Acton Nature Center of Hood County

05/04/2026

05/04/2026

From the 1st Saturday Bird Walk...
After the horrible weather that plagued the last two walks, this Saturday was absolutely perfect. A cold front had passed through with a little rain a few days before, which made conditions just right for the migrants to settle down and be observed. And the day did not disappoint with 38 species and two taxa recorded. There have been lots of warblers hanging around the bird blind over the last few days, and on Saturday we saw Nashville and Orange-crowned and heard a Common Yellowthroat; however, it was disappointing not to see a Yellow Warbler which had been frequenting the area. We also saw and heard a singing Blue Grosbeak just outside the blind early in the morning. The walk around the Center yielded a pair of Black-capped Vireos, both of which were seen and heard (they are rare enough that eBird still requires an explanation if they are reported). Probably the highlight of the day came from the northside pond where a Red-headed Woodpecker was observed at approximately the same place we had seen one earlier in the year; however, this time it was in its full breeding color and Jim got a good photo of it. The pond also yielded a Spotted Sandpiper, Belted Kingfisher, Killdeer, Wood Duck, and a singing Blue Grosbeak. On Saturday, the weather was prime for photography and Gary, Monty, and Jim got some spectacular photos. During the walk, we also got a good look at a Chuck-will's-widow in flight, and since we discussed it while standing at the Overlook, Gary sent a photo of the one that we saw nesting (very near our Saturday's observation) from June 2022, In the photo, see if you can find the chick that we talked about. The list is at: https://ebird.org/checklist/S332059433 What great fun, and hope to see everyone back in June.

03/27/2026

This warms all our hearts, God Bless!

03/27/2026

If you see wildlife in need and have questions call
Wildlife Rescue hotline that does talks (972-234-9453)
If they need to be Rescued Natures Edge Wildlife Rescue :)

https://www.facebook.com/Naturesedgewildliferescue

NEWRR is a 501c3 non-profit dedicated to rehabilitating injured wildlife, providing sanctuary to non-releasable animals, and educating the community about conservation and coexistence. Together, we protect nature's most vulnerable.

03/20/2026

From the 1st Saturday Bird Walk with Dave...
The March bird walk started out a bit rough. Severe thunderstorms were predicted for the morning and at the 7 AM start the wind had picked up, light rain started, and lightning could be seen. Billy was tasked to teach the MN class at 8:30 so to avoid being trapped in the bird blind by the thunderstorm we encouraged him to stay safe and get staged for the class. In spite of the weather threat 6 of us decided to go for it. We opted to head straight to the bird blind and hope that the cell, clearly seen on radar, would pass at some point. The first 20 minutes in the bird blind were pretty boring. The most activity seen was clearing condensation off the windows. No birds. Finally the storm let up, the wind let up, and the birds came out of hiding.

Turned out to be a fair day. We made the tour with only a minor sprinkle, though the paths were slick, the temperature continued to drop, and the wind was blowing a bit. Nevertheless we picked up 26 species and 1 taxa. Of note was the complete lack of any birds in the vicinity of the pond on the north side of the property (off-site). The past couple months it has been the home of several species of ducks, cormorants, grebes, herons, and kingfishers. Today nothing, except for a great egret seen from Kate’s Overlook headed in that direction.

We still have a variety of sparrows (9) that have not left, and spring arrivals are not yet here. Next month we should expect to see some changes.

Thanks to Wendy and Jim for the photos and to the other four hard cores that braved the storm to bring you this important breaking news!

Dave

03/12/2026

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