KAW MISSION BIRD COUNTS 2006

Spring FKH Bird Count

Saturday April 8, 2006 8:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. Temperature: 37 -60 F. clear skies

The April Bird Walk took place on the Flint Hills Nature Trail, starting at Allegawaho Heritage Memorial Park and ending near the Big John Creek Bridge, a distance of 1-¾ miles.

List of Birds
Red-Winged Blackbird - 50+, All Female
Bluejay - 2
Brown Thrasher - 2
Cardinal - 9
Chickadee - 3
Brown Headed Cowbird - 6
Crow - 2
Eastern Bluebird  - 6
Eastern Phoebe - 2
Great Blue Heron - 1
Merlin Hawk - 2
Mourning Dove - 4
Red-tailed Hawk - 1
Sparrow, Field - 1
Sparrow, Harris - 13
Sparrow, Song - 5
Tree Swallow - 15
Tufted Titmouse - 4
Turkey, Wild - 1
Turkey Vulture - 15
Woodpecker, Downy - 3
Woodpecker, Red-bellied -
Yellow-shafted Flicker - 1
Yellow- bellied Sapsucker - 2

Twenty- four species and 141 birds sighted.

Note:  Recorded Deer (4) & Tree Toad (1)
              

Early Fall FKH Bird Count

Saturday August 5, 2006 7:10 a.m. - 10:15 a.m. Allegawaho Memorial Heritage Park

The walk began at the A-Park trailhead. We proceeded north on the prairie section of the trail loop and returned south on the timbered segment, arriving back at the trailhead. Walk began with temperatures in the 70s and ended with temps. in the 80s. Clear sky, light wind from south.  

List of Birds
Cardinal - 6
Tufted titmouse - 3
Chickadee - 2
Baltimore Oriole - 3
Red-bellied Woodpecker - 2
Dickcissel - 6
Downy Woodpecker - 2
Eastern Bluebird - 1
House Wren - 2
White-breasted Nuthatch - 4
Mourning Dove - 8
Eastern Meadowlark - 2
Eastern Kingbird - 1
Upland Sandpiper - 1
Ruby-throated Hummingbird - 1
Goldfinch - 1
Bobwhite - 1
Bluejay - 1
Eastern Wood Peewee - 1
Great Blue Heron - 1

Twenty species and 49 birds sighted.

Note:  The group also investigated the vestigial remains of a pear orchard presumably planted by the Kaws. 
         

Mid-Fall FKH Bird Count

Saturday, October 21, 2006, 8:10 a.m. to 9:48 a.m.
Solo Walk at Allegawaho Park – Reported by a member of the bird count group.

Conditions: rain, temps. 45-50, wind from north last half of the walk.

List of Birds
Song Sparrow - 4
Lincoln Sparrow - 1
Red-bellied Woodpecker - 1
Wild Turkey - 2
Red-tailed Hawk - 1
Canada Geese - 2
Eastern Meadowlark - 1
Eastern Bluebird - 1
Crow - 1

Nine species and 14 birds sighted.

Also observed were a number of sparrow-like birds that were not positively identified, as light conditions were not optimal. 

Comments:
“The highlight was very early in the walk I saw two young Wildcats, probably 3/4 grown. The first one shot across the forest floor heading east into the tall grass.  I didn't immediately recognize it but thought to myself that I'd never seen a raccoon move that fast! Then I heard a scratching and clatter up ahead and here was a wildcat about twenty feet up a large tree looking back at me. He went to the other side of the trunk, descended in a flash, and bee lined across the creek.”
    

Mid-Fall FKH Bird Count

Saturday, October 28, 2006, 8:30 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.
Solo Walk at Allegawaho Park –
Reported by a member of the bird count group.

“I arrived at Allegawaho Memorial Park and walked the woods along the creek.  The morning was sunny and very still.   The temperature ranged from about 40 degrees to 45 degrees F.  The path was blanketed with leaves, mostly oak, some hackberry and a few
other species. “

List of Birds
Cardinal - 2
Downy Woodpecker - 3
Goldfinch - 1
Tufted Titmouse - 1
Junco - 10
Red-breasted Woodpecker - 3
White-breasted Nuthatch - 1
Bluejay - 1
Eastern Bluebird - 1
Chickadee - 3
Crow - 2
Great Blue Heron - 1
Great Horned Owl - 1

Thirteen species and 30 birds sighted.

Comments:
“Once when I began to move on along the
trail after a stop, I looked down the trail just
as a young buck was trotting along coming my way.  He saw me the same time I saw him and bolted off across the creek and beyond.  A beautiful sight!” 
    

Late Fall FKH Bird Count

Saturday, November 4, 2006
8:00 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.
Allegawaho Memorial Heritage Park

Walk began at. at the A-Park trailhead. We proceeded north on the timbered segment of the trail loop and returned south on the prairie section of the trail, arriving back at the trailhead.  Walk began with the temperature at 43 degrees and ended with a temperature of 60 degrees. Clear sky, light wind from north.

List of Birds
American Kestrel - 2
Tufted Titmouse - 1
Chickadee - 3
Red-bellied Woodpecker - 6
Downy Woodpecker 3 - 1 female
Eastern Bluebird - 100 - Appeared to be migrating.
Eastern Meadowlark - 3
White-breasted Nuthatch - 1
Goldfinch - 411 (No kidding, when we add up all of the sightings this is the figure we get!)
Harris Sparrow - 11
Yellow Shafted Flicker - 1
Northern Harrier, (Marsh Hawk) - 2 female
Red-tail Hawk - 3
Blackbirds - 42
Junco - 32
American Tree Sparrow - 1
Crow - 2
White crowned sparrow - 4
Canada Goose - 64
Ducks (unspecified) - 133

Twenty species and 824 birds sighted.

Comments:
In addition to the birds observed the group found an old axle from a car with gearbox as well as cables that are remnants from a harvest of oak trees.  A walker noted that a local landowner reported that, “A lot of oak trees were cut down here in 1970.” 

The group also encountered a metal structure nearly buried in the soil.  As nearly as we could determine, it was the remains of a dipping bath for cattle.  One walker asserted that it was too small for cattle but may have been used as a dipping bath for calves.  Another local landowner has said that people often ‘ran hogs in a fall round-up’ in this area. We thought this structure may have been used during these round-ups.
     

Early Winter FKH Bird Count

Thursday, December 14, 2006
8:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.
Allegawaho Memorial Heritage Park

 The walk began at the A-Park trailhead. We
proceeded north on the timbered segment of
the trail loop and returned south on the prairie
section of the trail, arriving back at the trailhead. 
Walk began with the temperature at 43
degrees and ended with a temperature
of 60 degrees. Clear sky, light wind from north.

List of Birds
Tufted Titmouse - 2
Chickadee - 4
Bluejay - 1
Harlin’s Hawk* - 1
Cooper’s Hawk - 1
Robin - 26
Red-bellied Woodpecker - 6
Eastern Bluebird - 3
Yellow-shafted Flicker - 1
Goldfinch - 4
Northern Harrier, (Marsh Hawk) - 1 **
Junco - 21
Crow - 5
Canada Geese - 508
Duck (unspecified) - 1 

Fifteen species and 586 birds sighted.

Comments:
*  Harlin’s Hawk winters in parts of Missouri,
Eastern Kansas and Oklahoma.  This species
spends summers in British Columbia & Alaska.

** The Northern Harrier perched on top of 
the Monument to the Unknown Kansa Warrior 
for several minutes as we completed the walk.