Somerville Lake

TEXAS PARKS AND WILDLIFE BIRDS OF L A K E S O M E RV I L L E S T A T E P A R K A FIELD CHECKLIST 2019 INTRODUCTION L ake Somerville State Park and Trailway in Lee and Burleson Counties contains 5,200 acres in three units along the western end of Lake Somerville. Birch Creek Unit is situated on the north side of the lake; Nails Creek Unit on the south side; and the Trailway Unit connects the units around the western end of the lake. Lake Somerville is an impoundment of Yegua Creek, a major tributary of the Brazos River. The Park is within the Post Oak Savannah Vegetation Region of east-central Texas. Numerous habitats occur within the park. Aquatic, wetland and/or floodland habitats include open water, shallow marshy flats, mudflats during low water periods, saline grassy flats, riparian woodlands along the creeks, numerous snags and an extensive, cleared pastureland on the flood plain. Upland habitats in the park include oak-hickory woodlands, little bluestem dominated grasslands and yaupon thickets. Water birds are a special attraction for this park. The reservoir receives heavy use by many species of ducks, herons and egrets, as well as grebes, wood storks and white pelicans. This area provides the best chance in the central Brazos River Valley to observe Bald Eagles and migrating Osprey. Both double-crested and neotropic cormorants are regular visitants to the lake. You can contribute to our knowledge of the park’s birdlife by sharing your observations on eBird, using Birch Creek Unit, Nails Creek Unit, Trailway and adjacent profiles. Additionally, new and unusual sightings may be reported to Texas Parks and Wildlife Department through Bird Sighting Report forms available at the park headquarters. Checklist nomenclature and organization follow the 2018 A.O.S. Checklist of North American Birds. Dr. Bert Frenz and Dr. Keith Arnold based this checklist on more than 30,000 records from a large number of observers and including sightings at other parks bordering on Lake Somerville. Special thanks to the Rio Brazos Audubon Society. Please help us protect the natural avian communities in our parks by refraining from using playback tapes of bird songs. Frequent use of these tapes disrupts essential territorial behavior and may lead to nest failure. Thank you for your cooperation. 1 LEGEND Abundance A – abundant C – common U – uncommon O – occasional R – rare I – irregular X – accidental More than 25 per day; may occur in flocks or rafts Between 10 and 25 per day, in proper habitat One to nine birds per day, in proper habitat Several in a season, occasionally seen; may occur in flocks Few records, not expected every season or year May occur in numbers some years, totally absent in other years Out of normal range, not expected to reappear Seasons SP – Spring (March to May) — northward migration period S – Summer (June and July) — peak of breeding season F – Fall (August to November) — southward migration period W – Winter (December to February) — wintering season 2 CHECKLIST SP S F W U U U R WATERFOWL ____ Black-bellied Whistling-Duck ____ Fulvous Whistling-Duck X ____ Snow Goose O O O ____ Ross’s Goose I I ____ Greater White-fronted Goose O O ____ Canada Goose O O O ____ Wood Duck U U U U ____ Blue-winged Teal C I C C ____ Cinnamon Teal R R R ____ Northern Shoveler C-A I C-A C-A ____ Gadwall A I A A ____ American Wigeon U U C ____ Mallard U U U ____ Mottled Duck I X X ____ Northern Pintail U-C I U-C U-C ____ Green-winged Teal C I C C ____ Canvasback U U R ____ Redhead U U U ____ Ring-necked Duck C C C ____ Lesser Scaup U U U-C ____ Bufflehead U U I U ____ Common Goldeneye I I I ____ Hooded Merganser O O O ____ Red-breasted Merganser I O O ____ Ruddy Duck U U 3 U SP S F W ____ Northern Bobwhite R R ____ Wild Turkey R R R R U NEW WORLD QUAIL AND TURKEY GREBES ____ Pied-billed Grebe I U U ____ Horned Grebe R R ____ Eared Grebe O U U ____ Rock Pigeon U U U U ____ Eurasian Collared-Dove U U U U ____ Inca Dove U U U U ____ Common Ground-Dove R R R R PIGEONS AND DOVES ____ White-winged Dove U-C U U-C U ____ Mourning Dove C-A C-A C-A C-A ____ Yellow-billed Cuckoo C C C ____ Greater Roadrunner U U U U ____ Groove-billed Ani X CUCKOOS NIGHTJARS AND ALLIES ____ Common Nighthawk U U U ____ Chuck-wills-widow U U U ____ Eastern Whip-poor-will R R C C C ____ Ruby-throated Hummingbird C C C ____ Black-chinned Hummingbird R R SWIFTS ____ Chimney Swift HUMMINGBIRDS 4 SP S F ____ Virginia Rail O O ____ Sora O O W RAILS, GALLINULES AND COOTS ____ Common Gallinule ____ American Coot C-A O O C-A C-A I R I ____ Black-necked Stilt R R R ____ American Avocet R R R I ____ Black-bellied Plover R R I ____ American Golden Plover C ____ Snowy Plover R R ____ Semipalmated Plover R R ____ Piping Plover I ____ Killdeer C CRANES ____ Sandhill Crane STILTS AND AVOCETS PLOVERS C C SANDPIPERS AND ALLIES ____ Upland Sandpiper U-C U-C ____ Whimbrel R R ____ Long-billed Curlew R ____ Hudsonian Godwit R ____ Marbled Godwit R R ____ Ruddy Turnstone R O ____ Stilt Sandpiper R R ____ Sanderling R R ____ Dunlin R R 5 R R C SP ____ Baird’s Sandpiper S F U U ____ Least Sandpiper C-A U C-A ____ White-rumped Sandpiper R-U R-U ____ Buff-breasted Sandpiper C C U-C U-C ____ Pectoral Sandpiper ____ Semipalmated Sandpiper W C-A U U U-C U-C ____ Short-billed Dowitcher I I ____ Long-billed Dowitcher U U R ____ American Woodcock U U ____ Wilson’s Snipe C C C ____ Spotted Sandpiper U O U O ____ Solitary Sandpiper U U ____ Lesser Yellowlegs R O R ____ Willet R I R ____ Greater Yellowlegs U O U ____ Wilson’s Phalarope R R U-C U-C ____ Laughing Gull O O ____ Franklin’s Gull C C ____ Western Sandpiper U GULLS, TERNS AND SKIMMERS ____ Bonaparte’s Gull U-C I ____ Ring-billed Gull C I C C ____ Herring Gull O I O O ____ Lesser Black-backed Gull X ____ Least Tern ____ Caspian Tern ____ Black Tern 6 R O O O U-C I U-C O SP S F ____ Common Tern O O ____ Forster’s Tern U I U ____ Royal Tern X X ____ Black Skimmer X X O O W U LOONS ____ Common Loon O STORKS ____ Wood Stork R U-C U-C FRIGATEBIRDS ____ Magnificent Frigatebird X CORMORANTS ____ Neotropic Cormorant ____ Double-crested Cormorant U U U U C-A U-C C-A A O O O O C-A O C-A A X X X O O O U ANHINGAS ____ Anhinga PELICANS ____ American White Pelican ____ Brown Pelican HERONS, EGRETS AND BITTERNS ____ American Bittern ____ Great Blue Heron U-C U-C U-C ____ Great Egret U-C U-C U-C U ____ Snowy Egret U U U O ____ Little Blue Heron C C C ____ Tricolored Heron O O O ____ Reddish Egret ____ Cattle Egret 7 O O O O C-A C-A C-A X SP S F U U U ____ Black-crowned-Night-Heron U U ____ Yellow-crowned Night-Heron U U U ____ White Ibis O U U-C ____ White-faced Ibis O U-C ____ Roseate Spoonbill O U U ____ Black Vulture C C C-A C-A ____ Turkey Vulture C-A C C-A C-A U I U U ____ Green Heron W IBISES AND SPOONBILLS NEW WORLD VULTURES OSPREY ____ Osprey HAWKS, EAGLES AND KITES ____ Swallow-tailed Kite X ____ White-tailed Kite R I R ____ Mississippi Kite U-C U U-C ____ Bald Eagle U U U U ____ Northern Harrier U U U ____ Sharp-shinned Hawk U U U ____ Cooper’s Hawk U I U U ____ Red-shouldered Hawk U U U U ____ Broad-winged Hawk C-A C-A ____ Swainson’s Hawk I I ____ Red-tailed Hawk C U C C ____ Golden Eagle I I 8 SP S F W ____ Eastern Screech-Owl U U U U ____ Great Horned Owl U U U U ____ Barred Owl U U U U ____ Short-eared Owl R OWLS KINGFISHERS ____ Belted Kingfisher U ____ Green Kingfisher X U U WOODPECKERS ____ Lewis’s Woodpecker X ____ Red-headed Woodpecker U U U U ____ Red-bellied Woodpecker U-C U-C U-C U-C U U ____ Yellow-bellied Sapsucker U ____ Ladder-backed Woodpecker R R R ____ Downy Woodpecker U U U U ____ Hairy Woodpecker R R R R ____ Northern Flicker U U U ____ Pileated Woodpecker U U U U ____ Crested Caracara U U U U ____ American Kestrel U U U ____ Merlin O O O ____ Peregrine Falcon O O ____ Prairie Falcon X FALCONS AND CARACARAS FLYCATCHERS ____ Olive-sided Flycatcher U U ____ Eastern Wood-Pewee U U 9 R SP S F ____ Yellow-bellied Flycatcher R R ____ Acadian Flycatcher U U U ____ Alder Flycatcher R R ____ Willow Flycatcher R ____ Least Flycatcher U U ____ Eastern Phoebe U-C U ____ Vermilion Flycatcher ____ Great Crested Flycatcher U-C U-C W U-C U-C R R U-C ____ Couch’s Kingbird I ____ Western Kingbird U U U ____ Eastern Kingbird C U U C-A C C-A U R U U C C C U ____ Bell’s Vireo R ____ Yellow-throated Vireo U U U ____ Blue-headed Vireo U U ____ Philadelphia Vireo R ____ Warbling Vireo R R ____ Red-eyed Vireo U U U ____ Blue Jay C C C C ____ American Crow C C C C-A ____ Scissor-tailed Flycatcher SHRIKES ____ Loggerhead Shrike VIREOS ____ White-eyed Vireo O JAYS, CROWS LARKS ____ Horned Lark 10 R SP S F U I U ____ Purple Martin C-A C-A C-A ____ Bank Swallow U R U W SWALLOWS ____ Northern Rough-winged Swallow R ____ Barn Swallow C C C ____ Cliff Swallow C-A C-A C-A R ____ Cave Swallow C C C R U-C U-C U-C U-C U U U U ____ Red-breasted Nuthatch I I O O CHICKADEES, TITMICE ____ Carolina Chickadee ____ Tufted Titmouse NUTHATCHES ____ White-breasted Nuthatch I CREEPERS ____ Brown Creeper WRENS ____ House Wren U U U ____ Winter Wren R R R ____ Sedge Wren R U R ____ Marsh Wren U U I ____ Carolina Wren U-C U-C U-C I I I C U C U ____ Golden-crowned Kinglet R R R ____ Ruby-crowned Kinglet U U U ____ Bewick’s Wren U-C GNATCATCHERS ____ Blue-gray Gnatcatcher KINGLETS 11 SP S F W ____ Eastern Bluebird C U C C ____ Townsend’s Solitaire X ____ Swainson’s Thrush U R ____ Hermit Thrush U U ____ Wood Thrush I I I ____ American Robin C U C ____ Gray Catbird U R U ____ Curve-billed Thrasher X ____ Brown Thrasher U U U ____ Northern Mockingbird C C C C U U U U-C C-A C C-A U-C U-C U-C THRUSHES U C-A MIMIDS STARLINGS ____ European Starling WAXWINGS ____ Cedar Waxwing WEAVER FINCHES ____ House Sparrow U-C U-C PIPITS ____ American Pipit U-C U-C ____ Sprague’s Pipit R R U U U ____ Purple Finch I ____ Pine Siskin O O O ____ Lesser Goldfinch X ____ American Goldfinch C C C-A FINCHES ____ House Finch 12 U SP S F W R R ____ McCown’s Longspur R LONGSPURS ____ Lapland Longspur NEW WORLD SPARROWS ____ Grasshopper Sparrow U ____ LeConte’s Sparrow R U ____ Nelson’s Sparrow R ____ Chipping Sparrow R R C C C-A ____ Field Sparrow U U U-C ____ Lark Sparrow U U U I ____ Fox Sparrow U U U ____ Dark-eyed Junco U U U ____ White-crowned Sparrow U U U ____ Harris’s Sparrow R R R U-C U-C U-C U U U ____ White-throated Sparrow ____ Vesper Sparrow ____ Savannah Sparrow U-C U-C U-C ____ Song Sparrow U U U ____ Lincoln’s Sparrow U U U ____ Swamp Sparrow U U U ____ Spotted Towhee I I I ____ Eastern Towhee R-U R-U R-U CHATS ____ Yellow-breasted Chat U U U ____ Yellow-headed Blackbird O O ____ Western Meadowlark U U BLACKBIRDS, ORIOLES 13 U-C SP S F W ____ Eastern Meadowlark C U C C-A ____ Orchard Oriole U U U ____ Baltimore Oriole U U I ____ Red-winged Blackbird C U C C-A I C C-A O I ____ Bronzed Cowbird ____ Brown-head Cowbird C-A U-C ____ Rusty Blackbird I ____ Brewer’s Blackbird R ____ Common Grackle C C C-A C-A ____ Great-tailed Grackle C C C-A C-A WOOD WARBLERS ____ Ovenbird U U ____ Worm-eating Warbler R ____ Louisiana Waterthrush U U ____ Northern Waterthrush U U ____ Golden-winged Warbler R ____ Black-and-white Warbler U U ____ Prothonotary Warbler U U ____ Swainson’s Warbler R R R ____ Tennessee Warbler U ____ Orange-crowned Warbler U U ____ Nashville Warbler U ____ Mourning Warbler ____ Kentucky Warbler U ____ Common Yellowthroat U ____ Hooded Warbler U ____ American Redstart U 14 U U U R-U U U R U O SP S F U-C U U ____ Magnolia Warbler U R ____ Bay-breasted Warbler R ____ Blackburnian Warbler R ____ Yellow Warbler U U-C ____ Chestnut-sided Warbler U R ____ Pine Warbler U U U ____ Yellow-rumped Warbler C C C-A ____ Yellow-throated Warbler U R ____ Northern Parula ____ Prairie Warbler W I ____ Black-throated Green Warbler U U ____ Canada Warbler R R ____ Wilson’s Warbler U U ____ Summer Tanager U U U ____ Scarlet Tanager R ____ Northern Cardinal C C C ____ Rose-breasted Grosbeak U R ____ Blue Grosbeak U R U ____ Indigo Bunting C U C ____ Painted Bunting C C C ____ Dickcissel C U C U CARDINALS AND ALLIES 15 C citation Frenz, Bert and Keith Arnold. March 2019. Birds of the Lake Somerville State Recreation Area. A Field Checklist. In 1983, the Texas Legislature created the Special Nongame and Endangered Species Conservation Fund. This fund may be used for nongame wildlife and endangered species research and conservation, habitat acquisition and development and dissemination of information pertaining to nongame management. Money for this fund is obtained through private donations and sale of nongame wildlife art prints and stamps. This fund now gives Texans a unique opportunity to help support this state’s valuable and sensitive nongame resources. Your individual contributions and purchases of nongame art prints and stamps will help determine the level of nongame conservation activities in Texas. For more information call toll-free (1-800-792-1112) or contact: Nongame and Endangered Species Program, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, 4200 Smith School Road, Austin, Texas 78744. Cover: Illustration of Great Blue heron by Rob Fleming. TPWD receives funds from the USFWS. TPWD prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, disability, age, and gender, pursuant to state and federal law. To request an accommodation or obtain information in an alternative format, please contact TPWD on a Text Telephone (TTY) at (512) 389-8915 or by Relay Texas at 7-1-1 or (800) 735-2989 or by email at accessibility@ tpwd.texas.gov. If you believe you have been discriminated against by TPWD, please contact TPWD, 4200 Smith School Road, Austin, TX 78744, or the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Office for Diversity and Workforce Management, 5275 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church, VA 22041. Natural Resources Program Texas Parks and Wildlife 4200 Smith School Road Austin, Texas 78744 © 2019 Texas Parks and Wildlife Department PWD BK P4507-056A (5/19) In accordance with Texas Depository Law, this publication is available at the Texas State Publications Clearinghouse and/or Texas Depository Libraries.