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20 Members
Camp Fire Kids Unplugged	Nikki Truskett	bluesqueezebox
shellrose	Siebrise	Judith Bailey
Catherine	gregg	M. Piette
Luv2Bike	Paul von Hippel	bgierisch15
Jake McCumber	Nicole Bartel	bullcreek
dodger	bdjones	Jeff Baker
mkpiette	Bobby Gierisch

Name:	Bird Watchers Cry Fowl!
Community:	Mueller Community
Moderator:	shellrose
Description:	Report a sighting Ask about a sighting Talk about bird feeders, bird baths, bird book, binoculars Find out what birds are in our neighborhood and where are they

Group Messages

Goose in the grassland??

by shellrose on December 21st, 2009

Just curious if anyone else has seen a bird that looks like a white goose with black wing tips in the Great Mueller Grassland? I saw it twice this past weekend - it descended in 3 or 4 lazy circles and landed in the grass. On Saturday, it landed north of Simond and south of the big dirt pile. On Sunday, it landed to the East of the big dirt pile. I didn't get a great look at it either time, but I came home and looked in my Sibliey's and it most resembles a Snow Goose or a Ross Goose.

Purple Martin Gathering

by shellrose on August 8th, 2009

Has anyone else noticed the Purple Martins that gather in the evening on the utility wires at Berkman and about Camacho? There are hundreds of them, side-by-side on the wires. It is nice to know we have a big mosquito abatement team working at Mueller.

Group Comments

Janelle Dozier wrote
on January 5th, 2017

Celebrating Wild Mueller

Second Audubon Bird Walk!

9 - 11 a.m., Sunday, January 8

Mueller Demonstration Garden (near Sahm and Tom Miller Streets, about the 2500 block of Tom Miller)

Once again, members of the Travis Audubon Society will bring spotting scopes and extra binoculars to share with anyone wanting to see the winter birds at Mueller.

Learn about the birds' habits and habitat. Identify them by their calls.

All ages are welcome. Kids had a great time last month.

Here's Judith Bailey's report from last month's bird walk: "There were 19 adults and 4 very enthusiastic young boys who saw and heard 34 different species. We saw raptors, ducks and other water fowl, songbirds, and several large waders. Probably the best bird of the day was a male Belted Kingfisher. Most got good scope views of the kingfisher, the Great Blue Heron and the Great Egret."

This free, public event is brought to you by the Mueller P.O.A. Landscape Committee.

Janelle Dozier wrote
on December 28th, 2016

Janelle Dozier wrote
on October 27th, 2016

A Winter of
Birding at Mueller

Monday, Nov. 7, 7-9 p.m.
Wildflower Terrace Theater
Corner of Berkman and Tom Miller
Free and open to all

Kickoff presentation for a Winter of Birding

Jane Tillman of the Travis Audubon Society will present a slideshow and discuss the birds that might be seen at Mueller in the winter. She will cover four general environments: our lakes, our prairies, our urban areas, and the sky overhead. Dr. Tillman is a noted Texas bird expert who is a popular speaker.

AJ Johnson, also of Travis Audubon Society, and an adviser to the Mueller P.O.A. on bird habitat, will show photos of the barn owl family that lives in our Control Tower.

This presentation will be suitable for beginners and experienced birders alike.

Upcoming Outdoor Birding Sessions

One day every month, bird experts will be available at Mueller. They will bring spotting scopes and binoculars to assist anyone who wants to learn more about birding in winter. Winter is an excellent time to observe many bird species that enjoy Central Texas.

Watch for announcements of time and date!

This presentation is brought to you by your Mueller P.O.A. Landscape Committee, a group of volunteers committed to preserving our green open spaces in Mueller.

Janelle Dozier wrote
on September 17th, 2015

The Native Plant Society of Texas will have experts at the Sept. 26 Mueller Greenways Garden Tour.

Native plants are essential to the health of our environment and the health of our native birds and butterflies. Native birds evolved with native plants. Exotic plants don't always provide the nutrients or habitats needed for our birds.

Native plants can also be beautiful in the home landscape, as well as require less water and supplements.

Come visit with the Native Plant Society expert and learn why Mueller uses native plants in its landscape.

Mueller Greenways Garden Tour
Meet at the Spider
9 a.m. to noon, Saturday, Sept. 26

Face-painting for kids
Free live music

Sponsored by the Mueller P.O.A. Landscape Committee

Janelle Dozier wrote
on September 12th, 2015

Support Friends of the Mueller Prairie
at the Mueller Community Yard Sale

Got stuff? Donate it to the Friends of the Mueller Prairie. We will sell it at the Mueller Community Yard Sale on Saturday, Sept. 26.

Proceeds will support purchase of native seeds and plants, educational event costs, and other prairie-support activities.

The Mueller Prairie is important bird habitat providing food, shelter and nesting sites for many native birds.

Bring your donated items to the house on the corner of Antone and Mendez (across from Ella Wooten Park) by 8:30 a.m., Sept. 26.

Any items left unsold will be donated to Goodwill.

If you would like to volunteer to help with the sale table, please contact Janelle.

Thank you!

Janelle Dozier wrote
on September 3rd, 2015

Hey, birders!

Would you be interested in volunteering for the Mueller Greenways Garden Tour? Rub shoulders with folks from Travis Audubon, Habitat Stewards and gardeners who know how to create inviting spaces for birds.

Easy tasks the week before the event and the day of the event. Event is the morning of Saturday, Sept. 26.

Send me a private message.

Thanks!

Janelle

Janelle Dozier wrote
on August 26th, 2015

Hey, Mueller Birders!

A.J. Johnson of Travis Audubon will be available Saturday, Sept. 26 to answer all your Mueller birding questions. He'll be one of the many native plant and animal experts at the Mueller Greenways Garden Tour the morning of Sept. 26.

Look for him and other nature speakers at the Demonstration Garden at the corner of Sahm and Tom Miller.

This event is sponsored by your Mueller P.O.A. Landscape Committee

shellrose wrote
on January 17th, 2013

Has anyone else noticed that the cold weather seems to have caused an uptick in bird activity at feeders. In addition to the regulars, we have been seeing a lot of Goldfinches, Warblers and House Finches at our feeders.

Sol Acosta-Houston wrote
on July 11th, 2012

I think the Purple Martins are back! Whatever kind of bird they are I love watching them and the occasional parakeet in their midst. I also love not having seen the usual amount of mosquitoes --rain and all,-- and even the gecko who staked his claim to my front porch has been quite shy lately. I hate geckos so long live the Purple Martins!

Bobby Gierisch wrote
on April 24th, 2012

Lovers of birds & butterflies, please check out the Mueller Butterfly Walk & Talk, with noted entomologist, photographer, naturalist and frequent lecturer Val Bugh. It's on May 12 and details are on the Events calendar here at CitiCite.

shellrose wrote
on March 28th, 2012

We've really been enjoying the birds at our feeders - the spring has generated a lot of activity. We have a lot of House Finches, Lesser Goldfinches, Red-winged Blackbirds, Sparrows of various varieties and we had our first hummingbird yesterday.

shellrose wrote
on January 28th, 2012

I walked around the Lake Park yesterday and saw the birds on the fountain head. I just assumed they were cormorants - thanks for the info.

bullcreek wrote
on January 28th, 2012

Interesting birds -- Anhingas -- have been hanging out in Lake Park the last couple of weeks. They like to perch on the fountain head in the middle of the lake.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bullcreek/6776467307/in/photostream

bullcreek wrote
on January 28th, 2012

jill wrote
on October 18th, 2011

Bird photographers who would like to make drawings, my friend is teaching this class at Laguna Gloria. Jill
http://theartschool.amoa.org/index.cfm?method=ClassInfo.ClassInformation&int_class_id=4606&int_category_id=1&int_sub_category_id=2&int_catalog_id=0

ret1ree00 wrote
on October 6th, 2011

New firsts at our house today. A male golden finch has been taking issue with his own reflection in our dining room window most of the day. Second first a downy woodpecker has been spotted today hopping around our trees today.

Joe

ret1ree00 wrote
on August 1st, 2011

At dusk tonight (8/1/11) I noticed about 20-30 bats working Ella Wooten Park. Not birds but pretty cool none the less.

Paul von Hippel wrote
on November 14th, 2010

Wanted to make sure you knew about the Monthly Bird Walk at Hornsby Bend next Saturday from 7:30 to noon
(www.hornsbybend.org). I plan to go -- hope you can come, too. Write me if you'd like to carpool.

If you can't come, I'd be grateful if you can lend a pair of binoculars. Mine have not surfaced since we moved down here from Ohio. Write in that case, too!

Paul von Hippel wrote
on November 14th, 2010

bullcreek wrote
on November 13th, 2010

Got out to the SW Greenway today with the right lens, and caught a couple of good shots of the Belted Kingfisher.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bullcreek/5170802632/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bullcreek/5170802320/in/photostream/

shellrose wrote
on October 31st, 2010

Bullcreek -

It is a Kingfisher, a Belted Kingfisher! Nice shot

shellrose wrote
on October 31st, 2010

Bullcreek -

It is a Kingfisher, a Belted Kingfisher! Nice shot

bullcreek wrote
on October 31st, 2010

Kingfisher?

Jake McCumber wrote
on September 16th, 2010

Hey all,

I just found out about this group after meeting with a couple of members from the Habitat Committee. I'm a Mueller neighbor (Ridgetop) and do a lot of birding over in your neighborhood.

I tallied up my eBird observations from Mueller and added a few other species from the existing Mueller list and totaled up 90 species. This is pretty darn impressive and includes 10 (!) species of sparrow. I'll email the list I created to Shellie and see if there is a good way to post it.

The existing Mueller list emphasizes the importance of the native landscaping and prairie remnants. This cannot be overstressed as some of the best birding is in that prairie north of the HQ and a lot of those are species of continental conservation concern. The habitat (and thus birding) at Mueller is great.

One last comment: I have requested that eBird add my Mueller locations as birding hotspots, which would allow anyone to add data to them. This would help track the birds there and show some pretty cool things (like seasonal changes). Check out http://www.ebird.org if you're interested.

shellrose wrote
on April 8th, 2010

Hey birdophiles -

Please stop by Ella Wooten Park on Saturday (4/10) between 11 AM nd 2 PM. Shellie & Rose will be there hosting the Travis Audubon table. There will also be a Bird Walk through the Southwest Greenway. The walk will be lead by a member of Travis Audubon and should begin around 2 PM

schnauzerhouse wrote
on January 10th, 2010

Hi, Bird Lovers!

The Mueller Plant Fest is scheduled for April 10. We want to focus on the Mueller Prairie wildlife, especially birds, because we are seeing more and more species represented here.

In addition, we want to raise awareness of the Mueller residents and our neighbors about ways we could provide nesting sites and food plants in the prairie to improve it as bird habitat.

Last year, Shellie and Rose hosted a table with Audubon Society materials. They had a number of interested visitors. If this or other, additional information table or speaker would be attractive to this interest group, please let me know. The more people who are introduced to the prairie and its wildlife, the more support we will have for improving it as wildlife habitat.

We are having a planning meeting for the Mueller Plant Fest on Saturday, January 16, 10-noon, at 2600 Tom Miller. We would welcome participation by any bird group member.

Thanks for your interest!
Janelle Dozier

shellrose wrote
on November 19th, 2009

Jare S. -

They are parrots! They are Monk Parakeets and they are a common site around Mueller and Austin for that matter. There are a bunch that nest in the cell tower across Manor from the Southwest Greenway.

Jare S. wrote
on November 18th, 2009

What are the green parrot looking birds near the pond? I say 6 a couple of mornings ago.

shellrose wrote
on November 13th, 2009

Doug -

What a great sighting! I really enjoy seeing all the hawks/raptors we have around here. I've never had quite that close of an encounter. Sometimes I see them way up in the tower at Dell Children's Hospital.

Keep looking up.

doug wrote
on November 8th, 2009

I was debating on whether to even leave the house due to the rain this afternoon, but I’m really glad I did!

I fought the urge to take the car the ½ mi. or so to the Mosaic for a holiday event so headed out on foot with my umbrella. As I approached Lake Park, a hawk swooped around the little trees next to the sidewalk and had to take evasive action to avoid flying into me. Apparently my umbrella camouflaged me. As he made his avoidance maneuver about 10 feet in front of me, he dropped something out of his claws. Thinking he dropped a small mouse, upon closer examination it turned out to be the wing of a medium-sized mockingbird. After seeing me, he flew up into the big oak tree on the south end of the parking lot next to the stretching equipment. It took me about a minute to spot him in the tree, but as soon as I did, he took flight back into the field across the street with the rest of his prey still in his claws. Apparently I disturbed him greatly. Hope I didn’t ruin his meal, but was one of the coolest wildlife sightings I have ever experienced.

bullcreek wrote
on August 27th, 2009

Here's a photo of some of the parakeets, taken this morning:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bullcreek/3861763699/

bullcreek wrote
on June 16th, 2009

Make that Berkman and Manor...

bullcreek wrote
on June 16th, 2009

On my way into work this AM (around 7:30) I saw a big flock of the green parakeets settling into trees right about at Berkman and Airport (the old airport entrance).

shellrose wrote
on June 16th, 2009

Thanks for the report.

I've been enjoying the killdeer on my walks too. I haven't seen any babies yet, but I have seen the parents doing their fake broken wing act, so I know the babies are about.

I think the birds you saw at the Lake Park are probably cormorants.

Luv2Bike wrote
on June 16th, 2009

Todays walk.
Saw a Sandpiper family with two babies running around. The parrots were all over the place.

Not sure what the bird is that stays in the water? Black with yellow feet. Medium sized bird. Downloaded iBird to try and figure it out.

Also, I would be interested to find out what is living in the nest at the lake park? If you sit by the blue round swing you will see the birds. (Meadowlarks)

The scissor tailed flycatchers have moved in by the pool.

I also saw the red wing black bird and some bank swallows by the southwest green way.

shellrose wrote
on June 8th, 2009

dodger wrote
on June 7th, 2009

A neighbor told me that heron was seen with a plastic ring stuck over it's beak and that the bird was in peril because of this. Is this true?

shellrose wrote
on June 7th, 2009

I haven't seen the great blue heron in a while, but I'm not aware of any "problems."

shellrose wrote
on June 7th, 2009

dodger wrote
on June 7th, 2009

Is it true that harm has come to the great blue heron? Anyone seen it lately?

bullcreek wrote
on May 14th, 2009

As long as I'm linking to photos, here's one about how the herons make a living in our ponds...

bgierisch15 wrote
on May 14th, 2009

I continue to see the great white egret and the blue heron from time to time, and I've seen the great white at Lake Park as well, but I haven't' seen the snowy egret in some time.

Thanks for the tip on the Whistling Duck, and I suspect it does have something to do with climate conditions. I'm seeing a lot of birds at our weekend home that I last saw during the severe droughts several years ago.

bgierisch15 wrote
on May 14th, 2009

ret1ree00 wrote
on May 14th, 2009

I was really surprised by the Whistling duck as well. They nest in trees and are usually common in south texas.

ret1ree00 wrote
on May 14th, 2009

bullcreek wrote
on May 14th, 2009

I've noticed fewer ducks, too lately. And I haven't seen the egrets or the herons recently either. Seems like we mainly have coots. I did recently see something really cool at the pond at the SW Greenway. A black-bellied whistling duck. The northern extent of their range is supposed to be the Rio Grande Valley. Global warming?

bgierisch15 wrote
on April 27th, 2009
Is it just me, or has the number of ducks on the lakes gone way down in the past couple of weeks? Are they migrating? And does anybody have a good list of the ducks they've seen on our lakes. I'd be interested to see one.

bullcreek wrote
on May 14th, 2009

If it's this guy, it's a red-winged blackbird. I saw one in Lake Park last weekend.

dodger wrote
4 hours ago
Can anyone identify the small black bird with red "shoulders" that I saw flying over SW Greenway the other day?

dodger wrote
on May 14th, 2009

Can anyone identify the small black bird with red "shoulders" that I saw flying over SW Greenway the other day?

dodger wrote
on April 29th, 2009

Where does the big hawk hang out? He/she was on my chimney (on Tom Miller) one Saturday morning. Beautiful.

bgierisch15 wrote
on April 27th, 2009

Is it just me, or has the number of ducks on the lakes gone way down in the past couple of weeks? Are they migrating? And does anybody have a good list of the ducks they've seen on our lakes. I'd be interested to see one.

shellrose wrote
on March 7th, 2009

Monk Parrots are quite common in Austin - you'll see them often in cell towers, up in lights around baseball fields, soccer fields etc. There is a very big population around the UT intramural fields at Guadalupe and 51st. They are still around Mueller, but not as active as they were in the summer and fall. I see them and hear them on the Southwest Greenway park - there is a cell tower across the street from the park where they built nests.

This past summer I frequently saw them in the trees around the Ella Wooten park.

bdjones wrote
on March 3rd, 2009

Lots of redheads and a few ringneck ducks at lake park.

Also I saw the resident monk parakeets foraging this fall with the grackles...but not since. Common?

shellrose wrote
on February 10th, 2009

Great photos, thanks Bullcreek

shellrose wrote
on February 10th, 2009

bullcreek wrote
on February 7th, 2009

Got a few good shots of the Great Egret that's been hanging around the SW Greenway today. They are here, or in the Mueller Redevelopment flickr group.

shellrose wrote
on February 3rd, 2009

We spotted the Belted Kingfisher at the SW Greenway pond today. This is the first time we have seen hiim/her in about 3 or 4 weeks.

Gregg we call the egrets the odd couple because one is a Great Egret and one is smaller Snowy Egret. They seem to hang out together. And we have seen the Great Blue Heron too.

Has anyone been out into the undeveloped "grassland?" We see lots of sparrows and perhaps warblers, but we can't identify the types - how about some help?

gregg wrote
on February 2nd, 2009

Walking the Southwest Greenway Sunday, a pair of red-shouldered hawks watched the water, moving as I got too close. I imagine they were interested in the smaller birds, as I didn't see a single fish in the water. Two large common egrets (I think) were also wading. But I was most surprised to see a huge, blue waterbird (heron?), that seemed to be looking for non-existent fish. A great short morning walk, right in the city!

wish I could remove the previous non-comment :-)

gregg wrote
on February 2nd, 2009

bgierisch15 wrote
on February 2nd, 2009

Thanks for the group. I'm interested in learning about the water birds, as I'm most familiar with land-lovers out in the Hill Country. Am also interested to watch the arrival of new species as our habitat matures.

shellrose wrote
on February 2nd, 2009

Welcome to the Mueller bird watchers group.
I'll get this started by letting you know we are enjoying House Finches at our thistle feeder.We also frequently see killdeer running around Ella Wooten Park.

Let us know what you are seeing out there in Muellerville.

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