Birds of Spring Creek
For some reason, Spring Creek Park Preserve is always turning up some unusual bird. Maybe it's because we visit this park often. Maybe it's because such diverse habitats attract many species. Whatever the case, Spring Creek is a great birding spot year round. Some of the more unusual sightings include: American Woodcock (11/21/98; 12/27/98; 1/24/99), Blue-winged Warbler (4/5/99), Cerulean Warbler (4/30/98), Golden-cheeked Warbler (5/10/97), Swainson's Warbler (4/5/99), Hooded Warbler (4/2/99), Bell's Vireo (5/10-11/97), Grasshopper Sparrow (11/11/98; 4/3/99; 10/10/99), LeConte's Sparrow, Veery (4/2/99), American Tree Sparrow (3/9/98), Sedge Wrens (4/27/00), and Henslow's Sparrow (11/18/04).
I flushed a Sora on 10/18/98 from the field. During summer look for Painted and Indigo Buntings, Blue Grosbeak, Yellow-billed cuckoo, Red-eyed Vireo, Scissor-tailed and Great-crested Flycatchers, Western Kingbird, and Swainson's Hawk.
During winter, sparrows can be abundant, with Harris's, Swamp, Lincoln's, Chipping, Field, White-throated, Song, LeConte's, Savannah, Dark-eyed Junco, and Spotted Towhee. Fox Sparrows are often numerous along the hedgerow that extends northwest of the parking lot. Grasshopper and LeConte's Sparrows are scarce but regular migrants and winter residents. Also during winter there are Ruby-crowned and Golden-crowned Kinglets, Brown Creepers, Carolina Chickadees, Yellow-rumped Warblers, Hairy Woodpecker, Great-horned and Barred Owls, and others in the woods. Migration here is good also, with several warblers, Olive-sided Flycatcher, Catbird, Clay-colored Sparrow, Blue-headed Vireo, and others. Spring Creek is also great for butterflies during the warm months. Habitat includes remnant rocky prairie with cedar-elm/eastern red cedar islands or copses and bottomland hardwoods with bur, chinquapin, and shumard oaks.
Derek Hill
Bird songs for common species such as Carolina Wren, Tufted Titmouse, and White-eyed Vireo were recorded
during the summer of 2000 at Spring Creek and can be found on the
North American Bird Sounds web site.
Also check out
Key to bird calls, songs and sounds from Cornell University.
Bent's Life Histories of Birds - perhaps the best source on natural history of our birds
Join your local Audubon Chapter to meet fellow birders and see more birds:
Birds of Spring Creek Park Preserve
Garland, Dallas County, Texas
Compiled by Jack and Derek Hill
Derek's Birding Checklist for Spring Creek http://www.geocities.com/kinglet32/scpplist.htm
Derek's Neotropical Migrant Checklist for Prairie Creek Prairie Creek
Over 30 locations described.
New Hotspot near Rowlett Creek - a nice marsh and upland tallgrass prairie remnant.
* indicates probable nester (nesting behavior has been observed)
Now Available: Seasonal Abundance Checklist of Birds for Spring Creek. E-mail kinglet32@hotmail.com for a free copy.
04/27/2008 Last
Update
|
Double-crested Cormorant
Sandhill Crane (flyover)
Hooded
Merganser
Merlin
Franklin's Gull (flyover)
White-Winged Dove
Red-bellied Woodpecker*
Horned Lark
Bell's Vireo
Blue-headed Vireo |
Brown Creeper
Mountain Bluebird (new) 2007
Prothonotary Warbler
Prairie Warbler Summer Tanager
Spotted Towhee
Henslow's Sparrow
Rose-Breasted Grosbeak Purple Finch
Red Crossbill (flyover) |
2004 Audubon Texas Watch List
Although the Leconte's and Grasshopper Sparrow are not on the Texas Watch List, they are prairie-dependent
birds on the decline.
Total: 169 species.
See Events, Nature Notes & Weather for recent birding events as well as field reports from Prairie Creek, a tributary to Spring Creek in Richardson, Texas. Visit the Texbirds Reference Page at http://www.moonmountaingroup.com/texbirds. For good birding spots are Dallas click here on maps used on old Birding Texas site:
Photos by Ben Cox
Lincoln's Sparrow
Harris's Sparrow
Lincoln's Sparrow Fox Sparrow
(click to enlarge)
Savannah Sparrow
Northern Flicker
Brown Thrasher
Eastern Bluebird
click on above Northern Mockingbird to enlarge White-throated sparrow
Rare visitor seen upstream of Spring Creek Preserve and Forest...
Photo of Rock Wren taken at Spring Creek Natural Area, located in Richardson near Plano Road and Renner. The bird has been observed by several folks over the period of several weeks, with the last reported observation on December 16th. Taken by Dede Crusinberry.
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