Blogging from Marathon, TX about birding, butterflies, moths and more. Exploring the gems of Brewster County, Post Park, Big Bend National Park and the surrounding region. Bird watching: Big Bend and beyond!
Showing posts with label Christmas Mountains Oasis. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Christmas Mountains Oasis. Show all posts
Tuesday, April 7, 2015
West Texas Hummingbird Banding Report, 2014
While this blog is effectively dead (we're no longer in the region, sadly), snippets may still find their way to a post, like the 2014 Banding Report from Kelly Bryan's West Texas Hummingbird research project.
Tuesday, June 3, 2014
500 Lucifer Hummingbirds
If the title didn't catch your eye, there's no telling what would! Happy belated 500th Lucifer Hummingbird (banded) to Kelly Bryan and WTARI - WestTexasAvianResearch.org - Carolyn Ohl does an excellent job of covering the May 26th event on her Christmas Mountains Oasis: Milestone Banding Day post.
Saturday, April 12, 2014
Big Bend National Park in a nutshell
The Texbirds post:
Where to begin! Eleven days of mostly river and lowlands...
I was not in the high elevations, so can only say that Elf Owls and Common Poorwills are calling at night at the Chisos Basin campground, with Black-chinned Sparrows during the day. Common Black Hawk is back at Rio Grande Village, Gray Hawk is working between Gaging Station (do NOT suggest River Road) and Santa Elena. A Couch's Kingbird is present among Westerns at Cottonwood, Lucy's Warblers are thin along the river but should hopefully thicken in a week before thinning out again. RGV and Cottonwood both have Western Screech and Great Horned and Elf Owls and there were HUNDREDS of White-throated Swifts visible from the bridge on the RGV nature trail with a token Violet-green Swallow mid afternoon day before yesterday. Or the day before that. Brain is fried and I am hearing doves in my sleep!
There's a pair of Golden Eagles half way between Persimmon Gap and Marathon that seem quite interested in each other, if anyone has a hard time at the prairie dog town.
Inaccessible but photo'd in the last few months: Montezuma Quail in Big Bend Ranch State Park (via Laird, at the Barton Warnock VC), and Gambel's Quail on the westernmost edge of BBNP - I managed a shoddy audio recording, though i suppose a video of a calling mesquite counts as pic. My sketch of the sonograph is shameful ;)
Drink water.
-h
Heidi Trudell
Marathon, TX
***
Of course, the replies I got were asking about Lucifer Hummingbird (just go to the Christmas Mountains Oasis, it's easier than trying to find one in the park) and Colima Warbler (still a few days too early, and I wasn't up there, so... no. The answer is no.) But otherwise, that's the condensed version. The longer version is below.
Next up: Amistad. I am juggling bird surveys when not at the library and at the library when not juggling bird surveys and trying to get a truck repaired. No rest for the weary, but at least it is good exercise in beautiful country with excellent birds and a sense of adventure. And I'm not dead yet, so that's a perk. BBNP tends to be less than forgiving, so drink your water and don't push your luck!
Where to begin! Eleven days of mostly river and lowlands...
I was not in the high elevations, so can only say that Elf Owls and Common Poorwills are calling at night at the Chisos Basin campground, with Black-chinned Sparrows during the day. Common Black Hawk is back at Rio Grande Village, Gray Hawk is working between Gaging Station (do NOT suggest River Road) and Santa Elena. A Couch's Kingbird is present among Westerns at Cottonwood, Lucy's Warblers are thin along the river but should hopefully thicken in a week before thinning out again. RGV and Cottonwood both have Western Screech and Great Horned and Elf Owls and there were HUNDREDS of White-throated Swifts visible from the bridge on the RGV nature trail with a token Violet-green Swallow mid afternoon day before yesterday. Or the day before that. Brain is fried and I am hearing doves in my sleep!
There's a pair of Golden Eagles half way between Persimmon Gap and Marathon that seem quite interested in each other, if anyone has a hard time at the prairie dog town.
Inaccessible but photo'd in the last few months: Montezuma Quail in Big Bend Ranch State Park (via Laird, at the Barton Warnock VC), and Gambel's Quail on the westernmost edge of BBNP - I managed a shoddy audio recording, though i suppose a video of a calling mesquite counts as pic. My sketch of the sonograph is shameful ;)
Drink water.
-h
Heidi Trudell
Marathon, TX
***
Of course, the replies I got were asking about Lucifer Hummingbird (just go to the Christmas Mountains Oasis, it's easier than trying to find one in the park) and Colima Warbler (still a few days too early, and I wasn't up there, so... no. The answer is no.) But otherwise, that's the condensed version. The longer version is below.
 |
| Far western edge of Big Bend National Park, facing east. |
 |
| Santa Elena transect, facing SW. |
 |
| Gaging Station camp site, looking north. |
 |
| Dominguez Trailhead camp site, looking north. |
 |
| Del Nitos, if I am not mistaken, south of the Chisos, from the south. |
 |
| The Beagle, a Ford Expedition. Schooner of the precambrian seas. |
 |
| Ideal transect terrain, if lucky. That really distant mountain range is Mexico's border wall. |
 |
| Post-transect: Rio Grande to the left, Mexico to the right. |
 |
| Fun topography, best pic I could get of the easiest slope up from the wash. |
Tuesday, October 1, 2013
Birding the Furlough
I was really hoping that I wouldn't need to post this, but...
National Parks and National Wildlife Refuges are AMAZING. They are essentially frozen in time right now due to the government shutdown. Except instead of time freezing with them, money has stopped flowing and it's a slow starvation.
Aside from the obvious travesty of political stupidity, it's also slowly squeezing the communities that depend on the National Parks and NWRs; all of the above has been squeezed since 2009 due to budget cuts and this shutdown is not helping.
A few folks who were planning on visiting Big Bend National Park have already been diverted - their options are surprising, all things considered.
*** all of these links exist in the side bar with additional information!
Balmorhea Lake - bring a scope, pay the $5/person fee and bird the edge of desert on the edge of water
Balmorhea State Park - small park, but promising large cottonwoods for fall migrants
* San Solomon Springs wetlands - not sure how they're doing this time of year, might be worth checking into
Big Bend Ranch State Park - west of the park, north of the border, an excellent option for river corridor access with plenty of scenery
CMO / Christmas Mountains Oasis - south county at its finest, but without the hikes!
CDRI / Chihuahuan Desert Research Institute - this is a must see; between the cactus gardens, hummingbird feeders, canyon trails and mixed elevation species, a small daily fee is entirely worthwhile
Davis Mountains State Park - closed for renovations until March 2014! Indian Lodge remains open, however, so living vicariously is still an option
Mountain Trails Lodge - hummingbird feeders and excellent desert grassland habitat are literally right outside the door!
L.E. Woods picnic area / Madera Canyon trail (TNC property) - near the observatory, always an excellent stop for Davis Mts birds and bugs
Post Park - 5 miles south of Marathon, Post Road can be quite productive as well
Prairie Dog Town - 10 miles north of Hwy 90 on Hwy 385, excellent spot for raptor viewing
* Marathon treatment ponds can be birded with prior arrangements; please email us before your trip!
National Parks and National Wildlife Refuges are AMAZING. They are essentially frozen in time right now due to the government shutdown. Except instead of time freezing with them, money has stopped flowing and it's a slow starvation.
Aside from the obvious travesty of political stupidity, it's also slowly squeezing the communities that depend on the National Parks and NWRs; all of the above has been squeezed since 2009 due to budget cuts and this shutdown is not helping.
A few folks who were planning on visiting Big Bend National Park have already been diverted - their options are surprising, all things considered.
*** all of these links exist in the side bar with additional information!
Balmorhea Lake - bring a scope, pay the $5/person fee and bird the edge of desert on the edge of water
Balmorhea State Park - small park, but promising large cottonwoods for fall migrants
* San Solomon Springs wetlands - not sure how they're doing this time of year, might be worth checking into
Big Bend Ranch State Park - west of the park, north of the border, an excellent option for river corridor access with plenty of scenery
CMO / Christmas Mountains Oasis - south county at its finest, but without the hikes!
CDRI / Chihuahuan Desert Research Institute - this is a must see; between the cactus gardens, hummingbird feeders, canyon trails and mixed elevation species, a small daily fee is entirely worthwhile
Mountain Trails Lodge - hummingbird feeders and excellent desert grassland habitat are literally right outside the door!
L.E. Woods picnic area / Madera Canyon trail (TNC property) - near the observatory, always an excellent stop for Davis Mts birds and bugs
Post Park - 5 miles south of Marathon, Post Road can be quite productive as well
Prairie Dog Town - 10 miles north of Hwy 90 on Hwy 385, excellent spot for raptor viewing
* Marathon treatment ponds can be birded with prior arrangements; please email us before your trip!
 |
| Gray Fox, sitting in the shade, also waiting for the furlough to end. |
Monday, June 17, 2013
A funny thing happened...
15 June 2013
...on the afternoon I returned home from 3 months of fieldwork that took me away from our region.
This happened:
That afternoon, Heidi texted me about a likely Sulphur-bellied Flycatcher (SBFL) down at Carolyn Ohl-Johnson's Christmas Mountains Oasis in south Brewster County.
By the time Heidi returned home, we were both dead-tired for a variety of reasons. However, there were several hours of daylight remaining. We meant to get down there first thing tomorrow. However, tomorrow is never promised, nor is the bird.
We hopped in the truck and, fatigue-enduring, drove the distance down to Carolyn's.
No more than 10 minutes on-site brought us this:
WOW. A beautiful SBFL, entirely active in foraging, fly-catching right in front of us on the trail. Heidi spotted it first. I have found it very beneficial to have a birder-spouse who is a foot shorter than I.
While this individual seems to be the 21st record in Texas, it is ONLY the 2nd trans-Pecos Regional record. It is certainly still a Texas Bird Records Committee (TBRC) review species. Rest assured, field notes were taken along with these photos.
We enjoyed beautifully entertaining views, off and on, during a 45 minutes observation of this individual.
We were fortunate that we did tear our carcasses off the couch in Marathon and headed down to south county.
Divine inspiration, perhaps.
Because the following day, this bird was not relocated. It is HIGHLY likely that it has moved on.
You just never know when it comes to birding the Big Bend area of far-West Texas. Thanks so much for Carolyn Ohl-Johnson and her years of dedication to create and maintain an excellent habitat in south Brewster County. Check out her 'blog at cmoasis.blogspot.com. It is worth it to follow and subscribe to her posts.
Find your way down there, and I guarantee it is worth the price of a non-obligatory donation.
She and her oasis are icons of Texas and Big Bend birding.
What rarity will be next? It doesn't entirely matter, as even her expected resident birds are excellent and sought after.
Whew. Welcome home me, I guess. And thanks to Carolyn.
**photos taken mostly by Heidi Trudell. My only interference with them is some of the cropping for framing in a blog.
...on the afternoon I returned home from 3 months of fieldwork that took me away from our region.
This happened:
 |
| Sulphur-bellied Flycatcher (Myiodynastes luteiventris) |
That afternoon, Heidi texted me about a likely Sulphur-bellied Flycatcher (SBFL) down at Carolyn Ohl-Johnson's Christmas Mountains Oasis in south Brewster County.
By the time Heidi returned home, we were both dead-tired for a variety of reasons. However, there were several hours of daylight remaining. We meant to get down there first thing tomorrow. However, tomorrow is never promised, nor is the bird.
We hopped in the truck and, fatigue-enduring, drove the distance down to Carolyn's.
No more than 10 minutes on-site brought us this:
While this individual seems to be the 21st record in Texas, it is ONLY the 2nd trans-Pecos Regional record. It is certainly still a Texas Bird Records Committee (TBRC) review species. Rest assured, field notes were taken along with these photos.
We enjoyed beautifully entertaining views, off and on, during a 45 minutes observation of this individual.
We were fortunate that we did tear our carcasses off the couch in Marathon and headed down to south county.
Divine inspiration, perhaps.
Because the following day, this bird was not relocated. It is HIGHLY likely that it has moved on.
You just never know when it comes to birding the Big Bend area of far-West Texas. Thanks so much for Carolyn Ohl-Johnson and her years of dedication to create and maintain an excellent habitat in south Brewster County. Check out her 'blog at cmoasis.blogspot.com. It is worth it to follow and subscribe to her posts.
Find your way down there, and I guarantee it is worth the price of a non-obligatory donation.
She and her oasis are icons of Texas and Big Bend birding.
What rarity will be next? It doesn't entirely matter, as even her expected resident birds are excellent and sought after.
Whew. Welcome home me, I guess. And thanks to Carolyn.
**photos taken mostly by Heidi Trudell. My only interference with them is some of the cropping for framing in a blog.
Tuesday, June 11, 2013
West Texas Trip via Sue Heath
Reposted with permission from Sue:
West Texas Trip
Jun 9
TexBirders,
Tom Morris, Tad Finnell and myself just returned from a quick West Texas trip where we had a fantastic time and got most of our target species. We started on Friday afternoon at Carolyn Ohl-Johnson's fantastic Christmas Mountains Oasis where we were treated to several Lucifer Hummingbirds, Black-chinned Hummingbirds, Blue Grosbeaks, House Finches, Painted Buntings and a male Varied Bunting coming to the feeders. It was a rainbow of western bird color! After a few hours there we moved onto Big Bend National Park. We stopped at the picnic area along TX 118 near Elephant Mountain and enjoyed a family of Vermilion Flycatchers, singing Bell's Vireos, and a Cassin's Kingbird (our target for the stop). In Study Butte we stopped at the gas station and had the biggest, cheapest ice cream cones any of us can remember. Excellent on a hot day! In the park we went straight to Panther Junction and then up to The Basin. We only had time to walk around a little bit but we found Scott's Orioles, Black-headed Grosbeaks, Mexican Jays, Cactus Wrens, Rufous-crowned Sparrow, Say's Phoebe, and of course Canyon Towhees. A pair of Say's Phoebes have a nest on top of one of the light fixtures that you can see from the lodge restaurant with three chicks. It was very fun watching them while we were eating.
The next morning we started at 5:00 and headed up the Pinnacles Trail. Around 5:40 we heard our first Mexican Whip-poor-will and 10 minutes later, as predicted by Greg Lavaty who we ran into at Carolyn's, several were singing around us at the large pine tree laying along the side of the trail. We hiked on and soon the Black-headed Grosbeaks started singing and then the Mexican Jays moved in clearly looking for a hand out. We did not indulge them. I made that mistake once before and they followed us for miles. Once we got to the switchbacks we started seeing the mountain species. Canyon Wrens singing from the cliff faces, White-throated Swifts and Violet-green Swallows chittering and soaring overhead, Acorn Woodpeckers making their raucous calls. It was great! A Band-tailed Pigeon winged by and a Spotted Towhee zoomed by clearly not happy we were invading his territory. The Cordilleran Flycatchers got going and we found our first Colima Warbler. Somewhere in there we were passed by two hikers, I jokingly said they could find the tanager and have it staked out for us as they passed. We reached the Emory Peak trail about 8:20 and were glad for the level trail onward to Boot Springs. As the boot came into view a Zone-tailed Hawk soared by. More Violet-green Swallows and some Common Ravens. We arrived at The Spot about 9:10 and the hikers were there and indeed had the bird all staked out. Within 10 minutes we had seen the Flame-colored Tanager and a couple young Painted Redstarts. We hung around and saw an adult Painted Redstart and several Blue-throated Hummingbirds, Hutton's Vireo and White-breasted Nuthatches. We also saw the female Western Tanager with the Flame-colored Tanager in tow. Fantastic!
We headed back down about 10:30 and got Black-tailed Gnatcatcher and Bushtits on our way down. It was a really great trip and I thank everyone who gave us advice and also the hikers for hanging around until us slow folks could get there to see the birds.
Sue
Susan A. Heath, PhD
Gulf Coast Bird Observatory
103 Hwy 332 West
Lake Jackson, TX 77566
979-480-0999
www.gcbo.org
West Texas Trip
Jun 9
TexBirders,
Tom Morris, Tad Finnell and myself just returned from a quick West Texas trip where we had a fantastic time and got most of our target species. We started on Friday afternoon at Carolyn Ohl-Johnson's fantastic Christmas Mountains Oasis where we were treated to several Lucifer Hummingbirds, Black-chinned Hummingbirds, Blue Grosbeaks, House Finches, Painted Buntings and a male Varied Bunting coming to the feeders. It was a rainbow of western bird color! After a few hours there we moved onto Big Bend National Park. We stopped at the picnic area along TX 118 near Elephant Mountain and enjoyed a family of Vermilion Flycatchers, singing Bell's Vireos, and a Cassin's Kingbird (our target for the stop). In Study Butte we stopped at the gas station and had the biggest, cheapest ice cream cones any of us can remember. Excellent on a hot day! In the park we went straight to Panther Junction and then up to The Basin. We only had time to walk around a little bit but we found Scott's Orioles, Black-headed Grosbeaks, Mexican Jays, Cactus Wrens, Rufous-crowned Sparrow, Say's Phoebe, and of course Canyon Towhees. A pair of Say's Phoebes have a nest on top of one of the light fixtures that you can see from the lodge restaurant with three chicks. It was very fun watching them while we were eating.
The next morning we started at 5:00 and headed up the Pinnacles Trail. Around 5:40 we heard our first Mexican Whip-poor-will and 10 minutes later, as predicted by Greg Lavaty who we ran into at Carolyn's, several were singing around us at the large pine tree laying along the side of the trail. We hiked on and soon the Black-headed Grosbeaks started singing and then the Mexican Jays moved in clearly looking for a hand out. We did not indulge them. I made that mistake once before and they followed us for miles. Once we got to the switchbacks we started seeing the mountain species. Canyon Wrens singing from the cliff faces, White-throated Swifts and Violet-green Swallows chittering and soaring overhead, Acorn Woodpeckers making their raucous calls. It was great! A Band-tailed Pigeon winged by and a Spotted Towhee zoomed by clearly not happy we were invading his territory. The Cordilleran Flycatchers got going and we found our first Colima Warbler. Somewhere in there we were passed by two hikers, I jokingly said they could find the tanager and have it staked out for us as they passed. We reached the Emory Peak trail about 8:20 and were glad for the level trail onward to Boot Springs. As the boot came into view a Zone-tailed Hawk soared by. More Violet-green Swallows and some Common Ravens. We arrived at The Spot about 9:10 and the hikers were there and indeed had the bird all staked out. Within 10 minutes we had seen the Flame-colored Tanager and a couple young Painted Redstarts. We hung around and saw an adult Painted Redstart and several Blue-throated Hummingbirds, Hutton's Vireo and White-breasted Nuthatches. We also saw the female Western Tanager with the Flame-colored Tanager in tow. Fantastic!
We headed back down about 10:30 and got Black-tailed Gnatcatcher and Bushtits on our way down. It was a really great trip and I thank everyone who gave us advice and also the hikers for hanging around until us slow folks could get there to see the birds.
Sue
Susan A. Heath, PhD
Gulf Coast Bird Observatory
103 Hwy 332 West
Lake Jackson, TX 77566
979-480-0999
www.gcbo.org
Friday, March 29, 2013
It's a good busy
There may not be much popping up on the blog these days, but it's not due to lack of birds!
On Thursday, March 28th, I accompanied some folks to the Christmas Mountains Oasis in search of Lucifer Hummingbird. We were not at all disappointed in spite of the infrequent feeder visits - we were quite happy to take in all of the additional nectar sources that were in bloom!
Admittedly, Carolyn didn't have many folks to choose from for her "Birder of the Day" post; Black-chinned Sparrows are always exciting and it was the lowest elevation that I'd ever seen one!
We saw a good variety of butterflies (one stray Monarch among Pipevine Swallowtails, Queens, Checkered Whites, Sleepy Oranges, etc) in addition to a good showing of the usual suspects:
Scaled Quail Callipepla squamata
Turkey Vulture Cathartes aura
Eurasian Collared-Dove Streptopelia decaocto
White-winged Dove Zenaida asiatica
Mourning Dove Zenaida macroura
Lucifer Hummingbird Calothorax lucifer
Black-chinned Hummingbird Archilochus alexandri
Ladder-backed Woodpecker Picoides scalaris
American Kestrel Falco sparverius
Ash-throated Flycatcher Myiarchus cinerascens
Cactus Wren Campylorhynchus brunneicapillus
Northern Mockingbird Mimus polyglottos
Curve-billed Thrasher Toxostoma curvirostre
Green-tailed Towhee Pipilo chlorurus
Canyon Towhee Melozone fusca
Cassin's Sparrow Peucaea cassinii
Chipping Sparrow Spizella passerina
Clay-colored Sparrow Spizella pallida
Brewer's Sparrow Spizella breweri
Black-chinned Sparrow Spizella atrogularis
Black-throated Sparrow Amphispiza bilineata
Lincoln's Sparrow Melospiza lincolnii
White-throated Sparrow Zonotrichia albicollis
White-crowned Sparrow Zonotrichia leucophrys
Pyrrhuloxia Cardinalis sinuatus
Scott's Oriole Icterus parisorum
House Finch Haemorhous mexicanus
Pine Siskin Spinus pinus
Lesser Goldfinch Spinus psaltria
Additionally, a Greater Roadrunner charmed us on the road in - always a fun bird to watch!
On Thursday, March 28th, I accompanied some folks to the Christmas Mountains Oasis in search of Lucifer Hummingbird. We were not at all disappointed in spite of the infrequent feeder visits - we were quite happy to take in all of the additional nectar sources that were in bloom!
Admittedly, Carolyn didn't have many folks to choose from for her "Birder of the Day" post; Black-chinned Sparrows are always exciting and it was the lowest elevation that I'd ever seen one!
We saw a good variety of butterflies (one stray Monarch among Pipevine Swallowtails, Queens, Checkered Whites, Sleepy Oranges, etc) in addition to a good showing of the usual suspects:
Scaled Quail Callipepla squamata
Turkey Vulture Cathartes aura
Eurasian Collared-Dove Streptopelia decaocto
White-winged Dove Zenaida asiatica
Mourning Dove Zenaida macroura
Lucifer Hummingbird Calothorax lucifer
Black-chinned Hummingbird Archilochus alexandri
Ladder-backed Woodpecker Picoides scalaris
American Kestrel Falco sparverius
Ash-throated Flycatcher Myiarchus cinerascens
Cactus Wren Campylorhynchus brunneicapillus
Northern Mockingbird Mimus polyglottos
Curve-billed Thrasher Toxostoma curvirostre
Green-tailed Towhee Pipilo chlorurus
Canyon Towhee Melozone fusca
Cassin's Sparrow Peucaea cassinii
Chipping Sparrow Spizella passerina
Clay-colored Sparrow Spizella pallida
Brewer's Sparrow Spizella breweri
Black-chinned Sparrow Spizella atrogularis
Black-throated Sparrow Amphispiza bilineata
Lincoln's Sparrow Melospiza lincolnii
White-throated Sparrow Zonotrichia albicollis
White-crowned Sparrow Zonotrichia leucophrys
Pyrrhuloxia Cardinalis sinuatus
Scott's Oriole Icterus parisorum
House Finch Haemorhous mexicanus
Pine Siskin Spinus pinus
Lesser Goldfinch Spinus psaltria
Additionally, a Greater Roadrunner charmed us on the road in - always a fun bird to watch!
Monday, February 18, 2013
Christmas Mountains Research Symposium
 |
| Varied Thrush (Ixoreus naevius) Christmas Mountains Oasis -- Matt York 22 October 2012 |
Christmas Mountains Research Symposium
May 13-15, 2013
Terlingua Ranch Headquarters, Brewster County, Texas
The objective of the Christmas Mountains Research Symposium is to increase the public and scientific understanding of the ecology, geology, culture, and history of the Chihuahuan Desert Ecosystem, spanning West Texas and Mexico on either side of the Rio Grande.
The two-day symposium will highlight research by students and faculty from universities in the Texas State University System, and welcomes contributions from researchers from other universities, federal, and state agencies, as well as residents of the region who have investigated various aspects of the region’s ecology, geology, culture and history.
The format will be 15-minute talks followed by 5 minutes of questions and discussion. Slides and powerpoint presentations will be supported, but are not required.
The symposium will begin with a Welcome Barbecue and Pool Party beginning at 7 pm. on Monday, May 13. Each of the two days will have a field trip in the morning, and presentations from 1 to 6 in the afternoon. The symposium will close with a steak dinner on the patio Wednesday Evening, May 15. Participants may wish to depart on Thursday, May 16, but are welcome to stay and spend more time exploring the area on their own. The $40 registration fee will cover the opening and closing dinners. All other meals are “on your own,” as well as any alcoholic beverages (wine and beer are served by the Bad Rabbit Cafe). Any local residents not planning to attend the opening and closing dinners may attend the symposium free of charge.
Those wishing to make a presentation should submit an abstract of the proposed talk by March 20, 2013. Abstracts will be evaluated by the symposium organizing committee and successful applicants will be notified by April 15. Abstracts must include the general topic (ecology, geology, culture, history), the title of the talk, the names of the authors, with the speaker listed first, and a description of the main points not to exceed 350 words (see attached example).
Accommodations at Terlingua Ranch include 32 motel-style cabin rooms (two double beds) at $68 per night for one person (check with frontdesk@terlinguaranch.com for reservations and rates) , RV hookups at $20 or $24 per night, and camping at $5 per person per night. In addition, there are also Bed-and-Breakfast accommodations and cabin rentals in the area. A full-service restaurant is open on site 6:30am – 9:00pm daily (reduced hours on Sunday).
The Symposium is sponsored by the four universities of the Texas State University System: Texas State University, Sam Houston State University, Sul Ross State University, and Lamar State University.
Organizing Committee: Michael Huston, David Lemke, and Ivan Castro-Arellano, Texas State;
Kevin Urbanczyk, Sul Ross; Jerry Cook, Sam Houston; Jim Westgate, Lamar.
Abstracts should be sent by email (as Word Documents, or rtf) to Michael Huston, hustonma@txstate.edu, no later than March 20, 2013.
Sunday, November 25, 2012
Thanksgiving in the Trans-Pecos
From Willie Sekula, with permission... and a note of "The sparrow numbers were amazing especially on FM 1832!"
Date has been modified to reflect the 25 Nov post, so it may appear out of order for the RSS feed.
***
Derek Muschalek, Tim Lenz and I birded West Texas over an extended Thanksgiving. We birded Marathon, Big Bend National Park (Rio Grande Village, Dugout Wells, The Basin, Sam Nail Ranch, Cottonwood Campground, Santa Elena), Carolyn Ohl Johnson's Christmas Mountain Oasis (Many Thanks to Carolyn!), Alpine, Davis Mountains (Lawrence E Wood Picnic Area, McDonald Observatory), FM 1832, Balmorhea (Cemetery & Lake). We also made numerous stops along the various roads whenever we saw birds.
Overall the birding was very good. The number of sparrows and diversity was excellent with FM 1832 producing incredible numbers of Clay-colored, Brewer's, Vesper & White-crowned Sparrows along with Cassin's, Savannah & Grasshopper Sparrows. Overall we recorded 17 species of sparrows!
It was pretty exciting to arrive at Panther Junction on Wednesday afternoon while it was raining! A pretty rare sight in November. I think The Basin received 0.18" of rain that day/night.
There were still lots of blooming wildflowers (for Thanksgiving) with an amazing variety and number of butterflies (including a Mexican Silverspot at Rio Grande Village) along with a decent number of odonates.
Birds of Note:
Montezuma Quail (several calling birds at Lawrence E Wood)
Wild Turkey 4 (Lawrence E Wood)
American Bittern 1 (Lake Balmorhea)
Snowy Egret 1 (Lake Balmorhea)
Osprey 1 (Rio Grande Village)
Bald Eagle 1 adult (Lake Balmorhea)
Greater Yellowlegs 1 (Rio Grande Village)
Common Poorwill 1 (calling at Rio Grande Village)
White-throated Swift 24 (Casa Grande)
Anna's Hummingbird 4-5 (Rio Grande Village); 1 (old sewage ponds - The Basin)
Selasphorus sp. 1 (The Basin)
Williamson's Sapsucker 1 male (Marathon Cemetery - initially spotted by Derek) & another male (Lawrence E Wood)
Gray Flycatcher 1 (Cottonwood Campground)
Western Scrub-Jay 1 (The Basin)
Nine species of Wren (Thanksgiving Day):
Rock
Canyon
Cactus
House
Winter
Bewick's
Carolina
Marsh
Sedge (Rio Grande Village)
Varied Thrush 1 (Christmas Mountains Oasis)
Chestnut-collared Longspur 35 (Lake Balmorhea)
Black-throated Gray Warbler 5 (Rio Grande Village)
American Redstart 1 female (Cottonwood Campground - seen along Rio Grande River)
I may have left out some birds of note due to being very tired from a lot of driving! We ended up with 153 species for the trip.
Willie Sekula
Falls City
Date has been modified to reflect the 25 Nov post, so it may appear out of order for the RSS feed.
***
Derek Muschalek, Tim Lenz and I birded West Texas over an extended Thanksgiving. We birded Marathon, Big Bend National Park (Rio Grande Village, Dugout Wells, The Basin, Sam Nail Ranch, Cottonwood Campground, Santa Elena), Carolyn Ohl Johnson's Christmas Mountain Oasis (Many Thanks to Carolyn!), Alpine, Davis Mountains (Lawrence E Wood Picnic Area, McDonald Observatory), FM 1832, Balmorhea (Cemetery & Lake). We also made numerous stops along the various roads whenever we saw birds.
Overall the birding was very good. The number of sparrows and diversity was excellent with FM 1832 producing incredible numbers of Clay-colored, Brewer's, Vesper & White-crowned Sparrows along with Cassin's, Savannah & Grasshopper Sparrows. Overall we recorded 17 species of sparrows!
It was pretty exciting to arrive at Panther Junction on Wednesday afternoon while it was raining! A pretty rare sight in November. I think The Basin received 0.18" of rain that day/night.
There were still lots of blooming wildflowers (for Thanksgiving) with an amazing variety and number of butterflies (including a Mexican Silverspot at Rio Grande Village) along with a decent number of odonates.
Birds of Note:
Montezuma Quail (several calling birds at Lawrence E Wood)
Wild Turkey 4 (Lawrence E Wood)
American Bittern 1 (Lake Balmorhea)
Snowy Egret 1 (Lake Balmorhea)
Osprey 1 (Rio Grande Village)
Bald Eagle 1 adult (Lake Balmorhea)
Greater Yellowlegs 1 (Rio Grande Village)
Common Poorwill 1 (calling at Rio Grande Village)
White-throated Swift 24 (Casa Grande)
Anna's Hummingbird 4-5 (Rio Grande Village); 1 (old sewage ponds - The Basin)
Selasphorus sp. 1 (The Basin)
Williamson's Sapsucker 1 male (Marathon Cemetery - initially spotted by Derek) & another male (Lawrence E Wood)
Gray Flycatcher 1 (Cottonwood Campground)
Western Scrub-Jay 1 (The Basin)
Nine species of Wren (Thanksgiving Day):
Rock
Canyon
Cactus
House
Winter
Bewick's
Carolina
Marsh
Sedge (Rio Grande Village)
Varied Thrush 1 (Christmas Mountains Oasis)
Chestnut-collared Longspur 35 (Lake Balmorhea)
Black-throated Gray Warbler 5 (Rio Grande Village)
American Redstart 1 female (Cottonwood Campground - seen along Rio Grande River)
I may have left out some birds of note due to being very tired from a lot of driving! We ended up with 153 species for the trip.
Willie Sekula
Falls City
Wednesday, November 7, 2012
Sightings around the region
Since we're heading to the Rio Grande Valley Birding Festival as of 4:30 am, we thought the site could use some distractions in our absence. A few reports have been trickling in from around the region, so here's a batch from Jeff Davis Co.
L.E. Woods Picnic area:
Williamson's Sapsucker
Red-naped Sapsucker
Davis Mts State Park:
Fox Sparrow
Posted with permission from Kelly Bryan -
And from the Christmas Mountains Oasis in south Brewster Co, where the Varied Thrush continues, also via Kelly Bryan -
(The Costa's was at the feeders all afternoon at CMO after it was banded.)
L.E. Woods Picnic area:
Williamson's Sapsucker
Red-naped Sapsucker
Davis Mts State Park:
Fox Sparrow
Posted with permission from Kelly Bryan -
Texbirders,
FYI, Marc and Maryann photographed four Evening Grosbeaks at their feeders in the Davis Mountains on October 28. They only stayed a couple of days. Also, a female visited a feeder here in Fort Davis for at least two days this past weekend. For those planning to visit west Texas in the next couple of months keep you eyes pealed. Hopefully, there are more coming down the pike. There appears to be a large influx of Red Crossbills and Western Scrub-Jays are pushing out of the mountains and foothills into the lower desert. May be a good winter overall out here. KBB
And from the Christmas Mountains Oasis in south Brewster Co, where the Varied Thrush continues, also via Kelly Bryan -
Once again the Christmas Mountains Oasis in south central Brewster County has produced an outstanding bird for Texas. If you have never been there then you do not know and cannot appreciate the amount of work it took over the past 20 years or so for Carolyn Ohl to produce the "habitat" there.
I made my weekly stop there this morning to sample her hummingbirds as part of my overall banding study here in west Texas. The first bird in the trap this morning was a male Costa's Hummingbird. He had completed his flight feather molt and was in the process of completing his body molt including his head, gorget and crown. Carolyn will provide an update on this bird on her website and/or on Texbirds later today including the status of the Varied Thrush there. She will have some pics posted to cmoasis.blogspot.com later today.
Save for one juvenile male that we likely banded last week because it was trap shy, there was a complete turnover of hummingbirds there today from last week. We caught four Anna's Hummingbirds including two new birds and two returns. One adult female was previously banded on 12/12/11 (our last Anna's banded last year) and the other, also a female, was banded as an adult on 11/13/09 at CMO. KBB
(The Costa's was at the feeders all afternoon at CMO after it was banded.)
Tuesday, October 23, 2012
Varied Thrush, part two
After a mad dash on October 22, a more leisurely* trip was in order. Having finally slept like a rock, slept in late, and tended several batches of neighborhood creatures, one more trip to CMO seemed like a good idea - if the Varied Thrush stuck, more looks at a life bird would be icing on yesterday's cake.
* in this case, there was also an attempt to snag the wayward San Antonio racing pigeon, but it had superior evasive maneuvers - the alternate title for the post was "outsmarted by a pigeon" but the photos wouldn't be nearly so exciting
Upon arrival at just about 2 pm, a Northern Mockingbird chased a dark blur away from the water; the thrush was at least present! Settling in on the bench and getting distracted by Common Mestra antics was next on the agenda - sorry, no photos of the Common Mestras.
Between intermittent pigeon antics and Varied Thrush sightings, the afternoon was a lovely combination of Western Scrub Jay visits, Black-tailed Gnatcatcher scolding (a pair were disturbed, but I'm not sure by what), and constant Pyrrhuloxia chipping. Goldfinches and siskins were also about. One black-necked garter snake was in the big tank. Very nice to see!
Several minutes of observation came from the other side of the water feature - the behavior was very reminiscent of the Swainson's Warbler from the spring; kicking, shuffling, flipping leaves and bark and mulch and generally fussing around in less than photogenic ways. There are dark, leafy blurs as evidence of this behavior, but they're a challenge to decipher.
The thrush was still present at 4 pm, when I headed out, and it headed back into the shade to kick around the mulch again.
* in this case, there was also an attempt to snag the wayward San Antonio racing pigeon, but it had superior evasive maneuvers - the alternate title for the post was "outsmarted by a pigeon" but the photos wouldn't be nearly so exciting
Upon arrival at just about 2 pm, a Northern Mockingbird chased a dark blur away from the water; the thrush was at least present! Settling in on the bench and getting distracted by Common Mestra antics was next on the agenda - sorry, no photos of the Common Mestras.
 |
| Varied Thrush, as seen from the bench. |
Between intermittent pigeon antics and Varied Thrush sightings, the afternoon was a lovely combination of Western Scrub Jay visits, Black-tailed Gnatcatcher scolding (a pair were disturbed, but I'm not sure by what), and constant Pyrrhuloxia chipping. Goldfinches and siskins were also about. One black-necked garter snake was in the big tank. Very nice to see!
Several minutes of observation came from the other side of the water feature - the behavior was very reminiscent of the Swainson's Warbler from the spring; kicking, shuffling, flipping leaves and bark and mulch and generally fussing around in less than photogenic ways. There are dark, leafy blurs as evidence of this behavior, but they're a challenge to decipher.
 |
| Stunning markings are effective camouflage in dappled shade. |
 |
| This is one lucky bird. Welcome to the oasis, buddy. |
 |
| Extended eyeliner; this photo is for Tony. |
 |
| Flight feathers are amazing from all angles. |
The thrush was still present at 4 pm, when I headed out, and it headed back into the shade to kick around the mulch again.
Monday, October 22, 2012
Varied Thrush! Christmas Mtns Oasis!
Carolyn Ohl-Johnson's Christmas Mountains Oasis
Terlingua Ranch area
south Brewster County.
^^click link above for her Christmas Mountains Oasis blog. It is worth the look.^^
What an important area for Texas ornithology. Carolyn has worked incredibly hard for her habitat over the years.
An important area.
An important person.
Terlingua Ranch area
south Brewster County.
^^click link above for her Christmas Mountains Oasis blog. It is worth the look.^^
What an important area for Texas ornithology. Carolyn has worked incredibly hard for her habitat over the years.
An important area.
An important person.
 |
| Varied Thrush (Ixoreus naevius) Heidi and I got there in the heat of the afternoon. We had to see this bird, but schedules weren't fitting together. It was decided to push to go to Carolyn's this afternoon. We got out of the car at around 2:50 in the afternoon. We were on the bird by 3:00. The thrush flushed up into the dead cottonwood and perched. Actually showing some methods of thermoregulation. Like lifting its leg, and thus foot off the surface, maybe catching some breeze. |
 |
| Still regulating it's temperature, it was just about half asleep for a moment. We observed the thrush half "shutting its eye", slow blinking on occasion. The photo above shows the thrush's nictitating membrane. nic·ti·tat·ing membrane
n.
A transparent inner eyelid in birds, reptiles, and some mammals that closes to protect and moisten the eye. Also called third eyelid.
|
 |
| Another commonly seen method of regulating temperature for birds is "panting." This thrush is doing both in the pic above. Anyways, after some great views it decided to drop down and we lost sight of it. We likely could have found the bird but decided to let it be for awhile. This gave us a chance to catch up with Carolyn and K.B. Bryan. After awhile Carolyn and I decided to get more looks. The thrush dropped down to one of the water features that is in its favored area |
 |
 |
| Check out the bead of water between mandibles near the tip end of the beak. Might have to click to blow up the photo a bit to see it. |
Eventually the bird hopped up and out, without much bother, and scampered away.
This is a bird I definitely needed for Texas. 'Twas a lifer for Heidi.
A species I haven't seen east of the Pacific Crest of mountains in western portions of North America. A secretive bird, perhaps I've hiked right by it in moist montane woodlands out west.
Nevertheless, at Christmas Mountains Oasis, Heidi and I sat, watched it, and eventually left it.
Great bird.
Sunday, June 24, 2012
It's daylight.
I'm so accustomed to armchair moth-ing (the equivalent of armchair birding, I suppose) that actually being outside in the light of day to look at pollinators was a strange change of pace. I'd met up with Andy Bankert midday to take him to the Christmas Mountains Oasis after he hiked Pinnacles Trail in Big Bend National Park for Colima Warbler. Even in the noonday heat, CMO was definitely worthwhile! We were officially looking for Lucifer Hummingbird (check), Varied Bunting (check) and Elf Owl (nope). Unofficially, I was really hoping to see the resident Mojave rattlesnake as well.
Vertebrates aside, we had a slew of flying insects. Probably 90% were mosquitoes (long overdue - as was the rain!) but the rest were dragonflies and damselflies and butterflies and...
Uresiphita reversalis - Genista Broom Moth
Unknown crambid-type moth
Clockwise from the blurry dark moth in the upper left:
Tarache quadriplaga - either that or one of the Ponometias
Kricogonia lyside - Lyside Sulphur
Ponometia semiflava - Half Yellow (look straight across to the right of the butterfly, it's yellow and dark blue-gray)
Palpita quadristigmalis - Four-spotted Palpita
Helicoverpa zea - Corn Earworm Moth
There were some other really impressive looking pollinators, but that's fodder for future posts! Definitely makes me wish I'd checked every beebrush plant on the property!
Back to birds for a moment - we had been emailed a note of caution from Carolyn before we headed to CMO... "Lucifers are here but not abundant. Kelly banded 10 yesterday." They may have been skittish, but they were certainly lovely!
Here's Andy's breakdown of the day, according to Facebook:
Long day! Left Marathon at 3 AM, made it to Boot Canyon by 6:15 for Flammulated Owl, found a Colima Warbler nest by 7:15, back down to the basin by 9:45 where I almost stepped on a rattlesnake! Thanks to Heidi Trudell for taking me to see Lucifer Hummingbirds and Varied Buntings afterwards! Looking for Black-tailed Godwit tomorrow.
We wish Andy the best of luck with The Godwit. We'll be living vicariously through him - he'll be after the godwit and we'll be on Marfa NPR's Talk at Ten to discuss the Gage's July birding festivities.
Vertebrates aside, we had a slew of flying insects. Probably 90% were mosquitoes (long overdue - as was the rain!) but the rest were dragonflies and damselflies and butterflies and...
Uresiphita reversalis - Genista Broom Moth
Unknown crambid-type moth
Clockwise from the blurry dark moth in the upper left:
Tarache quadriplaga - either that or one of the Ponometias
Kricogonia lyside - Lyside Sulphur
Ponometia semiflava - Half Yellow (look straight across to the right of the butterfly, it's yellow and dark blue-gray)
Palpita quadristigmalis - Four-spotted Palpita
Helicoverpa zea - Corn Earworm Moth
There were some other really impressive looking pollinators, but that's fodder for future posts! Definitely makes me wish I'd checked every beebrush plant on the property!
Back to birds for a moment - we had been emailed a note of caution from Carolyn before we headed to CMO... "Lucifers are here but not abundant. Kelly banded 10 yesterday." They may have been skittish, but they were certainly lovely!
Here's Andy's breakdown of the day, according to Facebook:
Long day! Left Marathon at 3 AM, made it to Boot Canyon by 6:15 for Flammulated Owl, found a Colima Warbler nest by 7:15, back down to the basin by 9:45 where I almost stepped on a rattlesnake! Thanks to Heidi Trudell for taking me to see Lucifer Hummingbirds and Varied Buntings afterwards! Looking for Black-tailed Godwit tomorrow.
We wish Andy the best of luck with The Godwit. We'll be living vicariously through him - he'll be after the godwit and we'll be on Marfa NPR's Talk at Ten to discuss the Gage's July birding festivities.
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Brewster County Birding Karma
This is our preliminary 'weekend' report (our weekend is Tues/Weds), with notable sighitngs in bold. While Rose-breasted Grosbeak was reported from Rio Grande Village as well as Christmas Mountains Oasis, we missed them along with Crissal Thrasher. But for very little effort we racked up a good number of critters. So, so many critters.
Report Details
Date range: May 1, 2011 - May 7, 2011 Total # of Species: 92
Total # of Checklists: 8
Location(s): Big Bend NP--Rio Grande Village; Big Bend Ranch SP - Barton Warnock Visitors Ctr. (Brewster Co.); Brewster; Christmas Mountain Oasis; Terlingua- Ghost Town area
Summary
May 1 May 2 May 3 May 4 May 5 May 6 May 7
Number of Species -- 6 63 77 -- -- --
Number of Individuals -- 3 40 1 -- -- --
Number of Checklists -- 2 5 1 -- -- --
Highest Count for a Species Show Sample Size
Species Name May 1 May 2 May 3 May 4 May 5 May 6 May 7
Mallard (Mexican) -- -- -- X -- -- --
Scaled Quail -- X X X -- -- --
Green Heron -- -- -- X -- -- --
Black Vulture -- -- -- X -- -- --
Turkey Vulture -- -- X X -- -- --
Northern Harrier -- 1 -- -- -- -- --
Common Black-Hawk -- -- -- X -- -- --
Gray Hawk -- -- -- X -- -- --
Zone-tailed Hawk -- -- 1 X -- -- --
Red-tailed Hawk -- -- 1 -- -- -- --
American Kestrel -- -- 1 -- -- -- --
Killdeer -- -- X X -- -- --
Solitary Sandpiper -- -- -- X -- -- --
Eurasian Collared-Dove -- -- 2 -- -- -- --
White-winged Dove -- -- X X -- -- --
Mourning Dove -- X X X -- -- --
Common Ground-Dove -- -- -- X -- -- --
Greater Roadrunner -- -- X X -- -- --
Elf Owl -- 1 -- -- -- -- --
White-throated Swift -- -- -- X -- -- --
Lucifer Hummingbird -- -- 2 -- -- -- --
Black-chinned Hummingbird -- -- 5 -- -- -- --
Golden-fronted Woodpecker -- -- X X -- -- --
Ladder-backed Woodpecker -- 1 1 X -- -- --
Gray Flycatcher -- -- X X -- -- --
Dusky Flycatcher -- -- X -- -- -- --
Black Phoebe -- -- -- X -- -- --
Say's Phoebe -- -- X X -- -- --
Vermilion Flycatcher -- -- X X -- -- --
Ash-throated Flycatcher -- -- X X -- -- --
Western Kingbird -- -- 1 X -- -- --
Loggerhead Shrike -- -- -- X -- -- --
Bell's Vireo -- -- X X -- -- --
Plumbeous Vireo -- -- -- X -- -- --
Common Raven -- -- X X -- -- --
Northern Rough-winged Swallow -- -- -- X -- -- --
Barn Swallow -- -- 2 X -- -- --
Cliff Swallow -- -- -- X -- -- --
Verdin -- -- 1 X -- -- --
Cactus Wren -- -- X X -- -- --
House Wren -- -- 1 -- -- -- --
Black-tailed Gnatcatcher -- -- -- X -- -- --
Swainson's Thrush -- -- 2 X -- -- --
Hermit Thrush -- -- -- X -- -- --
Gray Catbird -- -- -- X -- -- --
Northern Mockingbird -- -- X X -- -- --
Curve-billed Thrasher -- -- X X -- -- --
Nashville Warbler -- -- 2 X -- -- --
Yellow Warbler -- -- X X -- -- --
Yellow-rumped Warbler -- -- X X -- -- --
Townsend's Warbler -- -- -- X -- -- --
Black-and-white Warbler -- -- -- X -- -- --
American Redstart -- -- -- X -- -- --
Ovenbird -- -- -- X -- -- --
Northern Waterthrush -- -- -- X -- -- --
MacGillivray's Warbler -- -- -- X -- -- --
Common Yellowthroat -- -- -- X -- -- --
Wilson's Warbler -- -- X X -- -- --
Yellow-breasted Chat -- -- X X -- -- --
Green-tailed Towhee -- -- 2 X -- -- --
Canyon Towhee -- X X -- -- -- --
Chipping Sparrow -- -- X X -- -- --
Clay-colored Sparrow -- -- X X -- -- --
Brewer's Sparrow -- -- X X -- -- --
Vesper Sparrow -- -- X X -- -- --
Lark Sparrow -- -- X X -- -- --
Black-throated Sparrow -- -- X X -- -- --
Lark Bunting -- -- 3 X -- -- --
Savannah Sparrow -- -- X -- -- -- --
Lincoln's Sparrow -- -- -- X -- -- --
White-crowned Sparrow -- -- X X -- -- --
Summer Tanager -- -- -- X -- -- --
Scarlet Tanager -- -- -- 1 -- -- --
Western Tanager -- -- 3 X -- -- --
Northern Cardinal -- -- X X -- -- --
Pyrrhuloxia -- -- X X -- -- --
Black-headed Grosbeak -- -- 2 X -- -- --
Blue Grosbeak -- -- X X -- -- --
Lazuli Bunting -- -- 1 X -- -- --
Indigo Bunting -- -- X X -- -- --
Varied Bunting -- -- 3 -- -- -- --
Painted Bunting -- -- X X -- -- --
Red-winged Blackbird -- -- X -- -- -- --
Yellow-headed Blackbird -- -- 1 -- -- -- --
Brewer's Blackbird -- -- X X -- -- --
Brown-headed Cowbird -- -- X X -- -- --
Hooded Oriole -- -- -- X -- -- --
Bullock's Oriole -- -- X X -- -- --
Scott's Oriole -- -- 1 X -- -- --
House Finch -- -- X X -- -- --
American Goldfinch -- -- 1 -- -- -- --
House Sparrow -- -- X X -- -- --
Northern Harrier - adult male, VERY late!
Common Black-Hawk - in the nesting area at RGV
Gray Hawk - pair calling over RGV store and Daniel's Ranch
Zone-tailed Hawk - at least 3 individuals in the region
Elf Owl - heard only at CMO
Lucifer Hummingbird - displaying at CMO
Black-and-white Warbler - still haven't left?
American Redstart - young male
Ovenbird - out in the open acting like a pipit, palest crown markings we've ever seen
Northern Waterthrush - waggling through flooded campground
MacGillivray's Warbler - wins the least cooperative bird of the trip award
Green-tailed Towhee - EVERYWHERE, very strange!
Lark Bunting - still. not. gone.
Scarlet Tanager - startled us by cooperating near Daniel's Ranch
Lazuli Bunting - two males and a female at RGV, female at CMO
Indigo Bunting - quite common around RGV
Varied Bunting - CMO, most cooperative sightings of this spp to date
Painted Bunting - worse than Wilson's Warblers!
Eventually we'll get the numbers deciphered from notes, but the sheer number of Indigo and Painted Buntings was mind-boggling. Now we know why the rest of west TX has no other birds; they're still hanging around BBNP!
Report Details
Date range: May 1, 2011 - May 7, 2011 Total # of Species: 92
Total # of Checklists: 8
Location(s): Big Bend NP--Rio Grande Village; Big Bend Ranch SP - Barton Warnock Visitors Ctr. (Brewster Co.); Brewster; Christmas Mountain Oasis; Terlingua- Ghost Town area
Summary
May 1 May 2 May 3 May 4 May 5 May 6 May 7
Number of Species -- 6 63 77 -- -- --
Number of Individuals -- 3 40 1 -- -- --
Number of Checklists -- 2 5 1 -- -- --
Highest Count for a Species Show Sample Size
Species Name May 1 May 2 May 3 May 4 May 5 May 6 May 7
Mallard (Mexican) -- -- -- X -- -- --
Scaled Quail -- X X X -- -- --
Green Heron -- -- -- X -- -- --
Black Vulture -- -- -- X -- -- --
Turkey Vulture -- -- X X -- -- --
Northern Harrier -- 1 -- -- -- -- --
Common Black-Hawk -- -- -- X -- -- --
Gray Hawk -- -- -- X -- -- --
Zone-tailed Hawk -- -- 1 X -- -- --
Red-tailed Hawk -- -- 1 -- -- -- --
American Kestrel -- -- 1 -- -- -- --
Killdeer -- -- X X -- -- --
Solitary Sandpiper -- -- -- X -- -- --
Eurasian Collared-Dove -- -- 2 -- -- -- --
White-winged Dove -- -- X X -- -- --
Mourning Dove -- X X X -- -- --
Common Ground-Dove -- -- -- X -- -- --
Greater Roadrunner -- -- X X -- -- --
Elf Owl -- 1 -- -- -- -- --
White-throated Swift -- -- -- X -- -- --
Lucifer Hummingbird -- -- 2 -- -- -- --
Black-chinned Hummingbird -- -- 5 -- -- -- --
Golden-fronted Woodpecker -- -- X X -- -- --
Ladder-backed Woodpecker -- 1 1 X -- -- --
Gray Flycatcher -- -- X X -- -- --
Dusky Flycatcher -- -- X -- -- -- --
Black Phoebe -- -- -- X -- -- --
Say's Phoebe -- -- X X -- -- --
Vermilion Flycatcher -- -- X X -- -- --
Ash-throated Flycatcher -- -- X X -- -- --
Western Kingbird -- -- 1 X -- -- --
Loggerhead Shrike -- -- -- X -- -- --
Bell's Vireo -- -- X X -- -- --
Plumbeous Vireo -- -- -- X -- -- --
Common Raven -- -- X X -- -- --
Northern Rough-winged Swallow -- -- -- X -- -- --
Barn Swallow -- -- 2 X -- -- --
Cliff Swallow -- -- -- X -- -- --
Verdin -- -- 1 X -- -- --
Cactus Wren -- -- X X -- -- --
House Wren -- -- 1 -- -- -- --
Black-tailed Gnatcatcher -- -- -- X -- -- --
Swainson's Thrush -- -- 2 X -- -- --
Hermit Thrush -- -- -- X -- -- --
Gray Catbird -- -- -- X -- -- --
Northern Mockingbird -- -- X X -- -- --
Curve-billed Thrasher -- -- X X -- -- --
Nashville Warbler -- -- 2 X -- -- --
Yellow Warbler -- -- X X -- -- --
Yellow-rumped Warbler -- -- X X -- -- --
Townsend's Warbler -- -- -- X -- -- --
Black-and-white Warbler -- -- -- X -- -- --
American Redstart -- -- -- X -- -- --
Ovenbird -- -- -- X -- -- --
Northern Waterthrush -- -- -- X -- -- --
MacGillivray's Warbler -- -- -- X -- -- --
Common Yellowthroat -- -- -- X -- -- --
Wilson's Warbler -- -- X X -- -- --
Yellow-breasted Chat -- -- X X -- -- --
Green-tailed Towhee -- -- 2 X -- -- --
Canyon Towhee -- X X -- -- -- --
Chipping Sparrow -- -- X X -- -- --
Clay-colored Sparrow -- -- X X -- -- --
Brewer's Sparrow -- -- X X -- -- --
Vesper Sparrow -- -- X X -- -- --
Lark Sparrow -- -- X X -- -- --
Black-throated Sparrow -- -- X X -- -- --
Lark Bunting -- -- 3 X -- -- --
Savannah Sparrow -- -- X -- -- -- --
Lincoln's Sparrow -- -- -- X -- -- --
White-crowned Sparrow -- -- X X -- -- --
Summer Tanager -- -- -- X -- -- --
Scarlet Tanager -- -- -- 1 -- -- --
Western Tanager -- -- 3 X -- -- --
Northern Cardinal -- -- X X -- -- --
Pyrrhuloxia -- -- X X -- -- --
Black-headed Grosbeak -- -- 2 X -- -- --
Blue Grosbeak -- -- X X -- -- --
Lazuli Bunting -- -- 1 X -- -- --
Indigo Bunting -- -- X X -- -- --
Varied Bunting -- -- 3 -- -- -- --
Painted Bunting -- -- X X -- -- --
Red-winged Blackbird -- -- X -- -- -- --
Yellow-headed Blackbird -- -- 1 -- -- -- --
Brewer's Blackbird -- -- X X -- -- --
Brown-headed Cowbird -- -- X X -- -- --
Hooded Oriole -- -- -- X -- -- --
Bullock's Oriole -- -- X X -- -- --
Scott's Oriole -- -- 1 X -- -- --
House Finch -- -- X X -- -- --
American Goldfinch -- -- 1 -- -- -- --
House Sparrow -- -- X X -- -- --
Northern Harrier - adult male, VERY late!
Common Black-Hawk - in the nesting area at RGV
Gray Hawk - pair calling over RGV store and Daniel's Ranch
Zone-tailed Hawk - at least 3 individuals in the region
Elf Owl - heard only at CMO
Lucifer Hummingbird - displaying at CMO
Black-and-white Warbler - still haven't left?
American Redstart - young male
Ovenbird - out in the open acting like a pipit, palest crown markings we've ever seen
Northern Waterthrush - waggling through flooded campground
MacGillivray's Warbler - wins the least cooperative bird of the trip award
Green-tailed Towhee - EVERYWHERE, very strange!
Lark Bunting - still. not. gone.
Scarlet Tanager - startled us by cooperating near Daniel's Ranch
Lazuli Bunting - two males and a female at RGV, female at CMO
Indigo Bunting - quite common around RGV
Varied Bunting - CMO, most cooperative sightings of this spp to date
Painted Bunting - worse than Wilson's Warblers!
Eventually we'll get the numbers deciphered from notes, but the sheer number of Indigo and Painted Buntings was mind-boggling. Now we know why the rest of west TX has no other birds; they're still hanging around BBNP!
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Christmas Mountains Oasis
This entry is backdated to match the date of observation - we spent midday Tuesday enjoying Carolyn's fantastic Christmas Mountains Oasis and it has taken a while for us to catch up with the list, the weekend and the bumper crop of newly emerged moths.
Spring highlight for us, Scott's Oriole (photo below). Other jaw-dropping beauties included Lucifer Hummingbird and, well, Sage Thrasher is a bit more delicate in its presentation, but is lovely nonetheless!
Species:
15 Scaled Quail
4 Turkey Vulture
7 White-winged Dove
5 Mourning Dove
2 Lucifer Hummingbird
2 Black-chinned Hummingbird
1 Northern Flicker (Red-shafted)
2 Say's Phoebe
1 Common Raven
4 Barn Swallow
4 Cactus Wren
1 Ruby-crowned Kinglet
2 Sage Thrasher
3 Rufous-crowned Sparrow
5 Canyon Towhee
1 Cassin's Sparrow
1 Brewer's Sparrow
1 Field Sparrow
1 Lark Sparrow
25 Black-throated Sparrow
1 Lark Bunting
1 Grasshopper Sparrow
1 White-crowned Sparrow
2 Northern Cardinal
6 Pyrrhuloxia
3 Scott's Oriole
5 House Finch
1 Lesser Goldfinch
Total species reported: 28
Spring highlight for us, Scott's Oriole (photo below). Other jaw-dropping beauties included Lucifer Hummingbird and, well, Sage Thrasher is a bit more delicate in its presentation, but is lovely nonetheless!
Species:
15 Scaled Quail
4 Turkey Vulture
7 White-winged Dove
5 Mourning Dove
2 Lucifer Hummingbird
2 Black-chinned Hummingbird
1 Northern Flicker (Red-shafted)
2 Say's Phoebe
1 Common Raven
4 Barn Swallow
4 Cactus Wren
1 Ruby-crowned Kinglet
2 Sage Thrasher
3 Rufous-crowned Sparrow
5 Canyon Towhee
1 Cassin's Sparrow
1 Brewer's Sparrow
1 Field Sparrow
1 Lark Sparrow
25 Black-throated Sparrow
1 Lark Bunting
1 Grasshopper Sparrow
1 White-crowned Sparrow
2 Northern Cardinal
6 Pyrrhuloxia
3 Scott's Oriole
5 House Finch
1 Lesser Goldfinch
Total species reported: 28
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
November summary, Big Bend Region
Locations for this list include:
Big Bend National Park (Boquillas Canyon, banks of the Rio Grande at Daniel's Ranch, Rio Grande Village)
Brewster County
Christmas Mountains Oasis
Davis Mountains (private property)
Davis Mountains State Park
Jeff Davis County
Marathon Motel
Post Park
Month list generated by eBird, notes based on specific locations, if needed.
Mallard (Mexican) - Rio Grande
Scaled Quail
Wild Turkey
Horned Grebe - Rio Grande
Great Blue Heron - Post Park
Black Vulture - Rio Grande
Turkey Vulture - 1 roadkill, Nov. 18 a few miles west of Marathon
Northern Harrier
Sharp-shinned Hawk - Christmas Mountains Oasis
Cooper's Hawk - Rio Grande Village
Red-tailed Hawk
American Kestrel
Prairie Falcon
American Coot - Post Park
Killdeer - Post Park
Rock Pigeon
Eurasian Collared-Dove
White-winged Dove
Mourning Dove
Inca Dove
Greater Roadrunner - Big Bend National Park
Great Horned Owl - Marathon
Common Poorwill - Marathon
Violet-crowned Hummingbird - Davis Mountains
Black-chinned Hummingbird - Marathon, continues
Anna's Hummingbird - Rio Grande, Christmas Mountains Oasis
Broad-tailed Hummingbird - Davis Mountains
Rufous Hummingbird - Davis Mountains
Allen's Hummingbird - Christmas Mountains Oasis, Marathon, Davis Mountains
Acorn Woodpecker - Davis Mountains State Park
Golden-fronted Woodpecker
Williamson's Sapsucker - Davis Mountains (Madera Canyon)
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker - Marathon Motel
Ladder-backed Woodpecker
Northern Flicker (Red-shafted)
Tufted Flycatcher - Rio Grande Village
Gray Flycatcher - Rio Grande Village
Black Phoebe - Post Park, Rio Grande
Eastern Phoebe - Post Park, Rio Grande Village
Say's Phoebe -
Vermilion Flycatcher
Ash-throated Flycatcher - Rio Grande Village
Western Scrub-Jay - Davis Mountains State Park
Loggerhead Shrike
Common Raven
Black-crested Titmouse - Davis Mountains State Park
Verdin
White-breasted Nuthatch - Davis Mountains
Brown Creeper - Rio Grande Village
Cactus Wren
Rock Wren - Boquillas Canyon
Bewick's Wren - Rio Grande Village
House Wren - Rio Grande Village
Marsh Wren - Rio Grande Village
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher - Rio Grande Village
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Swainson's Thrush - Christmas Mountains Oasis
Hermit Thrush - Christmas Mountains Oasis, Rio Grande Village
Northern Mockingbird
Curve-billed Thrasher
European Starling
Cedar Waxwing
American Pipit - Boquillas Canyon
Phainopepla - Big Bend National Park
Orange-crowned Warbler - Rio Grande Village
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Black-throated Gray Warbler - Rio Grande Village
Spotted Towhee - Davis Mountains
Canyon Towhee
Chipping Sparrow - Davis Mountains State Park
Clay-colored Sparrow - Davis Mountains State Park
Brewer's Sparrow
Field Sparrow
Vesper Sparrow
Black-throated Sparrow - Big Bend National Park
Lark Bunting
Lincoln's Sparrow - Post Park
Swamp Sparrow - Post Park
White-crowned Sparrow - Post Park
Dark-eyed Junco - Davis Mountains
Northern Cardinal
Pyrrhuloxia
meadowlark sp.
Brewer's Blackbird
Great-tailed Grackle
Brown-headed Cowbird
House Finch
Pine Siskin - Christmas Mountains Oasis, Davis Mountains State Park
Lesser Goldfinch - Christmas Mountains Oasis, Davis Mountains
American Goldfinch - Christmas Mountains Oasis, Davis Mountains
House Sparrow
Total: 92 species
** We weren't able to bird as much with some out-of-state travel for Thanksgiving, not to mention the prep time for it and other birdless adventures. The Allen's and Black-chinned Hummingbird continue as of Dec. 1 at our Marathon feeder.
Big Bend National Park (Boquillas Canyon, banks of the Rio Grande at Daniel's Ranch, Rio Grande Village)
Brewster County
Christmas Mountains Oasis
Davis Mountains (private property)
Davis Mountains State Park
Jeff Davis County
Marathon Motel
Post Park
Month list generated by eBird, notes based on specific locations, if needed.
Mallard (Mexican) - Rio Grande
Scaled Quail
Wild Turkey
Horned Grebe - Rio Grande
Great Blue Heron - Post Park
Black Vulture - Rio Grande
Turkey Vulture - 1 roadkill, Nov. 18 a few miles west of Marathon
Northern Harrier
Sharp-shinned Hawk - Christmas Mountains Oasis
Cooper's Hawk - Rio Grande Village
Red-tailed Hawk
American Kestrel
Prairie Falcon
American Coot - Post Park
Killdeer - Post Park
Rock Pigeon
Eurasian Collared-Dove
White-winged Dove
Mourning Dove
Inca Dove
Greater Roadrunner - Big Bend National Park
Great Horned Owl - Marathon
Common Poorwill - Marathon
Violet-crowned Hummingbird - Davis Mountains
Black-chinned Hummingbird - Marathon, continues
Anna's Hummingbird - Rio Grande, Christmas Mountains Oasis
Broad-tailed Hummingbird - Davis Mountains
Rufous Hummingbird - Davis Mountains
Allen's Hummingbird - Christmas Mountains Oasis, Marathon, Davis Mountains
Acorn Woodpecker - Davis Mountains State Park
Golden-fronted Woodpecker
Williamson's Sapsucker - Davis Mountains (Madera Canyon)
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker - Marathon Motel
Ladder-backed Woodpecker
Northern Flicker (Red-shafted)
Tufted Flycatcher - Rio Grande Village
Gray Flycatcher - Rio Grande Village
Black Phoebe - Post Park, Rio Grande
Eastern Phoebe - Post Park, Rio Grande Village
Say's Phoebe -
Vermilion Flycatcher
Ash-throated Flycatcher - Rio Grande Village
Western Scrub-Jay - Davis Mountains State Park
Loggerhead Shrike
Common Raven
Black-crested Titmouse - Davis Mountains State Park
Verdin
White-breasted Nuthatch - Davis Mountains
Brown Creeper - Rio Grande Village
Cactus Wren
Rock Wren - Boquillas Canyon
Bewick's Wren - Rio Grande Village
House Wren - Rio Grande Village
Marsh Wren - Rio Grande Village
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher - Rio Grande Village
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Swainson's Thrush - Christmas Mountains Oasis
Hermit Thrush - Christmas Mountains Oasis, Rio Grande Village
Northern Mockingbird
Curve-billed Thrasher
European Starling
Cedar Waxwing
American Pipit - Boquillas Canyon
Phainopepla - Big Bend National Park
Orange-crowned Warbler - Rio Grande Village
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Black-throated Gray Warbler - Rio Grande Village
Spotted Towhee - Davis Mountains
Canyon Towhee
Chipping Sparrow - Davis Mountains State Park
Clay-colored Sparrow - Davis Mountains State Park
Brewer's Sparrow
Field Sparrow
Vesper Sparrow
Black-throated Sparrow - Big Bend National Park
Lark Bunting
Lincoln's Sparrow - Post Park
Swamp Sparrow - Post Park
White-crowned Sparrow - Post Park
Dark-eyed Junco - Davis Mountains
Northern Cardinal
Pyrrhuloxia
meadowlark sp.
Brewer's Blackbird
Great-tailed Grackle
Brown-headed Cowbird
House Finch
Pine Siskin - Christmas Mountains Oasis, Davis Mountains State Park
Lesser Goldfinch - Christmas Mountains Oasis, Davis Mountains
American Goldfinch - Christmas Mountains Oasis, Davis Mountains
House Sparrow
Total: 92 species
** We weren't able to bird as much with some out-of-state travel for Thanksgiving, not to mention the prep time for it and other birdless adventures. The Allen's and Black-chinned Hummingbird continue as of Dec. 1 at our Marathon feeder.
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Christmas Mountains Oasis
For a blustery midday observation, the Christmas Mountains Oasis was still remarkably productive! Either way you look at the map, Marathon to CMO is at least 2 hours. So instead of taking the northern or southern routes, we cut straight through the middle. It would not be advised for low-clearance vehicles. It would definitely not be advised for any vehicle after a rain.
Also, speeds should really be kept down on that back road shortcut; aside from abundant Mule Deer and birds and plenty of other wildlife tracks... we had our second Western Diamondback Rattlesnake for the county! (photos at end of post; thanks to Joe for the ID correction!)
Location name: Christmas Mountain Oasis
Observation date: 11/3/10 (11:30 am - 2 pm)
X Scaled Quail - heard only
1 Sharp-shinned Hawk - male
1 Cooper's Hawk - female
4 White-winged Dove
1 Mourning Dove
1 Greater Roadrunner
6 Anna's Hummingbird
1Rufous Allen's Hummingbird
1 Ladder-backed Woodpecker
2 Northern Flicker (Red-shafted)
1 Eastern Phoebe
1 Common Raven
1 Cactus Wren
1 Rock Wren
1 House Wren
2 Ruby-crowned Kinglet
1 Swainson's Thrush
1 Hermit Thrush
1 Northern Mockingbird
1 Yellow-rumped Warbler (Audubon's)
1 Spotted Towhee
1 Canyon Towhee
3 Chipping Sparrow
3 Vesper Sparrow
5 Black-throated Sparrow
1 Lark Bunting
1 Lincoln's Sparrow
15 White-crowned Sparrow
7 Pyrrhuloxia
14 Pine Siskin
4 Lesser Goldfinch
1 American Goldfinch
Total species reported: 32
Report generated by eBird.
Notes: Winds picked up considerably around one, knocking most birds into cover.
Butterflies noted: Arizona Sister, Monarch, Checkered White, Southern Dogface, Question Mark, empress ?
Mammals: fox or young coyote seen by Matt. Badger at low tank seen by Heidi.
Aforementioned Western Diamondback Rattlesnake (not at CM Oasis):
Head detail, from a safe distance:
Rattle detail:
Also, speeds should really be kept down on that back road shortcut; aside from abundant Mule Deer and birds and plenty of other wildlife tracks... we had our second Western Diamondback Rattlesnake for the county! (photos at end of post; thanks to Joe for the ID correction!)
Location name: Christmas Mountain Oasis
Observation date: 11/3/10 (11:30 am - 2 pm)
X Scaled Quail - heard only
1 Sharp-shinned Hawk - male
1 Cooper's Hawk - female
4 White-winged Dove
1 Mourning Dove
1 Greater Roadrunner
6 Anna's Hummingbird
1
1 Ladder-backed Woodpecker
2 Northern Flicker (Red-shafted)
1 Eastern Phoebe
1 Common Raven
1 Cactus Wren
1 Rock Wren
1 House Wren
2 Ruby-crowned Kinglet
1 Swainson's Thrush
1 Hermit Thrush
1 Northern Mockingbird
1 Yellow-rumped Warbler (Audubon's)
1 Spotted Towhee
1 Canyon Towhee
3 Chipping Sparrow
3 Vesper Sparrow
5 Black-throated Sparrow
1 Lark Bunting
1 Lincoln's Sparrow
15 White-crowned Sparrow
7 Pyrrhuloxia
14 Pine Siskin
4 Lesser Goldfinch
1 American Goldfinch
Total species reported: 32
Report generated by eBird.
Notes: Winds picked up considerably around one, knocking most birds into cover.
Butterflies noted: Arizona Sister, Monarch, Checkered White, Southern Dogface, Question Mark, empress ?
Mammals: fox or young coyote seen by Matt. Badger at low tank seen by Heidi.
Aforementioned Western Diamondback Rattlesnake (not at CM Oasis):
Head detail, from a safe distance:
Rattle detail:
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Useful Links & Regional Resources
Planning a trip to Big Bend National Park, the Davis Mountains,
Lake Balmorhea and the surrounding region?
The sites below are helpful for the wildlife side of things,
skip to the second batch for general travel information for the towns out here.
Alpine, Fort Davis, Marathon, Marfa, Texas Mountain Trails and Big Bend info:
Last updated 11/30/12.
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