{"id":1312,"date":"2015-12-16T22:33:54","date_gmt":"2015-12-17T04:33:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lostpineslife.com\/?p=1312"},"modified":"2015-12-16T22:33:54","modified_gmt":"2015-12-17T04:33:54","slug":"1312-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lostpineslife.com\/?p=1312","title":{"rendered":"Mixed Flocks at Little Piney"},"content":{"rendered":"

Mixed Flocks Return<\/h2>\n

Cool weather brings a return of \u201cmixed flocks\u201d to Little Piney. \u00a0 Fast moving, noisy, and often in the treetops, a mixed flock is a real challenge to identify and count. \u00a0When a cloud of dark silhouettes descends on bare branches, chipping and flitting from branch to branch \u00a0I’d better have my camera ready if I want to know what they are and how many. \u00a0In the excitement and activity I find myself counting and recounting even as the flock moves on.<\/p>\n

Mixed flocks, or \u201cmixed-species feeding flocks\u201d \u00a0form for reasons of safety and\/or improved foraging.\u00a0 Species known as \u201cleaders\u201d are usually larger and more vigilant birds.\u00a0 Smaller or more vulnerable birds who join the flock are known as \u201cfollowers\u201d; they are likely to benefit the most from the arrangement because of longer opportunities to forage.\u00a0 Other species may trail the \u201cnuclear\u201d mixed flock without overlapping in territory; these species are known as \u201cattendants\u201d and may be lower in the pecking order.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve seen several mixed flocks in the last few weeks at Little Piney.\u00a0 Three times I\u2019ve seen Robins and Cedar Wax Wings, once Cedar Wax Wings with Yellow-rumped Warblers. \u00a0Other birds I often see together are Titmice, Chickadees, and Cardinals, but I’m not sure whether \u00a0they are actually mixed flocks or just good neighbors who share trees and feeders. \u00a0I’ll be keeping an eye on the flocks at Little Piney, and trying to learn more about them.<\/p>\n

Mixed Flock Photos<\/h2>\n
\"Mixed
American Robins and Cedar Waxwings<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

In the photograph below, it is hard to tell the birds from the leaves. \u00a0If you zoom in you will see Cedar Waxwings on the left overlapping with Yellow-rumped Warblers on the right.<\/p>\n

\"Mixed
Mixed Flock of Cedar Waxwings and Yellow-rumped Warblers at Little Piney, Bastrop TX<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Here is a closer view of a Cedar Waxwing on the lower left with many Yellow-rumps to the right.<\/p>\n

\"Mixed
Mixed Flock of Cedar Waxwings and Yellow-rumped Warblers<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Mixed Flocks Return Cool weather brings a return of \u201cmixed flocks\u201d to Little Piney. \u00a0 Fast moving, noisy, and often in the treetops, a mixed flock is a real challenge to identify and count. \u00a0When a cloud of dark silhouettes descends on bare branches, chipping and flitting from branch to branch \u00a0I’d better have myContinue reading<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1314,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[11,31,32,218,206,225,226,224,227,228],"class_list":["post-1312","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-bastrop-birds","tag-bastrop-tx-birds","tag-bastrop-tx-lost-pines","tag-birds-of-bastrop-tx","tag-birds-of-texas","tag-cedar-waxwings-and-robins","tag-cedar-waxwings-and-yellow-rumped-warblers","tag-mixed-flocks","tag-mixed-flocks-bastrop-tx","tag-mixed-flocks-texas"],"yoast_head":"\nMixed Flocks at Little Piney - 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