Bird count along the Bosque River Trail July 15, 2026
Weather - high complete overcast, light wind from the west, temp ~72 degrees at 7:00 am.
Hayfield tree - The hayfield tree rarely disappoints. Yesterday there was a Summer Tanager singing at the top of the tree. Today a male Painted Bunting sat in the same spot. I saw him on the outbound leg of my walk. On the inbound leg I saw a large black bird sitting in the tree. Initially I thought it was a hawk, but it turned out to be a large Turkey Vulture.
Mammals - While I mainly count birds along the BRT I also watch and record other wildlife I see. Today I saw three white tailed deer in the hayfield. There was a buck and two does. I also saw a rabbit and nine squirrels.
Soft Shelled Turtles - Yesterday I saw a large Soft Shelled Turtle on the river bank by the tennis courts in the Park. Today I saw another large Soft Shelled Turtle beside the trail along the south loop. He did not move as I approached him. I took a number of pictures of the turtle. Both of the turtles acted oddly. Usually the Soft Shelled Turtles are pretty vigilant and skittish. When they spot a human they instantly plunge into the nearest water body. Maybe these turtles were looking for a place to lay eggs.
Types of birds - 22 Number of birds - 131
Number Type of bird
40 Starlings
18 House Sparrows
10 Cardinals
9 Mississippi Kites - some of these are probably repeat sightings.
7 Grackles
7 Mourning Doves
7 Scissortail Flycatchers
4 Barn Swallows - there has been a massive decrease in the number of these birds over the past week
4 Ducks - flying - type unknown, but probably Black Belly Whistling Ducks
3 Robins
3 Mockingbirds
3 Red Bellied Woodpeckers
2 Red Shouldered Hawks
2 White Winged Doves
2 Easter Phoebes
1 Painted Bunting
1 Great Blue Heron
1 Bluejay - I heard the one I saw calling, and two other nearby Bluejays answering.
1 Carolina Wren
1 Chickadee
1 Inca Dove
1 Turkey Vulture
1 Great Crested Flycatcher
1 Dove - type unknown
1 Unknown - it looked like a Towhee, but it was too far away to see clearly. It could have been a robin, but it didn’t perch like a robin.