{"id":341,"date":"2015-05-11T17:15:30","date_gmt":"2015-05-11T22:15:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lostpineslife.com\/?p=341"},"modified":"2015-06-18T08:49:49","modified_gmt":"2015-06-18T13:49:49","slug":"birding-day-at-little-piney","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lostpineslife.com\/?p=341","title":{"rendered":"Birding with Greg Lavaty at Little Piney"},"content":{"rendered":"

Last January when I began identifying the winter strangers at my Little Piney feeders, I discovered the work of Greg Lavaty. \u00a0On his Texas Birds<\/a> website I found intimate and detailed views of the Texas birds I was looking for. \u00a0Many times these photos helped me more than my guidebooks, and they were a treat to browse through. \u00a0Eventually I clicked through to Greg’s other website Texas Target Birds<\/a> and was delighted to learn that he offers custom birding guide services throughout Texas! \u00a0Surrounded by birds I didn’t know and birds I could hear but not see, I contacted Greg to see if he would be willing to spend a day with us at Little Piney. \u00a0At the time Greg was traveling to Costa Rica as guide to a group of birders, and on to Mongolia to shoot photos for a nature book, but he was willing to schedule a visit on May 9 for a private birding and photography day.<\/p>\n

Greg arrived at Little Piney at nine a.m. \u00a0He stepped out of his car, said, “I hear a painted bunting in that tree,” and we were birding! \u00a0We started with that painted bunting and a summer tanager. \u00a0Next three large birds flew over, and we learned that one was a Mississippi Kite, a new bird for me. \u00a0The other two were an adult and a juvenile red-shouldered hawk, and we learned about the white finger-tip band that distinguishes the red-shouldered hawk from any other.<\/p>\n

My biggest surprise was learning that a familiar call always audible at Little Piney was a White-eyed Vireo, not one of the many \u00a0cardinal songs I hear constantly. \u00a0They are very small, darting birds with startled-looking white-ringed eyes, and they are as abundant as the familiar chickadees, just less visible.<\/p>\n

The Northern Parula was the next find. \u00a0With a cricket-like call ending with an upward lilt this little beauty is well represented. \u00a0Patience was required to get a good look and photo of the tiny Parula among the dense leaves, but Greg has endless patience.<\/p>\n

\"Northern<\/a>
Northern Parula at Little Piney, Bastrop TX<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

With a similar but louder and more resonant call, the Pine Warble is everywhere at Little Piney. \u00a0I had seen this warbler before but not this close. \u00a0I took several photos of the cheery yellow bird. That morning, I learned the calls of the Northern Parula and Pine Warbler by repeatedly asking Greg, “Warbler?” “Parula?” as they sang until I got it right.<\/p>\n

\"Pine<\/a>
Pine Warble at Little Piney, Bastrop, Texas<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

At 11:00 we took a break for water and photo reviews at the house. \u00a0Greg is a master photographer as well as birder, and the next hour was spent looking over my photographs. \u00a0Greg is an excellent teacher, and I came away from the day with a new level of editing skills.<\/p>\n

We set out again after lunch for a walk down the road. \u00a0Greg pointed out a Gray Hairstreak butterfly whose tail that looks like its head, designed to attract predators to a less lethal area. \u00a0He also heard a new bird sound, the yellow-throated vireo,and we got a good look and some photos of this cutie.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"White<\/a>
Gray Hairstreak butterfly at Little Piney in
Bastrop<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

 <\/p>\n

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 <\/p>\n

\"Yellow-throated<\/a>
Yellow-throated Vireo at Little Piney, Bastrop, Texas<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

 <\/p>\n

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On the way back to the house, we saw the pair of Scissortail Flycatchers that hang out on the fence in front. \u00a0These elegant birds have been at Little Piney for about two weeks. \u00a0Greg confirmed that they were a mating pair and predicted that we would have\u00a0a Scissortail family soon. The female has a slightly shorter tail, and they are a beautiful pair. \u00a0As always bluebirds were perched on the electrical wires overhead.<\/p>\n

We had a second round of water and photo editing lessons, then headed out with Greg’s big camera and a tripod so that I could see firsthand what a difference a lens can make. \u00a0While we were setting up to photograph the Pine Warbler, we heard the loud hammering of a Pileated Woodpecker very close by. \u00a0If you have never heard the big guy working, think of the \u00a0red-bellied–if the red-bellied sounds like someone hanging a picture, the pileated sounds more like someone framing a house. \u00a0We found him just above us pounding and pulling insects from an ailing pine tree with his long black beak . \u00a0Through my binoculars I had a clear view of all the details of his features and gestures, the red lines leading to his shiny beak, the crimson crest, crisp black and white body, and the determined excavation. \u00a0He let us watch until his mate called, then flew off in her direction.<\/p>\n

Greg set up the tripod for these shots of a \u00a0painted bunting and a pine warbler. \u00a0The difference in the clarity and definition convinced me I’ll be saving up for a more powerful lens. \u00a0Greg walked me through the edits on these. \u00a0I’ll be printing and framing these two.<\/p>\n

\"Pine<\/a>
Pine Warbler<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"_MG_1983\"<\/a>
Painted Bunting<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Saturday was a delightful day for me, walking Little Piney with Greg and learning so much about birds and nature. \u00a0Greg is not only knowledgable, talented, and patient, he is a very nice guy and fun to hang out with! \u00a0My husband and I hope to join Greg on a birding trip to Costa Rica sometime soon. \u00a0Truthfully though, the birds that thrill me the most are the ones here at home at Little Piney.<\/p>\n

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 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Last January when I began identifying the winter strangers at my Little Piney feeders, I discovered the work of Greg Lavaty. \u00a0On his Texas Birds website I found intimate and detailed views of the Texas birds I was looking for. \u00a0Many times these photos helped me more than my guidebooks, and they were a treatContinue reading<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":348,"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":[23,22],"tags":[11,31,32,30,98,95,38,101,100,94,93],"class_list":["post-341","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-bastrop-lost-pines-birds","category-bastrop-lost-pines-nature","tag-bastrop-birds","tag-bastrop-tx-birds","tag-bastrop-tx-lost-pines","tag-bastrop-wildlife","tag-bird-photography","tag-birding-guides-texas","tag-butterflies","tag-gray-hairstreak-butterfly","tag-northern-parula","tag-painted-bunting","tag-yellow-throated-vireo"],"yoast_head":"\nBirding In Bastrop Texas<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" 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