Fish Hatchery Madness

There wasn't much running going on at GTBC. However the Jasper fish hatchery ponds we ran twice. Not a serious run, but it took about 30 minutes each time, so I might as well post about it. There was some stopping, but quite a bit of running. The first time was on the during scouting. We were informed that this would be a powerbirding spot, so running was in order. That first trip around the ponds we scored some very good species, including our only hummer of the scouting days, cedar waxwings, spotted, pectoral, and solitary sandpipers, most of the egrets and herons, some swallows, and a very territorial yellow-throated warbler. We would have also gotten a lifer reptile if we could have determined whether the alligator snapping turtle we came across was alive or sleeping. Once we got back to the van Chip treated us to a rendition of his cedar waxwings song, and we moved on the Martin Dies Jr. Park.

On the big day, many of the birds were the same, except a nice hooded merganser that was a far pull, and no spotted sandpiper. There was also a nice least sandpiper. When we got back to the van it was somewhat after 9 if I remember correctly. (I have no real remembrance of time on the big day). We did take more time than we were allotted on this run, but the birds were good and some of them, like the solitary sandpiper and the hooded merganser, we got no where else. Chip had fixed us cream cheese and strawberry jelly on bagels, bananas, and yogurt while we were running. It was our only "meal" of the day until IHop at 11:30 that night (unless you count eating two bags of jerky and one bag of dried mango as meals). Once again we headed off Marten Dies Park and the rest of the big day.