If you’re looking for another place to birdwatch—whether to see more species, get further away from the urban hustle and bustle, or both—then you may want to try the SFA experimental forest, located off highway 7, west of Nacogdoches. The forest entrance is south of highway 7 on FM 2782. The experimental forest contains hardwood and pine forest, and many forest bird species. Access is free, and a system of well groomed trails is present.
If you’re seeking waterfowl, or species that prefer more open terrain, consider Alazan Bayou WMA, further south on 2782. Be advised that WMA’s require a 12 dollar permit issued by TPWD anywhere on the WMA, so try to time your visit outside of major hunting seasons, and wear fluorescent orange if you go during hunting seasons. Alazan: 936-569-8547
Many songbirds are migratory, meaning that they spend the summer closer to the north pole, and the winter closer to the equator. The flight between these two ranges is a very taxing undertaking, For one example, the Eastern phoebe’s summer range (shown in orange on the map) extends as far north as Alberta, Canada, and the same bird’s winter range (shown in blue on the map) goes as far as the southern provinces of Mexico.
Because of the huge amount of energy spent by these birds travelling between their breeding and wintering grounds, when they stop along the way, they are very hungry. Apart from using feeders, the best way to help these birds is to plant native species of trees and shrubs. Some of the best (but not the only) choices for this are: Arrowwood viburnum (Viburnum dentatum) Rusty blackhaw (Viburnum rufidulum) Pokeweed (Phytolacca Americana) Virginia Creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia) Elderberries (Sambucus spp.) Blueberries (Vaccinium spp.) Blackberries (Rubus spp.)
Birds of Tucker Woods A visitor’s guide to common springtime birds in Tucker Woods
The Northern cardinal is common, easily spotted, and doesn’t migrate. Males defend their territories year round, and can often be seen and heard singing on a high perch. Cardinals mainly eat seeds, and can be seen on the ground looking for grains that have fallen from surrounding trees and plants.
The Eastern phoebe is a common type of flycatcher. It can be seen perched from a few feet up to ten or more feet off the ground, making frequent, short flights, with sharp, agile maneuvers. When perched, Eastern phoebes show a distinctive behavior of wagging their tails up and down.
The Whitethroated sparrow is a common seed eater, and lives in the forest understory. The American goldfinch is another brightly colored inhabitant of the forest. They will often forage high in the canopy, and can be hard to spot without a good pair of binoculars. The bold contrast of the black wings will stand out when you do spot them.
The white-throated sparrow can be seen in two colors: tan striped (right) and white striped (above). Birds of one coloration almost always mate with birds of the other, which prevents either coloration from disappearing.
The yellow-rumped warbler is small, and mostly gray with a few bright yellow markings. The females are marked similarly to males, but more drab in general, and with more brown than grey or black. They are very agile, and catch insects. They also eat berries when they are available, and digest the waxes better than other warblers. Because of this, they can winter further north than many other warblers.