglet- 5+ EL
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher- 10+ EL
Northern Mockingbird- 2 along Ricefield Road at 3013 and 1 EL
European Starling- 8 at Eagle Lake Dollar General Store
American Pipit- 20+ 3013 and 2 EL
Northern Parula- 2 EL
Yellow-rumped Warbler- 3 NWR and 20+ EL
Black-and-white Warbler- 1 EL
Common Yellowthroat- 10+ EL
Chipping Sparrow- 4 EL
Savannah Sparrow- 10+, 10+, 7+
Lincoln's Sparrow- 1 EL(heard)
Swamp Sparrow- 6+
White-throated Sparrow- 20+ EL
Northern Cardinal- 2 along 3013 and 4 EL
Red-winged Blackbird- 20+, 20+, 50+
Eastern Meadowlark- 15+ NWR and 10+ along 3013
Brewer's Blackbird- 25+ NWR
Great-tailed Grackle- 2, 8, 10
Brown-headed Cowbird- 30+, 20+, 50+