March Birding Summary for Bell, Coryell & Lampasas Counties

When it comes to the birds, spring really begins in March in the Bell-Coryell-Lampasas counties area.  With the exception of some very early movers during the last days of February, the first wave of spring migrants typically hits in March.  This year was no exception.  However, most, though not all, of these early migrants could be described as a bit late this year.  First reports trended about a week or so later than usual and numbers were slow to build.  The mechanisms behind this pattern of later than usual spring arrivals are bound to be complex.  However, this pattern is probably related to overall climatic conditions this winter, not only locally and regionally, but also down into Mexico.  Interestingly, it was not just the birds that were late this March.  The budding, flowering, and leafing of many plants also seemed to be about 1.5 weeks behind as well.  This winter was characterized by regular rain events, something that does not happen each winter.  Driven by the precipitation we received this fall and winter, habitat conditions are looking quite good.  The green-up is progressing rapidly, and there should be an explosion of wildflowers.  Creek, lake, and river levels are either normal or still a bit higher than normal, which can limit habitat for waterbirds in some instances.  However, wetland habitat is pretty widely available this spring with depressions, pits, ponds, tanks, and the like all holding water.  Given overall habitat conditions in the tri-county area, it should be a productive breeding season for many birds.

CINNAMON TEAL
1 drake Lometa Reservoir (Lampasas) 2 and 3 Mar [DHo, BSt]

HOODED MERGANSER – Seemingly sparse this winter.
1 Slough Pond, Shallowford Rd, Temple (Bell) 24 Mar [RPi]

COMMON LOON – Seemingly lower numbers reported this winter (not uncommon to have double-digit counts on Stillhouse) with seemingly few birds lingering into spring.
Up to 4 Stillhouse Hollow Lake (Bell) through at least 6 Mar [RKo]

HORNED GREBE
1 Union Grove Wildlife Management Area, Stillhouse Hollow Lake (Bell) 6 Mar [RKo]
2 Creek arm of Belton Lake, Fort Hood (Bell) 17 Mar [RKo] and 30 Mar [GEc]

EARED GREBE
2 and 1 Lometa Reservoir (Lampasas) 2 and 15 Mar, respectively [DHo]

NEOTROPIC CORMORANT
1 Lometa Reservoir (Lampasas) 2 Mar [DHo]
1-2 Slough Pond, Shallowford Rd, Temple (Bell) 6-31 Mar [RPi]

CATTLE EGRET
1 Slough Pond, Shallowford Rd, Temple (Bell) 9 Mar [RPi] – 1st report for the season.

YELLOW-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON
2 Temple (Bell) 17 Mar [RPi] – 1st report for the season.

WHITE-TAILED KITE
1 near jct of Elijah and Georgetown Rds, Fort Hood (Coryell) 10 Mar [RHo]

BALD EAGLE
1 adult Slough Pond, Shallowford Rd, Temple (Bell) 10 Mar [RPi]

BROAD-WINGED HAWK
1 over Temple (Bell) 27 Mar [RPi] – 1st report for the season.

SWAINSON’S HAWK
1 over Vireo Alley, Fort Hood (Coryell) 25 Mar [DCi] – 1st report for the season.
1 over Temple (Bell) 26 Mar [RPi
1 over Miller Springs Nature Area, Belton Lake (Bell) 28 Mar [RKo]
1 Elijah Rd west of Georgetown Rd jct, Fort Hood (Coryell) 29 Mar [RKo]
1 over Stillhouse Hollow Park area, Stillhouse Hollow Lake (Bell) 29 Mar [GEc]

MERLIN
1 along Owl Creek, Fort Hood (Coryell) 5 March [GEc, et al.]
1 LZ Sid, Fort Hood (Bell) 24 Mar [RKo, GEc, VSa]

SANDHILL CRANE
9 reports of flocks numbering 22-342 cranes various Bell/Coryell locations through 18 Mar [PPi, RPi, ERu, RKo, GEc, BSa, SSu] High of 1000+ over Temple (Bell) 14 Mar [RPi]

WHOOPING CRANE
3 borrow pit jct of Elijah and Georgetown Rds, Fort Hood (Coryell) 19 Mar [GEc, RKo, et al.] – Moving about 1.5 weeks early.

AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVER
1 Temple Lions Park (Bell) 21 Mar [RPi] – 1st report for the season.
1 Dana Peak Park, Stillhouse Hollow Lake (Bell) 31 Mar [KWi]

UPLAND SANDPIPER
12 along Shallowford Rd, Temple (Bell) 30 Mar [RPi] – 1st report for the season.

PECTORAL SANDPIPER
1 Shallowford Rd, Temple (Bell) 12 Mar [RPi]
1 borrow pit jct of Elijah and Georgetown Rds, Fort Hood (Coryell) 20 Mar [RKo]

MONK PARAKEET
1 continues at 31st and Marlanwood, Temple (Bell) through 9 Mar [RPi]

COMMON POORWILL
1 calling Kempner (Lampasas) 31 Mar [DCi] – 1st report for the season.

CHIMNEY SWIFT
1 Slough Pond, Shallowford Rd, Temple (Bell) 30 Mar [RPi] – 1st report for the season.

BLACK-CHINNED HUMMINBIRD – 1st reports for the season; on time, but numbers still a bit low by month’s end.
1 Lampasas (Lampasas) 17 Mar [GLa]
1 male Phyllis Dr, southwest Copperas Cove (Coryell) 20 Mar [RKo]
1 Kempner (Bell) 21 Mar [SSu]

ASH-THROATED FLYCATCHER – Late and in low numbers so far.
1 North Nolan Road, Fort Hood (Bell) 26 Mar [GEc] – 1st report for the season.
1 Fort Hood (Bell) 30 Mar [GEc]

SAY’S PHOEBE
1 vicinity of Rod & Gun Club Loop, Fort Hood cantonment (Coryell) through 31 Mar [GEc] – Continuation from previous months.
1 Training Area 30, Fort Hood (Bell) 26 and 31 Mar [RKo, GEc, et al.]

VERMILION FLYCATCHER
Pair Training Area 37, Fort Hood (Bell) 17 Mar [RKo, GEc] – Exhibiting courtship and nest-site selection behavior; female likely observed in the same area on 15 Mar [SSu] but hastily passed off as a “small Say’s Phoebe”.  On 25 Mar, the pair was no longer in Training Area 37 but apparently moved across North Nolan Rd into Training Area 30 (Bell) [BSa] and continued to be observed in that area into April [RKo, GEc].

SCISSOR-TAILED FLYCATCHER
1 Fort Hood (Bell or Coryell) 15 March [fide GEc] – Earliest arrival on record for Fort Hood.
1 Slough Pond area, Shallowford Rd, Temple (Bell) 18 Mar [RPi]
1 West Range Rd ACP, Fort Hood (Coryell) 24 Mar [RKo]

WHITE-EYED VIREO – 1st reports for the season.
2 Fort Hood (Bell) 17 Mar [RKo]
2 Lucy Creek (Lampasas) 23 Mar [DHo]

BLACK-CAPPED VIREO
1 Fort Hood (Bell) 24 Mar [RKo] – 1st report for the season; a bit late and slow to fill in.

YELLOW-THROATED VIREO
2 Bear Springs, Fort Hood (Bell) 24 Mar [RKo, GEc, VSa]

COMMON RAVEN
1 Peaceable Kingdom Retreat for Children (Bell) 10 March [GCr] – Flying down the Lampasas River towards Stillhouse Hollow Lake seemingly “on a mission”.
1 Training Area 37, Fort Hood (Bell) 12 March [SSu]

PURPLE MARTIN – 1st reports for the counties for the season; seemingly somewhat slow to fill in.
1 Kempner residence (Lampasas) 28 Feb [DCi]
1 Rod & Gun Club Loop area, Fort Hood cantonment (Coryell) 7 March [SSu]

TREE SWALLOW – A bit late and in low numbers.
1 Slough Pond, Shallowford Rd, Temple (Bell) 12 Mar [RPi]
1 Cowhouse Creek arm of Belton Lake, Fort Hood (Bell) 17 and 31 Mar [RKo]

NORTHERN ROUGH-WINGED SWALLOW
1 Rod & Gun Club Loop area, Fort Hood cantonment (Coryell) 8 March [DCi] – 1st report for the season.
20 Lometa Reservoir (Lampasas) 15 Mar [DHo] – Good numbers.
1 Slough Pond, Shallowford Rd, Temple (Bell) 16 Mar [RPi]
2 north shore Cowhouse Creek arm of Belton Lake, Fort Hood (Bell) 24 Mar [RKo]
3 West Fort Hood (Coryell) 25 Mar [BSa]

CLIFF SWALLOW
1 Slough Pond, Shallowford Rd, Temple (Bell) 12 Mar [RPi] – 1st report for the season.

CAVE SWALLOW – Became more widely distributed and abundant during the 1st week of March, though were still somewhat spotty in occurrence.
6 Hwy 190 culverts (Coryell) 6 March [RKo] – 1st report for the county for the season.
100 Lometa Reservoir (Lampasas) 7 March [DCi] – Good numbers for early in the spring.

BARN SWALLOW– 1st reports for the season; a bit late and slow to fill in.
1 Lake Henry, Fort Hood (Coryell) 5 March [SSu]
5 Slough Pond, Shallowford Rd, Temple (Bell) 6 March [RPi] 2, at least, Kempner residence (Lampasas) 12 March [DCi]

TUFTED TITMOUSE
2 phenotypic Tufted Donahoe Rd (Bell) 6 Mar [RPi]

SEDGE WREN
1 grasslands south of Robinette Point, Fort Hood (Coryell) 5 March [CEn, RKo]
1 Live Fire, Fort Hood (Coryell) 30 Mar [CEn]

MARSH WREN
2 Lake Rogers (Bell) 6 Mar [RPi]
1 north shore Cowhouse Creek arm of Belton Lake, Fort Hood (Bell) 24 Mar [RKo]
1 Miller Springs Nature Area, Belton Lake (Bell) 28 Mar [RKo]

GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLET
1 Fort Hood (Bell) 17, 24, and 31 Mar [RKo, GEc, et al.]
2 Temple Lions Park (Bell) 21 Mar [RPi]

BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHER – 1st reports for the season.
2 Fort Hood (Bell) 17 Mar [RKo]
1 Lucy Creek (Lampasas) 30 Mar [DHo]

GRAY CATBIRD
1 north shore Cowhouse Creek arm of Belton Lake, Fort Hood (Bell) 24 Mar [RKo] – Early migrant or winterer?

SPRAGUE’S PIPIT
1-5 various Fort Hood (Bell/Coryell) locations through 31 Mar [BSa, CEn, RKo, DCi, GEc] – Great winter for this species on Fort Hood.  More intensive birding effort in suitable habitats has certainly helped to elucidate the status of this species as a winterer on Fort Hood.
up to 3 Slough Pond, Shallowford Rd, Temple (Bell) 4-31 Mar [RPi]

NORTHERN PARULA
1 Bear Springs, Fort Hood (Bell) 24 Mar [RKo, GEc, VSa] – The species bred at this site in 2009.

GOLDEN-CHEEKED WARBLER – Late and slow to fill in.
1 Fort Hood (Bell) 10 March [GEc] – 1st report for the season.
1-2 near Stillhouse Hollow Park, Stillhouse Hollow Lake (Bell) from 17 Mar [GEc]
1 male Peaceable Kingdom Retreat for Children (Bell) 24 Mar [GCr]
1 Chalk Ridge Falls Park, Stillhouse Hollow Lake (Bell) 27 Mar [RPi]
1 singing male, Bee Suck Hollow, Miller Springs Nature Area, Belton Lake (Bell) 28 Mar [RKo]

BLACK-THROATED GREEN WARBLER
1 near Stillhouse Hollow Park, Stillhouse Hollow Lake (Bell) 24 Mar on [GEc]

BLACK-AND-WHITE WARBLER
2 Fort Hood (Bell) 13 March [DCi] – 1st report for the season.

LOUISIANA WATERTHRUSH
4 Bear Springs, Fort Hood (Bell) 24 Mar [RKo, GEc, VSa]
1 on territory, maybe 2, Chalk Ridge Falls Park, Stillhouse Hollow Lake (Bell) 27 Mar [RPi]

EASTERN TOWHEE
2 Fort Hood (Bell) 17 Mar [RKo, GEc]
1 Lake Henry, Fort Hood (Coryell) 25 Mar [GEc]

MCCOWN’S LONGSPUR
1 near the jct of Elijah and Georgetown Rds, Fort Hood (Coryell) 13 March [DCi]

CHESTNUT-COLLARED LONGSPUR
1-100 various Fort Hood (Coryell) locations through 31 Mar [BSa, DCi, Cen].  The last report for the month and likely for the season were 25 in Live Fire on 31 Mar [Cen], which likely caps an incredible winter for this species on Fort Hood.

BRONZED COWBIRD
1 Lonestar Range cowbird trap, Fort Hood (Coryell) 29 Mar [SSu]

OBSERVERS: BSa = Ben Sandstrom, BSt = Byron Stone, CEn = Catherine Engelman, DCi = David Cimprich, DHo = Daniel Hodges, ERu = Eric Runfeldt, GCr = Grant Critchfield, HWi = Harley Winfrey, JCh = Jeff Cheney, KWi = Kenneth Williams, PPi = Patty Pinkston, RHo = Richard Hoover, RKo = Rich Kostecke, RPi = Randy Pinkston, SSu = Scott Summers, VSa = Virginia Sanders