Houston Audublog

Hermit Thrush (Catharus guttatus) Family: Turdidae Houston birders are starting to see ever more Hermit Thrushes appear in the forest. These spotted birds fly to the Southern United States and Mexico in the fall to spend the winter before flying north again in the spring. Of the common American thrushes, the Hermit Thrush is one of the easiest to identify, due to its distinctive red tail that sharply contrasts with its brown back. Bold, black spots adorn its chest, which fade into its white belly. Like similar thrushes, it has pink legs and is smaller than an American Robin. Hermit Thrushes have a thin, white eye ring, whereas Swainson’s Thrushes have a bold, buffy eye ring and Gray-cheeked Thrushes have a much fainter eye ring. Both Swainson’s and Gray-cheeked Thrushes have a gray-brown tail and olive flanks, compared to the Hermit Thrush’s buffy flanks. The Veery is completely reddish-brown and has fainter spotting than that of a Hermit Thrush. Like other thrushes, the Hermit Thrush ...

By Julie d'Ablaing, Houston Audubon Natives Nursery Volunteer As we are both educated and encouraged to increase the diversity of native plants in our home landscapes to support the wide range of pollinators and birds that are under threat, one overlooked niche may be under the mower blades!   As a beekeeper, I am thankful for the early flowering clovers, in grassy areas in my neighborhood, although they are frowned upon by many residents as weeds in their lawns!  They help sustain the earliest of our nectar seekers.  As a naturalist I note the Herbertia, Sabatia, and the sprawling legumes, Neptunia and Mimosa spp., that are native “weeds”  supporting the more specialist native bees and butterflies. Tropical Puff ( Neptunia pubescens ), a host plant for the Ceraunus Blue ( Hemiargus ceraunus ) butterfly. On the almost desolate, non-irrigated mowed grass areas of the Copperfield Trail, dominated by Bermuda grass, Tropical Puff ( Neptunia pubescens ), a creeping...

Chipping Sparrow (Spizella passerina) Family: Passerellidae Breeding adult Chipping Sparrows have gray bodies, tan and black wings, a distinct bright rufous crown, white eyebrows, malar and throat, and a striking black eyeline. Immature birds will have less distinct eyelines and crowns, and will have a tan wash all over. They may also have slight streaking on their undersides.  This species has recently been spotted in Galveston, Brazoria, Chambers, and Harris counties. Chipping Sparrows winter in much of southern Texas. They thrive in altered environments, where other species might struggle. Spizella passerina prefers habitats containing trees, such as woodlands, edge habitat, forested parks, and yards. These sparrows spend a good deal of time foraging for seeds, insects and small fruits on the ground. Insects make up a larger part of the Chipping Sparrows’ diet during the summer. When building nests females tend to prefer evergreen trees, but will build their nests in deciduous t...