Reconnecting with the Local Birds at Harry Moss Park

I started really getting into birding about 7 years ago, and since then the way I've birded has changed a lot. I used to stop for every cardinal, now I usually pay minimal attention to them. In college I had 2 patches, and in Dallas I had 2 patches. Spending a day on the Texas coast was a monumental endeavor, now a trip to Central America is easy. My Nat Geo field guide was all I read, now my bookshelf is running out of room with field guides from Chile to India and everywhere in between. 

Coming home and looking through a field guide to the "Birds of (insert far flung place here" can make you forget about the birds that made you fall in love with birding in the first place. Fortunately for me that changed when I went back to Harry Moss Park.

Eastern Bluebird

Migration is in its earliest stages here so no warblers would be seen, but I just wanted to get out. It was the pefect time of  year to do so. One day the trees are empty, the next day they are bright green and full of leaves and birds. The weather was neither cold nor hot and there wasn't a cloud in the sky. 

The first bird that caught my eye was a Blue Jay. This is another bird I can sometimes walk past, but this time I stopped and looked. The bright blue contrasting with the black collar was stunning. The crest and barred tail add eye popping detail. I was stunned. In that moment I remembered how I always encourage people to bird tropical areas to see all the color, and I realized we have plenty of color here. Believe it or not, people will travel here to see Blue Jays.

A well hidden Blue-gray Gnatcatcher

As I walked into the woods I was thrown off by how green it was. White-throated Sparrows were singing and Cardinals were whizzing by. It was almost sensory overload. Who have I become by getting mesmerized by a Cardinal? As I continued I heard the whizz of a Blue-gray Gnatcatcher. Small, hidden, and not visually significant, I found myself searching through this bush to get a better look.

Stopping at the creek I had another treat: American Goldfinches in breeding plumage. Usually I only get to see them in their less appealing winter plumage. This time I got to see the reason why they are called goldfinches. A small flock of bright gold birds zipping across the creek is definitely a walk stopper. The last big at the spot was a swimming male Wood Duck.

Wood Duck

As I wrapped up my walk I found myself a little disappointed I didn't see bluebirds, but in the parking lot I got both a male and female Eastern Bluebird! The sunlight hit their deep blue plumage perfectly. My last few trips have been canceled due to Covid and weather, and I'm itching to get out of town. As I sit here planning my 2022 trips, I realized that I forgot how colorful and stunning the local birds are. It's going to be a great migration!