Photos - Page 3
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Interesting NETFO-area Photos of 2001:
A Say's Phoebe has been present at the Sabine Mining Co. and nearby Pleasant Hill Church in Harrison Co. through most of the 2000-2001 winter (upper photos) and again through the 2001-2002 winter (lower photo). Photos by Eddie Ray.
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On Saturday morning,
July 7, 2001, Guy Luneau spotted a female
Lark Sparrow with nesting materials and
followed her to the nest, cleverly hidden in a flower arrangement on a headstone.
Click on thumbnail
pictures to view full-size photos.
By
Tuesday, July 10, there were three Lark Sparrow eggs in the nest (laid on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday) and one cowbird egg
(laid on Sunday). The three
sparrow eggs are actually nearly white with dark markings, while the cowbird egg
is light blue with speckles. Eddie Ray photographed the nest with a
digital camera around 8:00
PM on July 10, 2001, and hopes to document the progress in the nest. Stay
tuned.
About 7:00 PM Wednesday, July 11, Eddie photographed the nest with fill
flash to reveal the colors and details better. The cowbird egg had been
replaced by a fourth Lark Sparrow egg. No one is saying what happened to
the cowbird egg.
On July 15 Eddie took this picture. The cemetery had been mowed, but the mother Lark Sparrow
apparently had taken it all in
stride. She was sitting on the nest when Eddie took the picture.
By late Friday afternoon, July 20, two of the eggs had hatched. The female was still spending time on the nest, either incubating or shading the eggs and hatchlings. Eddie reports that the photo he took Friday was too fuzzy. He'll try to get a better picture on Sunday or Monday, and by then all the eggs should have hatched.
On July 22 Eddie sent this report: "Guy reported late Saturday afternoon, July 21 that, 'the Lark Sparrow nesting had ended in tragedy'. Fire ants found the nest.
"It's sad but it's reality. So it goes with nature. This should remind us of the difficulties some species encounter in reproducing. Other birds, snakes, squirrels, insects and other things take their toll. Death to one creature is only a juicy morsel to sustain the life of another. Next year, another nest in another place may succeed in bringing little Lark Sparrows into this world.
"Next year, my plans will include Sevin dust."
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Eddie also photographed this Mourning Dove nest around the middle of July. His comment: "A Mourning Dove nest is hardly a model for sturdy construction. (It really looks more flimsy than the pictures show.) It will get the job done, though, unless a rat snake or some other predator gets to it or a thunderstorm blows the whole thing away!" |
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This White-eyed Vireo nest was photographed in early June 2001 by Dorothy Metzler. The far right photo was taken at a distance, without a tripod, and is consequently not very sharp. But the nestlings can be seen greeting the adult (perched to the left of the nest, shaking off the rain) with wide-open orange-yellow bills. |
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More Photos of Northeast Texas Birds and Birders:
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Photos page 1 (NETFO photos: 1997 - early 1999)
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Photos page 2 (NETFO photos: 1999 - 2001)
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Photos page 3 (More NETFO photos from 2001)
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Photos page 4 (NETFO photos: January 2002 - February 2003)
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Photos page 5 (NETFO field trip to Austin TX area, April 2003)
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Photos page 6 (NETFO photos: May - September 2003)
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Photos page 7 (NETFO field trip to Lake Gilmer area, March 2004)
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Photos page 8 (April & October 2004 field trips to Caddo Lake)
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Photos page 9 (NETFO photos: November, December 2004)
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Photos page 10 (NETFO photos: 2005)
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Photos page 11 (NETFO photos: 2006)
Help us keep these pages fresh and interesting by sharing your recent photos of NETFO birds and birding. Contact Dorothy Metzler: dmetzler(at)rlmgc.net.
Page last updated: January 04, 2008. All original contents are the property of the author or photographer, are intended only for the personal information and enjoyment of visitors to this Web site, and may not be used or published elsewhere without permission of the author or photographer. Copyright © 2000-2008. All rights reserved.