June Birding Summary for Bell, Coryell & Lampasas Counties

Beginning in May, the Bell-Coryell-Lampasas cos. area fell into a rainfall deficit and remained dry pretty much through June. June was characterized by near record heat (consistently near 100), high humidity, but little actual rainfall until the very end of the month when a combination of a cold front and Hurricane Alex helped produce some significant rain for the area. The rainfall has served to recharge some ponds and should help rejuvenate vegetation. Although conditions for breeding were good this spring (there were lots of juvenile birds come June), breeding activity began to be severely curtailed as things started drying out during May-June (i.e., few 2nd attempts and the like, or at least few successful ones). June is typically our slowest birding month in terms of diversity as well as number of birding reports. This year was no exception, but there were a few nice surprises. In most years, a fair number of spring migrants will spill over into early June, but that was not the case this year, even for expected late migrants such as shorebirds and flycatchers. Most reports of note were of low-density or rare breeders within the tri-county area, or of somewhat unusual summering birds (e.g. waterfowl, Bald Eagle). A handful of post-breeding dispersers were also observed (waders, Osprey, kingfisher; with the waders perhaps being a slight bit early).

BLACK-BELLIED WHISTLING-DUCK
4 near jct of Elijah-Georgetown rds, Fort Hood (Coryell) 10 June [CEn]
2 &1 Witter Ln ponds, Temple (Bell) 10 [RPi] and 26 [GEc] June, respectively

GADWALL
2 Witter Ln ponds, Temple (Bell)
21 June [RPi]

MALLARD
2 &1Witter Ln ponds, Temple (Bell) 10 [RPi] and 26 [GEc] June, respectively – Likely feral.

BLUE-WINGED TEAL
1-3 Witter Ln ponds, Temple (Bell) 1-26 June [RPi, GEc]

PIED-BILLED GREBE
1 &3 Witter Ln ponds, Temple (Bell) 10 [RPi] and 26 [GEc] June, respectively
3 (adult and juveniles) North Fort Hood (Coryell) 11 and 23 June [GEc]

NEOTROPIC CORMORANT
1 Cowhouse Creek arm of Belton Lake, Fort Hood (Bell)
22 June [GEc]

REDDISH EGRET
1 juvenile Cowhouse Creek arm of Belton Lake, Fort Hood
(Bell) continuing through 12 June [GEc, RKo, RPi]

WHITE IBIS
1 Witter Ln ponds, Temple (Bell)
26 June [GEc]

OSPREY
1 Fort Hood (Bell)
28 June [GEc]

BALD EAGLE
1 4th yr/adult Cowhouse Creek arm of Belton Lake, Fort Hood (Bell) continuing through 24 June [GEc, RKo, et al]

MISSISSIPPIKITE
1-8 (adults and juveniles) Salado Creek, Salado (Bell) 11-30 June [RPi, GEc, DPi] – Initial sightings near last year’s nest; no nest found this year but presence of juveniles is suggestive of breeding.
2 Belton near Leon River (Bell) 17 June [RPi]

SHARP-SHINNED HAWK
1 Phyllis Dr., Copperas Cove
(Coryell) 4 June [RKo] – A bit late.

COOPER’S HAWK
1 Cowhouse Creek, Fort Hood (Coryell) 9 June [RKo] – Near historic breeding location.
1 Simmons Rd, Belton (Bell) 13 June [GEc]
1 Phyllis Dr. area, Copperas Cove (Coryell) off-and-on through 30 June [RKo]

BROAD-WINGED HAWK
1 over Temple residential area (Bell) 7 June [RPI]

SWAINSON’S HAWK – Few
summer reports; likely more common as a breeder in parts of the tri-county area that do not receive much attention from birders.
1 Fort Hood (Bell)
12 June [RPi, RKo, GEc]
1 Fort Hood (Coryell) 18 June [RKo]

AMERICAN KESTREL –
2nd consecutive year that kestrels bred somewhere in Bell Co.
2 (pair) McLane parking lot, Temple (Bell) 16 June [SSn]; 4 juveniles observed with adults on 18 June [SSn]; family group continued to be observed through at least 22 June [SSn, RPi, et al] – Nest was likely in the large cottonwoods bordering the McLane parking lot.

BLACK-NECKED STILT – Early
migrant or post-breeding wanderer?
1 Cowhouse Creek arm of Belton Lake, Fort Hood (Bell)
24 June [RKo, GEc]

WHITE-RUMPED
SANDPIPER – Late migrants.
2 Witter Lane ponds, Temple (Bell)
4 June [RPi]
1 Witter Ln ponds, Temple (Bell)
10 June [RPi]

WILSON’S PHALAROPE – Late
migrant.
1 male Witter Ln ponds, Temple (Bell)
10 June [RPi]

COMMON GROUND-DOVE
1 Simmons Rd residence, Belton (Bell) 6 June [GEc]
2 Croton Canyon, Fort Hood (Coryell) 10 June [GEc]

BARRED OWL – Secretive,
undoubtedly more common in the tri-county area than the few reports would seem to suggest.
1 Bear Springs, Fort Hood (Bell) 12 [RPi, RKo, GEc] and 24 [RKo, GEc] June

BELTED KINGFISHER – The
species is a low-density breeder in the tri-county area, but these sightings likely represent post-breeding dispersal for the most part.
1 Airfield Lake, Fort Hood (Bell) 22 and 28 June [GEc]
1 Witter Ln ponds, Temple (Bell)
26 June [GEc]
1 West Range Rd crossing of House Creek, Fort Hood (Coryell)
29 June [RKo]

ASH-THROATED
FLYCATCHER
3 Witter Ln, Temple (Bell) 26 June [GEc] – Somewhat unusual location.

EASTERN KINGBIRD – Late migrants.
1 Witter Ln, Temple (Bell) 3 June [RPi]
2 Heiner Lake, Fort Hood (Bell)
4 June [SSu]

YELLOW-THROATED VIREO
1 Table Rock Creek, Fort Hood (Coryell) 9 June [RKo]

TREE SWALLOW
6 (adult and juveniles) Cowhouse Creek arm of Belton Lake, Fort Hood (Bell)
24 June [GEc, RKo]

NORTHERN PARULA
1 & 2 singing Bear Springs,
Fort Hood (Bell) 12 [RPi, RKo, GEc] and 24 [RKo, GEc] June, respectively – 2nd year that territorial males have been in the canyon; breeding assumed.

PRAIRIE WARBLER – There
is an interesting back story to these sightings. Fort Hood has had a recent history of seemingly territorial males during the spring, and there has been at least 1 other June sighting. However, follow-up on these sightings has not been successfully. It is difficult to say whether there is a small breeding population at Fort Hood. The spring birds could certainly be migrants which got pushed west. The June birds are harder to make sense of, particularly since June seems early for post-breeding dispersal to be occurring.
1 photographed south of Brookhaven Rd (Bell) 1 June [MGa]
2 heard off of Nolanville Rd, Fort
Hood 2 June [MGa]

GOLDEN-CHEEKED WARBLER
1 Simmons Rd residence, Belton (Bell) 6 June [GEc] – Not unexpected, but few reports off of Fort Hood.
23 Fort Hood (Bell)
12 June [RKo, RPi, GEc] –High count; groups of adults with fledglings.

LOUISIANAWATERTHRUSH
4 and 6 Bear Creek/Bear Springs, Fort Hood (Bell) 12 [RPi, RKo, GEc] and 24 [RKo, GEc] June, respectively

OBSERVERS: CEn = Catherine Engelman, DPi = David Pinkston, GEc = Gil Eckrich, MGa = Matthew Gasner, RKo = Rich Kostecke, RPi = Randy Pinkston, SSn = Steve Snyder, SSu = Scott Summers