June 29th - Reesor (lower) Pond

[Shortsighted]

It was not so humid today and therefore I visited Reesor (lower) pond because it is so close.  At first, I saw nothing at all.  Then I noticed Barn swallows careening over the pond.  There were a couple of Mallards on the far NE end of the pond but nothing up close.  At the far north end there was a Pied-billed grebe, which later appeared at half the distance, and later still, it popped up out of the water maybe 150 meters distant, but at that point it was into the sun ... figures.  I could hear the loud call of something at a distance within the tall grass.  May have been a sora, or a morhen.  I noticed a nest some distance off from the observation mound and I believe it was a kingbird nest.  There was an Eastern kingbird perched nearby.  A Gray catbird also showed up.  Also, a Marsh wren and a couple of Yellow warblers and the requisite RWBBs.  It was so nice not to have a soupy humidity.


Nest with at least a couple of chicks




Gray catbird


Pied-billed Grebe

[Shortsighted]

I visited Reesor (lower) pond again today (June 30th) and it was definitely hotter & less wind.  I heard the Moorhen calling again but it did not show itself.  This time the call came from my side (west side).  The kingbird nest was just too far away from the observation mound and therefore I moved around to the south side to get a better look.  The parent birds would visit every 15 minutes to feed the three chicks within the nest.  The Pied-billed grebe was farther away today but I could see that there were three young grebe. 


Kingbird nest from observation mount.



Kingbird nest from south side of pond ... a little closer.



Parent kingbird perched on same tree as the nest


Pied-billed grebe and three young birds way out on the pond