Woo-Hoo - Housing Project at Refuge

By Dick & Sue Malnory

The Friends of Hagerman are building nest boxes for Screech Owls, Barn Owls and Barred Owls at Hagerman NWR, with materials provided by the Refuge. A total of eight boxes will be mounted on poles by Grayson Collin Electric Cooperative, when the time comes to move power poles in the construction process for the new building - the power company will donate and install the poles, as well as hang the boxes.

This is a big deal - well, the next boxes are big! The Audubon design for the Screech Owl nest box (http://www.audubonmagazine.org/backyard/backyard0201.html) is approximately 9”x 9” x 20” tall, with a 3” diameter entrance hole. The roof slopes, with an overhang on the front side. For the Barn Owl or the Barred Owl, the box design by Norman Watenpaugh, (http://www.scvas.org/pdf/cbrp/BuildingBarnOwlBoxes.pdf) is approximately 17” x 24” x 22” tall, with a sloping roof. The entrance is rectangular, 6” x 8” and there is a perch.

Four Screech Owl boxes and four Barn/Barred Owl boxes are being built. In order for the Barred Owls to use the nest box, those must be placed at least a mile apart, and in a wooded area. The Barn Owl’s territorial size is just the area around the nest box, and their boxes will be placed in open prairie at the Refuge, their preferred habitat. Screech Owls' habitat is at the edge of woods, and their territory, like that of the Barn Owl, is the area around the nest.

Barn and Barred Owl boxes will be placed from 10’ to 20’ off the ground, while Screech Owl boxes can be situated 5’ to 20’ high.

The other owl seen at Hagerman NWR, the Great Horned Owl, is not a cavity nester, but rather takes over the abandoned nest of other birds such as hawks or crows, or even the nest of squirrels.
Visitors to the Refuge will probably not see the owl boxes as they will be placed away from public use area, but be assured that support for the Refuge and the Friends projects is helping to grow the owl population of the area.

For more information about Hagerman NWR, see http://www.fws.gov/southwest/refuges/texas/hagerman/index.html and for information about programs and activities, see http://www.friendsofhagerman.com.

Why Did the Chicken Cross the Road, Part II

By Johnny Beall - Conclusion to the Essay Posted July 12

Armadillos are armored creatures that have little fear of most predators because, when threatened, they roll into a ball, exposing only their very tough outer shell to attack. The mouths of most predators are too small to get their teeth in position to bite this tough ball and are unsuccessful in their attack. Therefore the armadillo has not developed a strong flight instinct such as soft-bodied animals like rabbits have developed. And, when the huge noisy predator with the bright, shining eyes, comes racing in, they fail to remove themselves from harm’s way, trusting that their armor will protect them.

The other defect in the armadillo’s nature is its second defensive tactic when confronted with an enemy. It jumps about two or three feet straight up into the air. This tactic may work against a dog or other animal but against an 18-wheeler, which would otherwise pass right over the armadillo and not harm it due to high clearance, leads to road pizza when the armadillo jumps.

First recorded in Texas in 1849, the armadillo expanded its range northward and eastward, at times aided by pranksters and animal dealers. In Florida, releases from a zoo in 1924 and a circus truck in 1936 started another migrating population. Now the northern edge of armadillo territory runs through Kansas, Missouri, Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia and South Carolina. Thought this expansion has taken almost 150 years, that’s fast for the mammal that has been chosen the State Small Mammal of Texas.

Brenda Loveless, a winner in the 2010 Refuge Photo Contest, sent the photo shown above, and says, “I was so excited back in May to finally see two live 'dillers’ very close to a little access road near Lake Bardwell (close to Ennis)”. Thanks to Johnny and to Brenda for the saga of the ‘dillo, Part II.

Armadillos are among the array of mammals to be seen at Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge, including deer, bobcats, coyotes, feral hogs and more. For the official Refuge website, see http://www.fws.gov/southwest/refuges/texas/hagerman/index.html and for information about the Friends of Hagerman, programs and events, see http://www.friendsofhagerman.com.

Why Did the Chicken Cross the Road?

By Johnny Beall

(Ed. Note: Essay originally published in the Featherless Flyer, Vol I, Issue 4, September 2004)

Why did the chicken cross the road? Of course, it was to prove to the armadillo that it was possible.

In the competition to see who is first in the number of road kills of all vertebrates in the southern United States, it always seems to be a close race between the opossums and the armadillos. It seems the armadillos edge the opossums, but not by much.

Armadillos are a unique species in North America in that they produce one litter per year, and that litter is always identical quadruplets. This means that each of the four is genetically identical to the others, even to all being of the same sex. Armadillos are close kin to anteaters and sloths which occur in South America. Actually the armadillo migrated here from South America and many people can recall when the first ones moved into this area.

Now for the big question, why do so many armadillos become road pizza? A look at their teeth will provide a clue. They have no incisors or canines and their primitive teeth are adapted for eating invertebrates, which include many insects.

Billions of insects are hit by speeding automobile every day and set a gourmet smorgasbord for the insect eating armadillo. But there is always a “catch” in any good deal, and the “catch” in this feast is that the table is set on the highway. Armadillos are nocturnal so they go picking amongst the beetles and butterflies on the highway in the dark. The next vehicle adds the armadillo to the carnage because of two major defects to its nature when faced with modern technology.

Ed: Want to know what those two defects are??? To be continued next week!

See armadillos and more at Hagerman NWR. For activities and programs at the Refuge, visit http://www.friendsofhagerman.com and for the official Refuge website, go to http://www.fws.gov/southwest/refuges/texas/hagerman/index.html.

Johnny Beall retired as Hagerman NWR Manager in May, 2008, after 35 years with the US FWS including seven years at Hagerman. Photo from Hagerman NWR photo files.

Nest Box Monitors

Would you enjoy watching a bird’s nest, seeing the newly laid eggs and then the tiny baby birds who would soon be ready to fledge? You can do this as a volunteer, but please don’t take a peek unless you are on the monitor team, to avoid disturbing the birds more than once a week.

One of the Friends of Hagerman’s goals for this year was to add more nest boxes at the Refuge, then Sandy Campbell’s Second Saturday program on Bluebirds in March inspired the formation of the Nest Box Monitors Team at Hagerman NWR. The monitors have met, organized and are working to upgrade and add additional nest boxes at the Refuge. In addition, under Derek Miller’s leadership, a web-based data collection system has been developed and the Bluebird boxes are being given a GPS identifier and unique number so that each monitoring team can record data easily.

Originally there was a Bluebird trail along Harris Creek Trail; now Sandy Campbell has added more boxes there, and the team built a dozen new boxes and installed them along that trail as replacements for deteriorating boxes. A second trail has been added by Sandy along Haller Haven Trail and more boxes placed near Meadow Pond Trail.

The houses are monitored weekly by rotating pairs of monitors from the team and reports made. For last week Mike Chiles and Sandy reported that along the Meadow Pond Trail they found that a Titmouse and a Prothonotary Warbler had eggs; on Harris Creek they found three nest boxes with Bluebirds about to fledge, and one box with four eggs.

Currently the active team members are Sandy Campbell, Jack Chiles, Mike Chiles, Dianne Connery, Dick Malnory, Derek Miller, Andre Pease, Mike Pease, and Roger Peckinpaugh. There is room for more!! Just contact the Refuge to join up, 903 786 2826. Kathy Whaley is the Refuge liaison.

For more info, see the official Refuge website, http://www.fws.gov/southwest/refuges/texas/hagerman/index.html and/or the Friends website, http://www.friendsofhagerman.com.

Photo by Dick Malnory

Adventures of Aqua-coon

By Nancy Miller

Last Friday, I had a bad day at work, so I thought the best way to shake it off was to head to the Refuge. It had rained and cooled down about 15 degrees, so why not. I remember I got there about 4:20 p.m., because the Visitor Center was closed, and I couldn’t sign in. (Note to visitors: please be sure to sign in when you visit the Refuge!)

As usual, I headed on down Wildlife Drive. I always have to stop and watch the wildlife along the way, you never know what kind of entertainment you might get unless you stop and look. You can miss a lot if you drive on down the road without stopping.

Before long, I came upon a large number of Canada Geese. I noticed they were all swimming faster than normal. Then I saw something that looked a little different swimming ahead of the group. At first, I thought it was a goose with its head in the water, but when I took a look through my camera, I saw it was a raccoon! These geese were running this raccoon out of their waters!

Now I never really thought about a raccoon swimming, but I guess they do. He out-swam the geese, got out and headed up the incline to Tern Road, never looking back, never stopping. My first thought was all the Tern eggs. But the raccoon crossed the road, and continued back into the tall grass - I was so relieved that he didn’t head down the road where the Least Terns are nesting.

It turned out to be a good trip. With the cooler weather, I saw a lot more activity than expected for that time of day, and all thoughts of my bad day were forgotten.

To learn more about Hagerman NWR, please see http://www.fws.gov/southwest/refuges/texas/hagerman/index.html, and for information about programs and events at the Refuge, go to http://www.friendsofhagerman.com.

Photo by Nancy Miller

Region 2 Friends

Friends of Hagerman representatives met with Friends from around US FWS Region 2 - including Arizona, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas - for a whirlwind session of talks, idea sharing and fellowship this weekend, on South Padre. It was inspiring to hear story after story of efforts to acquire and preserve habitat, to educate folks about the importance of the environment, and to make it possible for the public to enjoy nature at the various Refuges represented.

One highlight of our visit was a trip to Laguna Atascosa NWR, just outside Port Isabel, Texas, home to the endangered ocelot. No, we did not see one! Just the “Ocelot Crossing” sign pictured here. But we did see the Green Jay and the Caracara, and a thriving butterfly garden. We also learned a lesson about shooting photos from an air-conditioned car in the high humidity of the coast! Don’t! After missing a great photo-op of a pair of White Ibis because the camera lens clouded up as soon as we stuck it out the window, we traveled the remainder of the Wildlife Loop sans air conditioning.

Vacation time for families with children is right around the corner, and right here in Texas we have 21 National Wildlife Refuges, with nearly all open at least in part, to the public - a great opportunity to let the youngsters Go Wild! For more information about Region 2 see http://www.fws.gov/southwest/.

And right in the backyard of North Texan, be sure to check out Hagerman NWR, open dawn to dusk, seven days a week, with no charge for admission. Refuge information is available at http://www.fws.gov/southwest/refuges/texas/hagerman/index.html and information about programs and activities at the Refuge can be found at http://www.friendsofhagerman.com.

(Photo by Dick Malnory)

Signs of Spring

By Laurie Sheppard

I hate winter!! That's one of the the reasons I like living in North Texas - spring comes early here. Just about the time the holidays are over, I start looking for a change in the seasons. I'm ready to give up the long dark nights and enjoy late sunsets instead. Despite recent snowstorms, I'm optimistic that warmer weather is right around the corner. No, my redbud tree is not in bloom yet and the mercury has not emerged from the depths of the fifties, but I do see signs of spring everywhere.

Driving to the Refuge, I love to look out over the autumn planted fields and see a brilliant emerald carpet. Even along the roadside, there are sprouts of fresh green grass, and I know before long I'll see blossoms on Bradford Pear trees in yards along the way. One of the olfactory signs of spring struck me as I was driving home from the Friends board meeting at the Refuge last Thursday night. In spring, skunks become more active and occasionally one wanders onto the highway and the inevitable occurs.

Another sure sign of spring is the changes in the birds. You can hear it and see it at Hagerman. Cardinals and others call loudly from treetops to attract a mate. Yellow-rumped Warblers can be seen courting - they fly out from a bush or tree and flit about before returning to the same perch, almost as if they are saying "Look at me!"

Last year's babies who looked so much like their mothers all winter are starting to come into their adult plumage. Young male Red-winged Blackbirds are shedding their brown feathers and bursting out in shiny black with brilliant yellow and red shoulders. They're gathering in groups and trying out their grownup voices. Great Blue Herons with dull grey heads are suddenly sprouting distinctive black and white, and adolescent Northern Shovelers look bedraggled, caught in between juvenile and adult feather.

New birds are arriving here everyday - I know it's spring when House Finches show up at my feeding station to compete with the House Sparrows and Dark-eyed Juncos. Chipping Sparrows scratch around in winter-moist soil for new sprouts and overlooked seeds. More and more shorebirds arrive at Hagerman as the Snow and Ross's Geese gather for their return trip north.

Now, where are those Redbuds?

Visit the Refuge soon to see these signs of spring for yourself. For more information, see http://www.friendsofhagerman.com.

Photos - Adolescent Shovelers, and Chipping Sparrow - by Laurie Sheppard

Weekly Bird Survey at Hagerman NWR

On Tuesday morning at 8 a.m., an eager crew of birders rolls out in the Refuge van to do a bird survey at Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge. Refuge Volunteer Karl Haller has been the “designated driver” each week for many years, for these bird census outings at Hagerman, and he also recorded sightings on both Tuesday and Thursday surveys. While Karl continues to drive, the survey is now conducted once weekly and Jack Chiles is the official recorder. Here are highlights from the count January 5:

2,500 geese, 20 gadwall, 70 pintail, 50 green winged teal, 20 bufflehead, 15 hooded merganser, 15 canvasback, 12 turkey, 20 horned grebe, 5 pied-bill grebe, 3 eared grebe, 6 red shouldered hawk, 8 coot, 12 yellowlegs, 4 killdeer, 4 least sandpiper, 700 ring billed gull, 12 flicker, 2,000+ horned lark, 7 cedar waxwing, 3 American pipit, 40 Harris’s sparrow, 50 chipping sparrow, 250 meadowlark

With Jack’s help, Grace and Michael Haight are creating a computerized file of the records from past years, as well as current data.

Wondering how you count 2500 geese or 2000 horned larks? There is a method – isolate one area of geese with say, 15-20 birds in that area, count them, then estimate the number of similar size areas taken up by the flock; multiply the count from the first area x the number of similar areas = bird count. Birds not in large flocks are counted individually.

Local birding volunteers are joined from time to time by birding visitors from all over the country. These groups complete their rounds by 1 p.m., but there is no rush to lunch, as the crew is well fortified with homemade cookies by the end of the ride. There is also some history behind the statistics. For example, the number of trips per year was reduced in 2007, 2008, and 2009 by the flooding of Lake Texoma, and the most unusual bird sighting has been the pair of whooping cranes that visited the Refuge in December, 2007.

Hats off to these volunteers for recording bird history at Hagerman NWR. To keep up with the weekly survey highlights, visit the Friends of Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge Facebook page or http://www.friendsofhagerman.com/. Reports are usually posted each Tuesday evening or Wednesday morning For information about Hagerman NWR, see http://www.fws.gov/southwest/refuges/texas/hagerman/index.html.

Photo Collage by Grace & Michael Haight

Great Blue Rescued through Team Effort

By Jana Singletary

Saturday, January 2, 2010 - Phil and I took Braden, age 5, to Denison Dam today in search of Eagles. Instead we were shocked and saddened to find a Great Blue Heron in a very desperate situation. It had been snagged by several lures on a fishing line that dangled down from a power line over the river. We watched in horror as the heron struggled unsuccessfully to free himself.
As we watched, a fisherman kept throwing rocks in an attempt to break the line. To our amazement, the line finally snapped, and the bird plunged into the river. It managed to swim to shore, but it was obvious that it was badly injured. The fisherman attempted to get close enough to help the bird but quit when he saw that the bird was becoming more stressed by his efforts.
I called my daughter Kim, who located a wildlife rehab organization in Dallas. After some good advice from them and volunteers Michael and Grace Haight at Hagerman NWR, I contacted a local expert, Steve Armstrong, Grayson County Wildlife Rehabilitation, who quickly rescued the injured heron and transported it to a rehab facility. Hopefully they'll be able to save the bird. It was the best possible ending to a very stressful day.

Photo of Great Blue Heron taken by Becky Goodman at Hagerman NWR.

Editors Note: This episode underlines the importance of taking lines and lures home, not leaving them to snare or hook waterfowl and other creatures. Metal can tabs and the plastic loops that hold six-packs are other common hazards to wildlife. Please, please, pay attention to the adage, in nature, leave behind nothing but your footprints!

A source of information re injured wildlife is http://www.dfwwildlife.org/. For more information about Hagerman NWR see http://www.fws.gov/southwest/refuges/texas/hagerman/index.html, and for information about programs and activities at the Refuge, see http://www.friendsofhagerman.com.

New Year's Resolution

For 2010, resolve to invite Mother Nature into your life! Ramp up the wildlife in your backyard! For bird feeder fun: purchase a new feeder and feeding supplies; it may take the birds awhile to find it if you are not already feeding, but they will come if you
a. Hang the feeder where birds will be safe from lurking cats
b. Place the feeder where birds can alight on nearby shrub, tree or other object and survey the scene before flying to the feeder
c. Keep feeders clean and supplied with fresh seed, suet, etc.
d. Don’t be too tidy – birds enjoy hunting for bugs and seeds among leaf litter under shrubs, etc.
e. You can squirrel-proof your feeder but why not enjoy the squirrels too?

Add a freeze-proof birdbath; yes they make them with heaters or pumps that keep the water moving! Again, keep it clean and full! Keep a brush pile for the enjoyment of the birds and rabbits. If space allows, add plants known to attract birds and butterflies to your garden.

Before the current cold spell our yard was visited by hundreds of robins! Now white-winged doves are vying with the songbirds for spaces at the feeders. Buy a bird book if you don’t already have one so you can identify your visitors.

Want to go further afield? When warmer weather comes you can enjoy wildflowers, butterflies, dragonflies and more! Check out the parks in your area. Take your new bird book along, and binoculars if you have them. Visit the new Trinity River Audubon Center in Dallas. Be a regular at Hagerman NWR! Explore each of the five trails at the Refuge for a variety of habitat and wildlife. Enjoy the Second Saturday nature programs and for youngsters, the new Second Saturday series for Youth, beginning January 9, at 10 a.m. in the Visitor Center. See you there!


To learn more about birds, visit

http://www.birds.cornell.edu/

For information on programs and activities at Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge, see http://www.friendsofhagerman.com/

Christmas Bird Count

Time once again for the annual Christmas Bird Count. At Hagerman National WIldlife Refuge, birders of all levels of ability are needed for the 2009 count on Saturday, 19 December. Meet at the refuge headquarters, 6465 Refuge Rd., Sherman, TX, at 7:00 AM to divide into teams. Anyone interested in searching for owls is welcome to meet Dr. Wayne Meyer at the headquarters building at 4:45 AM. The Friends of Hagerman NWR will be hosting a compilation social at 5:00 PM. All participants are encouraged to attend as the day’s results are added. If you want to participate you can just show up on count day, but it would help in planning if you let Dr. Meyer know you’ll be coming ahead of time. He can be reached at wmeyer@austincollege.edu or you can leave voice mail at 903-813-2254.


Reporting for the 2008 count, Dr. Meyer said "The count wasn’t blessed with as many interesting species as 2007 but we got 112 species this year, which is a very high count in comparison to several of the previous years. Probably because of the number of participants, we managed to see pretty much everything that was around this year, only one species was found on the count circle during count week that wasn’t located on count day (Lincoln’s Sparrow). You can see our results at the National Audubon Society’s Christmas Bird Count page (and the results of previous years) at
http://www.audubon.org/bird/cbc/. A summary of the count for this year is also included below.

Our most unusual species was Barn Owl, our first since 1992. We also got Fish Crow, two on the Oklahoma side of the circle. We set record high numbers for Bufflehead, Common Loon, Great Egret, Cooper's Hawk, Barn Owl, Downy Woodpecker, Pine Warbler, Eastern Towhee, Chipping Sparrow and Vesper Sparrow. We had 21 participants, the most we've had in many years, plus we got 6 feeder watchers to join in.

Results for 2008:
Checklist
Species Number or cw Flags, Max Number, Number of counts
Greater White-fronted Goose 82, 1120 in 100 23
Snow Goose (white form) 5510, 10480 in 102 12
Snow Goose (blue form) 800, 1611 in 102 23
Ross's Goose 1400, 3100 in 104 23
Cackling Goose 162, 553 in 107 4
Canada Goose 609, 4249 in 86 15
Wood Duck 2 LC, 41 in 105 20
Gadwall 58, 632 in 101 23
American Wigeon 13, 88 in 108 20
Mallard 379, 3523 in 99 23
Northern Shoveler 59, 356 in 89 23
Northern Pintail 79, 2172 in 99 23
Green-winged Teal 385, 3081 in 106 6
duck sp. 2, 954 in 106 22
Canvasback 7, 69 in 107 13
Ring-necked Duck 55, 1227 in 106 23
Lesser Scaup 9, 81 in 96 22
Bufflehead 29 HC, 29 in 107 18
Common Goldeneye 2 ,10 in 90 15
Hooded Merganser 14, 48 in 89 23
Ruddy Duck 5, 27 in 107 12
Wild Turkey 8, 61 in 99 12
Common Loon 83, HC, 35 in 99 20
Pied-billed Grebe 7 LC, 35 in 87 23
Horned Grebe 1, 128 in 87 18
American White Pelican 11 LC, 285 in 108 23
Double-crested Cormorant 462, 2199 in 102 23
Great Blue Heron (Blue form) 69, 142 in 99 23
Great Egret 14 HC, 8 in 108 10
Black Vulture 320, 268 in 108 23
Turkey Vulture 242, 305 in 103 23
Bald Eagle 6, 32 in 99 23
Northern Harrier 6, 31 in 101 22
Sharp-shinned Hawk 3, 10 in 105 22
Cooper's Hawk 3 HC, 3 in 105 16
Red-shouldered Hawk 15, 24 in 105 23
Red-tailed Hawk 62, 101 in 95 23
Krider's Hawk 1, US, 0
American Kestrel 37, 63 in 93 23
Sora 3, 9 in 108 4
American Coot 143 ,724 in 106 23
Killdeer 23, 252 in 100 23
Greater Yellowlegs 19, 74 in 104 20
Least Sandpiper 34, 118 in 99 16
Wilson's Snipe 8, 35 in 103 5
Bonaparte's Gull 105, 3540 in 87 23
Ring-billed Gull 855, 31568 in 97 23
Herring Gull 7, 18 in 99 20
Forster's Tern 61, 338 in 107 23
Rock Pigeon 1, 43 in 108 3
Eurasian Collared-Dove 1 LC, 13 in 108 5
Mourning Dove 102, 297 in 97 23
Inca Dove 8, 9 in 106 4
Greater Roadrunner 2, 19 in 88 20
Barn Owl 2 HC, US, 1 in 93 1
Great Horned Owl 1, 7 in 86 12
Barred Owl 5 ,16 in 87 22
Belted Kingfisher 8, 23 in 105 23
Red-headed Woodpecker 4, 16 in 94 15
Red-bellied Woodpecker 54, 88 in 99 23
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 17, 39 in 105 23
Downy Woodpecker 57 HC, 55 in 99 23
Hairy Woodpecker 4, 7 in 87 21
Northern (Yellow-shafted) Flicker 90, 157 in 93 23
Pileated Woodpecker 5, 10 in 105 20
Eastern Phoebe 16, 22 in 105 21
Loggerhead Shrike 12, 87 in 87 23
Blue Jay 116, 343 in 102 23
American Crow 394, 8492 in 95 23
Fish Crow 2 US, 3 in 103 3
Horned Lark 73, 196 in 93 22
Carolina Chickadee 243, 341 in 99 23
Tufted Titmouse 132, 92 in 86 22
White-breasted Nuthatch 11, 15 in 102 20
Brown Creeper 9, 19 in 91 23
Carolina Wren 59 HC, 69 in 95 23
Bewick's Wren 6, 15 in 89 22
Golden-crowned Kinglet 2, 36 in 87 21
Ruby-crowned Kinglet 45, 78 in 108 23
Eastern Bluebird 293, 480 in 102 23
Hermit Thrush 5, 23 in 86 22
American Robin 572, 16763 in 93 23
Northern Mockingbird 77, 154 in 105 23
Brown Thrasher 5, 23 in 88 23
European Starling 783, 101388 in 87 23
American Pipit 10, 104 in 95 19
Cedar Waxwing 333, 1710 in 93 23
Orange-crowned Warbler 4, 9 in 105 10
Yellow-rumped (Myrtle) Warbler 162, 730 in 93 22
Pine Warbler 9 HC, 6 in 101 9
Spotted Towhee 2, 8 in 89 16
Eastern Towhee 3 HC, 3 in 107 9
Chipping Sparrow 272 HC, 184 in 108 21
Field Sparrow 45, 287 in 100 23
Vesper Sparrow 27 HC, 23 in 96 21
Savannah Sparrow 46, 252 in 108 23
Le Conte's Sparrow 1 LC, 22 in 96 16
Fox Sparrow 14, 72 in 100 23
Song Sparrow 27, 211 in 99 23
Lincoln's Sparrow cw 25 in 93 21
Swamp Sparrow 3, 42 in 87 21
White-throated Sparrow 103, 289 in 86 23
Harris's Sparrow 90 512 in 93 23
White-crowned Sparrow 151, 278 in 93 23
sparrow sp. 69, 275 in 96 19
Dark-eyed (Slate-colored) Junco 693, 933 in 94 22
Northern Cardinal 381, 521 in 93 23
Red-winged Blackbird 149, 13332 in 87 23
Eastern Meadowlark 2, 892 in 94 23
Western Meadowlark 1, 8 in 103 19
meadowlark sp. 254, 3125 in 92 23
Brewer's Blackbird 40, 639 in 93 19
Common Grackle 5, 21230 in 88 22
Brown-headed Cowbird 77, 1132 in 88 22
blackbird sp. 305, 9895 in 88 23
House Finch 2 LC, 177 in 99 16
Pine Siskin 6 LC, 83 in 108 12
American Goldfinch 438, 960 in 102 23
House Sparrow 95, 260 in 88 23
TOTAL INDIVIDUALS COUNTED 19304
TOTAL SPECIES REPORTED 112 +1 cw
cw = Reported count week;
US = Flagged as an unusual species;
HC = Flagged as an unusually high count.
LC = Flagged as an unusually low count.

For more information about Hagerman NWR, see http://www.fws.gov/southwest/refuges/texas/hagerman/index.html, and for information about programs and activities at the Refuge, see http://www.friendsofhagerman.com/.

Quack FAQ’s

Why do geese fly in a “V” formation? It would be too hard to fly in an “S”... Actually, it conserves energy and makes it easier to keep track of each other.

What is a gaggle? A group of geese on the ground is called a gaggle or flock . A skein is a group in flight, and if flying in a “V” formation, they are called a wedge.

A nickname for the Canada goose is “the honker”.

Have your ducks in a row? You might have a:
Brace of ducks - a pair; Flock of ducks – on the ground; Flush of ducks – taking flight; Paddling of ducks or raft of ducks - group swimming; Team of ducks – group in flight

If you’ve heard one quack…you haven’t heard them all – most species have their own quack and male and females may have different quacks.

A goose or duck by any other name is:
Baby ducks-ducklings; Baby geese- goslings; Male ducks- drakes; Male geese- ganders

Eggs laid are called a clutch – may be 10 – 20 in a clutch

Certified swimmers – goslings and ducklings can swim when they ready to fledge.

Diving ducks are found on oceans, seas and inland water; dabblers are found on creeks and inland pools.

Want the lowdown on “down” – the small, soft feathers that provide insulation for birds, and when collected, for man. Down from Eider ducks is believed to be superior.

On Saturday, December 12, at 10 a.m., Dr. Wayne Meyer and Rick Cantu will show you the “Waterfowl at Hagerman NWR”, with a slide presentation and field trip! See you there!

More info? http://www.friendsofhagerman.com (Thanks to Bill Hurst for the Snow Geese Photo)

Welcome, and Van Tours of Refuge Begin in November

We're so happy to present to you the official blog for the Friends of Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge. Located in North Texas, on the Big Mineral Arm of Lake Texoma, Hagerman NWR offers an 11,000 acre plus habitat - water, wetlands, prairie and woods - for wildlife. The primary mission of the Refuge is to offer a safe resting and feeding area for migratory waterfowl.

The Friends’ main focus is helping Refuge staff in providing our visitors a first-class experience in education, conservation, appreciation of nature, and fun. We plan to use this blog as a way to keep everyone informed about the activities and events at the Refuge as well as bird sightings.

Huge flocks of geese will soon be arriving to spend the winter at Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge, and human visitors to the Refuge will have the opportunity to take a free van tour to view these geese as well as other wildlife at the Refuge, starting in November. Two-hour tours will be conducted by Refuge staff on the first and third Wednesday in November, December, January, and February. There will also be a tour on December 30. During the tour, visitors will learn the process of creating and maintaining the 11,000 acre habitat for resident and migratory wildlife, particularly birds.

Visitors can expect to see pelicans, numerous species of ducks, four species of geese, several species of sparrows, as well as white - tailed deer and wild turkeys.
Reservations will be required for the tours and can be made by calling the Refuge, 903 786 2826. The Tours will depart from the Visitor Center at the Refuge at 10 a.m. on the designated days. Each trip will be limited to twelve people. Binoculars will be available on a free loan-basis.

We hope you've enjoyed this introduction to the Friends of Hagerman NWR blog! You can bookmark our page for easy retrieval. We also want to hear from you, so feel free to click the comment button below to let us know what you think.

We're planning to post a new blog entry every week, so stay tuned for our next post, which will feature events coming up on our Second Saturday Nature Program Series.

For more information about activities at the Refuge, see http://www.friendsofhagerman.com . To learn more about Hagerman NWR, see http://southwest.fws.gov/refuges/texas/hagerman .