Migration in Dallas: The New Normal

Without a doubt moving to Dallas was the best possible thing I could have done. With that said, there are some things I was worried about when I left Houston. A ton of my college friends still live there and the food was outstanding, but my primary lamentation was leaving behind the incredible birding of the Upper Texas Coast. I was fortunate enough to get to experience Lafitte's Cove once this season, and after crushing it on the warblers I was afraid I would only get to experience the joys of migration when I make the drive to the coast. To quote Lee Corso, "not so fast my friend!" This "new normal" of Dallas migrations is actually quite nice.

There are many areas in Dallas to go for migration spectacles. Bob Woodruff Park, Village Creek Drying Beds, Wolf Springs Road, Moss Park, Trinity River Audubon Center, White Rock Lake, are only a few great places to visit. I won't focus on shorebird migration here because I didn't really experience it this year, but my brief jaunt to Wolf Springs Road in Ferris was OUTSTANDING! A major short cut my time short but there is abundant shorebird habitat and I got my lifer Clay-colored Sparrow! I'm really looking forward to late summer visits here later this year.

Yellow Warbler

Unfortunately the pandemic has left my favorite place to bird in Dallas proper, Trinity River Audubon Center, has remained closed until June 30. There was a silver lining, however. I spent tons of time at Harry Moss Park, which was a revelation. Harry Moss is a big park along White Rock Creek. There is a meadow that isn't mowed, although it has a few paths. Dickcissels are extremely vocal and Mississippi Kites can be seen soaring overhead. You can further walk through the woods and pick up a myriad of species. I didn't explore too much due to the mosquitos in the still woods but it was quite peaceful and I think it'll be very productive in winter.

The real highlight is the pecan grove that is a short walk from the parking lot. Migrant. City. Warblers and flycatchers were abundant. The highlights were Bay-breasted Warbler and Willow Flycatcher, a stunning Chestnut-sided Warbler, and a cooperative Yellow Warbler to name a few. The tall grass is home to Indigo Buntings and Vesper Sparrows (a lifer for me) and Yellow-billed Cuckoos and Great-crested Flycatcher's rule the tops of the trees. I had limited availability, but other birders were able to get Blackpoll and even a MacGillivray's Warbler.

Bay-breasted Warbler

Another new stop was Bob Woodruff Park in Plano. I only made one trip out there this year, but it was due to a lack of time, not lack of quality. There are a ton of trails that wind through the woods, as well as a creek that provides ample birding opportunities. My visit was short and not at the right time of day and I still had multiple species of warblers, including excellent looks at Black-throated Green, and a Summer Tanager. I need to improve my birding by ear when it comes to warblers, as they seem to call more up in Dallas than they did on the coast.

The last stop was a familiar one, but unfamiliar in the season: White Rock Lake. The spillway and fish hatchery offer up some great habitat for migrating songbirds if you can get off the main areas of the trail. I think the single best day my dad and I had was here. Along the edge of the woods we had a variety of migrants including Indigo Bunting, Swainson's Thrush, and Eastern Kingbird. I suspect there were even more in the woods, but the thick clouds of mosquitos drove us away. A strange call from in the woods lured me in, and that's when I learned a Wood Duck call! Around the lake we had a singing Warbling Vireo and Baltimore Oriole as well.

Wood Duck

Overall this migration exceeded expectations, and I didn't even make it out to every site. I missed Prairie Creek Park and Village Creek Drying Beds. The aforementioned Trinity River Audubon Center had been productive in the past, getting me Blackburnian Warbler in the right time of year, so who knows what else is to be found in the Trinity's vicinity.

Dallas exceeded my migration expectations, can't wait for the party to resume when shorebird migration starts up!

Yellow-crowned Night Heron