Pie-billed Grebe – More than a Mouthful

 Birds, Pie-billed Grebe  No Responses »
Feb 292012
 
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I observed this Pie-billed Grebe on a small lake in Carrollton’s McInnish Park. The grebe dove and submerged as I approached, giving me the impression that I had startled him. As it turned out, the grebe resurfaced just a few yards(meters) away with a mouthful of crayfish.

The crayfish’s claws were clearly a challenge for the bird. The Pie-billed Grebe shook the crustacean vigorously several times. At one point, the bird engaged its webbed toes to aid in dispatching the hapless crawdad.

Once subdued and probably claw-less, the crawdad was swallowed whole without ceremony.

 
County - Dallas
City - Carrollton
Date - Feb 27, 2012
Time of Day - Morning
Temperature - Cool (50-69°F/10-21°C)
Weather - Overcast
Habitat - Water-Lake
Type of Behavior - Feeding
Gender - Uncertain
Maturity - Adult
Observer - Chris Jackson
Main Article - Pie-billed Grebe Observation Location

Striped Skunk – Reckless

 Mammals, Striped Skunk  No Responses »
Feb 292012
 
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I observed a large number of roadkill Striped Skunks on US 380 this weekend. This is an unfortunate, but common, occurrence at this time of the year. Mating season for the skunk is well underway, and the males often get reckless in their single-mindedness.

 
County - Denton
City - Savannah
Date - Feb 26, 2012
Time of Day - Afternoon
Temperature - Cool (50-69°F/10-21°C)
Weather - Overcast
Habitat - Thoroughfare-Full Access Highway
Type of Behavior - Death
Gender - Uncertain
Maturity - Adult
Observer - Chris Jackson
Main Article - Striped Skunk Observation Location

News – Snowy Owl in Downtown Dallas, and Maybe Fort Worth

 Birds, Snowy Owl  1 Response »
Feb 282012
 
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Account of a a Snowy Owl sighting in downtown Dallas, Texas and a possible sighting in Fort Worth.

 Snowy Owl in Downtown Dallas, and Maybe FortWorth

News – Frisco Mountain Lion Lookout

 Mammals, Mountain Lion  No Responses »
Feb 282012
 
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An older news account (October 2010) of a possible Mountain Lion sighting in Frisco Commons Park, Frisco, Texas.

 Frisco Mountain Lion Lookout

 
While it is highly unlikely that this represents an actual Mountain Lion sighting, it is exactly the kind of occurrence that I referenced in an earlier post: My Wish List Part 1: Mammals. Sightings of this kind are often reported by the local news with little or no follow up.

If you ever observe one of these cats in the North Texas area, please let me know. Let’s get one documented!

News – Apparent Rare Snowy Owl Shows Up In Dallas Area

 Birds, Snowy Owl  No Responses »
Feb 272012
 
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News account of a possible a Snowy Owl sighting in Rowlett, Texas.

 Apparent Rare Snowy Owl Shows Up In Dallas Area

Yellow-rumped Warbler – Urban Hazards

 Yellow-rumped Warbler  No Responses »
Feb 262012
 
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This female Yellow-rumped Warbler was the unfortunate victim of a common urban hazard for birds. The bird was killed by an impact with a large window. Under the right conditions a window can reflect a mirror-like image of the surrounding terrain. In this case, the bird mistook the reflected landscape for an actual passage through the structure of the building. A headlong collision resulted.

 
County - Denton
City - Denton
Date - Feb 11, 2012
Time of Day - Afternoon
Temperature - Cold (less than 50°F/10°C)
Weather - Clear
Habitat - Community-Church/School/Civic
Type of Behavior - Death
Gender - Female
Maturity - Adult
Observer - Chris Jackson
Main Article - Yellow-rumped Warbler Observation Location

Red-tailed Hawk – A Quick Visit, Then Some Noise

 Birds, Red-tailed Hawk  No Responses »
Feb 252012
 
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These two video are from an accidental capture. This Red-tailed Hawk just happened to decide to conduct some business in front of one of my Scouting Camera.

The first video shows the hawk just after he appears to have captures some small animal, possibly a rat of some kind. The bird fiddles with his catch a bit and then quickly takes to the air. And, when I say quickly, I mean he rockets out of view. The Hawk’s speed is really quiet remarkable.

In the second video, taken a couple of days later, the hawk has returned to the scene. This time the hawk stays out of sight, but if you listen closely you can hear him vocalizing. The hawk is very near. And, from the clicking noises and camera shake, we judge that the hawk may very well be perched on top of the Scouting Camera itself!

 
County - Denton
City - Lewisville
Date - Feb 6, 2012 – Feb 10, 2012
Time of Day - Afternoon
Temperature - Warm (70-89°F/21-32°C)
Weather - Clear
Habitat - Undeveloped-Field
Type of Behavior - Hunting, Vocalizing
Gender - Uncertain
Maturity - Adult
Observer - Chris Jackson
Main Article - Red-tailed Hawk Observation Location
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