Sketchy winter sparrows

On Sunday, March 16, it was miserably cold, windy, overcast, and challenging to bird in. A lovely couple from Arizona braved the elements and Post Park did not disappoint, so it was after 11 am when we tried our last stop of the morning at the Gage Gardens. Meadowlarks were blown past us and what few birds were around certainly did not cooperate much... except for a buffy-faced, large sparrow. Harris's Sparrow is really not expected out here at all. It had dark black smudging around the beak and I wondered if it may have been the same bird as two winters prior (spoiler: nope). Having no camera on hand at the time, I knew I would have to return to try for photos.

My glorious sketch of Sunday's Harris's Sparrow:

With local birder, Bill Sain, Tuesday morning (the 18th), two hours were spent canvassing the Gardens. Only shortly before we left did Bill spot rustling behind a yucca that proved to be White-crowned Sparrows with a khaki counterpart. But it was not 'my' bird from Sunday - far more extensive black smudges covered the chin, throat, and crown! Naturally, we were unable to relocate the second individual. This individual is far more similar to the bird from two winters prior...

Here's a bad photo of a bad photo, but diagnostic:

Guess my next task is to go back and try to refind the bird from Sunday now!


Edit:
Here's a lousy pic of the field sketch of the second bird, after the first round of really bad photos.

I would like to thank my art teacher in high school for drawing ON students' work to indicate what she wanted them to do. That dissuaded me from pursuing art classes further. Otherwise, this English/History/Biology/perpetual student prefers scribbles when snapshots aren't available.

Just Phai - no

In celebration of our blog's title background changing from Ferruginous Hawk (Buteo regalis) to Phainopepla (Phainopepla nitens) I thought I would share a couple of photos from this morning at Gage Gardens, here in Marathon, TX.

The blog's title photo has a male in a juniper from up in the Davis Mountains.  However it has been a comparatively good winter for these birds at slightly lower elevations.  This species, a year-round resident in our region, is generally an altitudinal migrant.  In the winter they descend to warmer elevations.  They can stick to some mid-elevations when Spring arrives, but come late-Spring they generally ascend back to higher ground.

It would be nice if they had at least one nesting attempt in the immediate vicinity.

Anyways, here is a female Phainopepla in all her glory and honor:



Rather than the silky black of the males, the females are a cool, smooth slate-gray.



Phainopepla diet consists of mistletoe berries and insects.  This morning's pair were moving about tree tops in the Gage Gardens.  While she was just hanging out, the male was actively fly-catching.

Not that she wasn't paying attention necessarily.  You don't want a dead-beat come nesting season.








Check out the prominent white wing patches in flight.  I have better photos of that particular characteristic elsewhere.  At this moment, he was fly-catching on the other side of this tree..



Phainopepla.  One of the many iconic species of the Big Bend region of far-West TX.

Gage's Birds & Butterflies of the Big Bend - Event Highlights

Edit: links are in BOLD!

Alpine Avalanche story from June.

Edit: Houston Chronicle/San Antonio Express story


What folks are saying... snippets of the event, via Facebook
Check out the bird list and butterfly list - each encompasses the full weekend.

***

Thursday, July 19 - Sneek peek at Swarovski's new scope at the Gage Gardens, Meet & Greet

Friday, July 20 - morning - Hummingbird banding with Kelly Bryan

Friday, July 20 - afternoon - Vendor session, Gage Gardens Butterfly Walk, Kathy Adams Clark Photography Workshop, dinner


Saturday, July 21 - morning - Maravillas Ranch tour; birds, butterflies, javelina and dung beetles

Saturday, July 21 - afternoon - Kaufman lecture, banquet dinner

Saturday, July 21 - evening - Blacklighting for moths

Day Three - Evening

Saturday, July 21st - Evening at Gage Gardens

The evening blacklighting was well attended by people and bugs alike. It was a new experience for many of the folks in attendance, including Ingrid, from Midland. She wasn't always sure where to look, though.

Ingrid's enthusiasm aside, this was a great opportunity to share the great diversity of nocturnal insect life - everything from Ashy Gray Lady Beetles to green lacewings were in attendance!

Here's a slideshow of the gems that turned up at the lights; it was a fairly quiet night, too!





Cameron Carver, President of the Llano Estacado Audubon Society even modeled Manduca quinquemaculata, the Five-spotted Hawkmoth. They eat plants of the nightshade family, but out here it's  silverleaf nightshade, not your tomatoes.

Day Two - Afternoon

Friday, July 20th - Gage Gardens, Ritchie Building, Gage Hotel

At 2 pm, a butterfly walk was held. Of all things, there are photos of butterflies from the butterfly walk, but no photos of the people taking the butterfly walk! Rest assured that there were people, butterflies, the Gage Gardens, and the 'meadow' back behind the gardens. Butterfly list for the full event - not just the Gardens / butterfly walk - can be found here. If anyone who attended has photos of people on the walk, please let us know!

At 4 pm, a photography workshop was held in the Gage main building, featuring Kathy Adams Clark - if anyone who attended would like to send in a few photos (of the workshop!) please drop us a line!

From noon until 5 pm at the Ritchie Building a gathering of intrepid vendors set up shop and talked to Swiss tourists and played Apples to Apples and Scrabble...

Museum of the Big Bend

Big Bend National Park

Chihuahuan Desert Research Institute (above and below)

Below: celebrity spotting time again...

Texas Ornithological Society booth with President, Steve Gross (with Patt!)

And a lovely corner of some of the most iconic bird art that Texas has to offer: Gerald Sneed / Sneed Nature Art, of McAllen, TX. This is the first time that the West Texas mugs were offered!

Affectionately known as the Matt & Heidi corner - some prints from our blog were available; plenty still are!

Last, but certainly not least: Swarovski Optik. Right up front with the best view... and a delightful fellow is hiding in the corner, posting updates on the official unveiling of the scope just behind him! It's surreal to tip-toe around the grand announcement of a new scope - definitely an honor for the festival!

***

After things wrapped up for the day, dinner was pushed back to 7 pm in light of local events. Dinner itself was fairly quiet. It started with a bit of reflection / moment of silence.

After the dinner, vehicle assignments were made and an early bedtime was scheduled for the morning's 6:30 am departure for the Maravillas Ranch trip.

Day Two - Morning

Friday, July 20 - Gage Gardens

The morning started with our local Master Bander, Kelly Bryan, waiting patiently for hummingbirds at the Gage Gardens. Designated feeders were set up inside traps and Black-chinned Hummingbirds were summarily fished out for banding.

An interesting note about hummingbird migration: it seems to go in cycles. Kelly has been tracking the occasional dips in fall migration for years - his website, West Texas Hummingbirds is a wealth of information! Unfortunately for us, however, this year is turning out to be a slow fall migration so we'll be checking his site to see what next year may bring!

Kelly uses nothing but the finest cuttings of hosiery to restrain hummingbirds for weight measurements: under the wing of Black-chinned Hummingbird we see banding pliers, a magnifying glass to look for grooves on the bill, the aforementioned foot of pantyhose, and calipers for taking additional measurements.

First round of celebrity spotting: Kenn Kaufman on the left! Patt, closest to Kelly, is a local celebrity - she has been birding, bugging, botanizing and geo-geeking (is that a real label?) in this region for quite a while!



















Patt, pre-hummingbird takeoff. Celebrity spotting, round two: Kim Kaufman on the left!

Day One

Thursday, July 19th - Gage Gardens, Gage Hotel

The afternoon started with a sneak peek at the soon-to-be-released new Swarovski ATX/STX scope... it is quite an amazing gadget! Below, Clay Taylor explains the highlights of the angled scope option to Kelly Bryan and the Kaufmans while Cameron Carver holds the straight scope body.

Kim Kaufman wasted no time investigating the transforming scope.

So many options! The impressive zoom and close focus comes in three sizes.

Nope, definitely not stalking Kenn for PR purposes... wait, that's a "yes."
A few months ago, there'd be a Swainson's Warbler off to the left of Kim's elbow.

The registration meet-and-greet was a combination of new faces and old friends; the prickly pear margaritas were delicious and the conversation solved many of the world's problems. At least for the birding world. It was hosted on the patio of the White Buffalo Bar / 12 Gage Restaurant.

Festival butterfly list

 ...as composed primarily by Kenn Kaufman, Matt York, Clay Taylor and Kelly Walker during the dinner; further notes, names and photos to be added later!

Butterfly species list – Birds and Butterflies of the Big Bend, July 19-22, 2012

Pipevine Swallowtail
Black Swallowtail
Checkered White
Orange Sulphur
Southern Dogface
Sleepy Orange
Mexican Yellow
Dainty Sulphur
Lyside Sulphur
Large Orange Sulphur
Marine Blue
Reakirt’s Blue
Western Pygmy-Blue
Gray Hairstreak
Great Purple Hairstreak
Fatal Metalmark
Palmer’s Metalmark
Mexican Metalmark
Gulf Fritillary
Variegated Fritillary
Pearl Crescent
Vesta Crescent
Phaon Crescent
Elada Checkerspot
Tiny Checkerspot
Bordered Patch
Question Mark
Red Admiral
West Coast Lady
Common Buckeye
Tropical Buckeye
Common Mestra
Hackberry Emperor
Empress Leilia
Tawny Emperor
American Snout
Queen
Acacia Skipper
Mournful Duskywing
Common/White Checkered-Skipper
Desert Checkered-Skipper
Small Checkered-Skipper
Common Streaky-Skipper
Common Sootywing
Fiery Skipper
Whirlabout
Orange Skipperling
Nysa Roadside-Skipper
Dotted Roadside-Skipper
Texas Roadside-Skipper

Festival bird list

73 species were recorded during the festival, incidental and intentional, for Maravillas Ranch, Post Park, the Gage Gardens and Gage Hotel grounds.

Not bad for a half day along one watershed!

Scaled Quail Callipepla squamata
Wild Turkey Meleagris gallopavo
Turkey Vulture Cathartes aura
Swainson's Hawk Buteo swainsoni
Zone-tailed Hawk Buteo albonotatus
Red-tailed Hawk Buteo jamaicensis
Peregrine Falcon Falco peregrinus
American Coot Fulica americana
Killdeer Charadrius vociferus
Spotted Sandpiper Actitis macularius
Rock Pigeon Columba livia
Eurasian Collared-Dove Streptopelia decaocto
White-winged Dove Zenaida asiatica
Mourning Dove Zenaida macroura
Inca Dove Columbina inca
Common Ground-Dove Columbina passerina
Yellow-billed Cuckoo Coccyzus americanus
Greater Roadrunner Geococcyx californianus
Lesser Nighthawk Chordeiles acutipennis
Common Nighthawk Chordeiles minor
Black-chinned Hummingbird Archilochus alexandri
Golden-fronted Woodpecker Melanerpes aurifrons
Ladder-backed Woodpecker Picoides scalaris
Say's Phoebe Sayornis saya
Vermilion Flycatcher Pyrocephalus rubinus
Ash-throated Flycatcher Myiarchus cinerascens
Cassin's Kingbird Tyrannus vociferans
Western Kingbird Tyrannus verticalis
Scissor-tailed Flycatcher Tyrannus forficatus
Loggerhead Shrike Lanius ludovicianus
Bell's Vireo Vireo bellii
Common Raven Corvus corax
Northern Rough-winged Swallow Stelgidopteryx serripennis
Purple Martin Progne subis
Violet-green Swallow Tachycineta thalassina
Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica
Cliff Swallow Petrochelidon pyrrhonota
Cave Swallow Petrochelidon fulva
Verdin Auriparus flaviceps
Cactus Wren Campylorhynchus brunneicapillus
Canyon Wren Catherpes mexicanus
Bewick's Wren Thryomanes bewickii
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher Polioptila caerulea
Black-tailed Gnatcatcher Polioptila melanura
Northern Mockingbird Mimus polyglottos
Curve-billed Thrasher Toxostoma curvirostre
European Starling Sturnus vulgaris
Yellow-breasted Chat Icteria virens
Green-tailed Towhee Pipilo chlorurus
Rufous-crowned Sparrow Aimophila ruficeps
Canyon Towhee Melozone fusca
Cassin's Sparrow Peucaea cassinii
Lark Sparrow Chondestes grammacus
Black-throated Sparrow Amphispiza bilineata
Summer Tanager Piranga rubra
Western Tanager Piranga ludoviciana
Northern Cardinal Cardinalis cardinalis
Pyrrhuloxia Cardinalis sinuatus
Blue Grosbeak Passerina caerulea
Varied Bunting Passerina versicolor
Painted Bunting Passerina ciris
Red-winged Blackbird Agelaius phoeniceus
Eastern Meadowlark Sturnella magna
Yellow-headed Blackbird Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus
Great-tailed Grackle Quiscalus mexicanus
Bronzed Cowbird Molothrus aeneus
Brown-headed Cowbird Molothrus ater
Orchard Oriole Icterus spurius
Bullock's Oriole Icterus bullockii
Scott's Oriole Icterus parisorum
House Finch Carpodacus mexicanus
Lesser Goldfinch Spinus psaltria
House Sparrow Passer domesticus

Gage Gardens butterfly walk, afternoon 15 July 2012

Desert Checkered-Skipper (Pyrgus philetas)


Highlights included Thorybes drusius "Drusius Cloudywing",  and several Texola elada "Elada Checkerspot"

Pyrgus philetas "Desert Checkered-Skipper" finally showed itself to me this year, as well.

The list for the afternoon:

Battus philenor, Pipevine Swallowtail
Papilio polyxenes, Black Swallowtail
Pontia protodice, Checkered White
Colia eurytheme, Orange Sulphur
Eurema nicippe, Sleepy Orange
Eurmema mexicana, Mexican Yellow
Strymon melinus, Gray Hairstreak
Brephidium exile, Western Pygmy-Blue
Hemiargus isola, Reakirt's Blue
Euptoieta claudia, Variegated Fritillary
Dymasia dymas, Tiny Checkerspot
Texola elada, Elada Checkerspot
Polygonia interrogationis, Question Mark
Vanessa atalanta, Red Admiral
Vanessa annabella, West Coast Lady
Junonie coenia, Common Buckeye
Asterocampa celtis, Hackberry Emporer
Libytheana carinenta, American Snout
Danaus gilippus, Queen
Thorybes drusius, Drusius Cloudywing
Pyrgus communis/albescens
P. philetas, Desert Checkered-Skipper
Hylephila phyleus, Fiery Skipper
Atalopedes campestris, Sachem
Copaeodes aurantiaca, Orange Skipperling
Lerodea eufala, Eufala Skipper




Elada Checkerspot (Texola elada)

Birds & Butterflies of the Big Bend announcement! July 19-22, 2012

This post will remain at the top of our blog as needed: scroll down to see newer entries!

Pre-registration ends July 5th; call Michelle at 1.800.884.GAGE ext 263
Full event package is $350 (this does not include photo blind reservations), ask for details about separate pricing for the Kaufman talk / banquet / etc.
Official registration forms do exist! Click here, or on the button below for the registration form!



(The pdf file should open in a new window, contact h.trudell/at/gmail.com if there's a problem with the link above!)
For hotel reservations, call 432.386.4205 or 1.800.884.GAGE

VENDORS: booth spaces are still available; please e-mail h.trudell at gmail.com for information. 
Vendor area will be free and open to the public.

Guess two members of this larger team effort....
I'll spot you Kenn Kaufman.

EDIT: Via the Gage coordinator, with activities subject to change:

Thanks for your interest in the Gage Hotel's Birds and Butterflies of the Big Bend. The inclusive package for the festival itself is $350 which includes a hummingbird banding workshop the morning of Friday, July 20th and a guided butterfly walk in the afternoon. The Gerald Sneed art exhibit will be followed by a cocktail party and Mexican dinner at the 12 Gage restaurant.

On Saturday July 21st there will be a private guided ranch tour in the morning and the Kenn Kaufman lecture in the evening, followed by a banquet at the Gage Gardens.

The package also includes breakfast Friday and Saturday, gourmet boxed lunches Friday and Saturday, a VIP packet and special room rates at the Gage Hotel.

The Maravilles ranch tour is only available to those purchasing the inclusive package and spaces are limited.

Al a carte options will be available for those who do not want the total package.

I recommend booking your hotel room early if you are interested because the event has generated a great amount of interest even before we have really advertised. I would also suggest booking Thursday the 19th if you are interested in Friday's activities because breakfast is served early on Friday morning and we will have an informal welcoming party and registration Thursday night.

We will have more information and a detailed agenda coming out soon that I would be happy to email you. If you have any questions you may also call me at 432/ 386-4205 ext 263.

To book your hotel reservations you may call 432/386-4205.

Michelle West
Events, Sales and Marketing
Gage Hotel
432/386-4205 ext. 263

Gage festival update! Registration, too!

Greetings, blog readers!

Apologies for less than two months notice with the registration form, but for anyone interested in exploring West Texas as it recovers from last year's droughts and fires, this event should fit the bill quite nicely. The plants and animals are rebounding beautifully in northern Brewster County and the Gage Hotel & Gardens birding festival should be quite worthwhile.



Here is a link to the registration form pdf and current schedule (it should open in a new window) for participants; the a la carte option does NOT include the ranch tour, so with the full package comes the ranch tour and pretty much all meals and meet & greet options and the whole nine yards. For anyone wondering about meals at the Gage, check http://www.gagehotel.com/dining.html - the White Buffalo Bar page also has the menu posted. The event is being catered separately, so anyone with questions about meals, special diet requirements, etc, should contact Michelle West at 432/386-4205 ext. 263

For locals, anyone wishing to attend the Kaufman lecture should be able to make it; it's Saturday afternoon and admission is $30 for talk. Book signing TBA, but either Friday during the vending session (12-7 pm) or Saturday after the lecture seems logical. I know Front Street Books has been stocking up in anticipation!

Vendor spaces are still available (they'll be inside!), though the registration form still isn't final; it is $50 for commercial booths, $20 for non-profits and each space includes one table and electricity is available upon request.

Please pass this along to anyone who may be interested!

Many thanks!

Edit: As of June 1, the form is also available on the Gage's home page, http://www.gagehotel.com/ look for a "button" with the event logo on the lower left side of the page!

***

Involvement disclosure:
Matt works on grounds at the Gage and has provided scouting for the festival, Heidi consults and helps coordinate for this event. Both will be helping wrangle trips/activities during the event. Compensation is overshadowed by feedback and enthusiasm.

Gray Catbird, Gage Gardens. Excellent summer record!

Gray Catbird (Dumetella carolinensis)

Singing this morning at the Gage Gardens, here in Marathon, Brewster Co.

This is an excellent summer record.  We weren't immediately sure if this was or was not a first summer record.
Kelly Bryan's "Birds of the Trans-Pecos" 2002, lists this species as "Accidental" (= "generally one to three records, region-wide each decade) with the dot on the latest end of June.

I am curious about those records, when and where.  The bird is likely still there.  KBB and I have seen him all morning, thus far.

In fact it seems to be singing on territory.  Maybe it is the same individual that would show itself from time to time in our back 40.
If it actually had a mate nearby, I might start singing.

For my experience this winter to now, it seems quite solitary.

Marfa Public Radio, take two!

I'll add a note when the archived version of "Talk at Ten" is posted, but until then: Matt and I were on Marfa's NPR station today! It was almost a year ago when we were last on to discuss drought impacts on birds - this time the news was much better. Hopefully folks will check out the Gage Gardens (which is recovering from a good bit of hail damage) and otherwise investigate the festival, which is now less than a month away!

Trudell, York, and West on Talk at Ten

...and while we're promoting everyone and everything, check out Kenn Kaufman's post about his summer plans! Coming up: Birds and Butterflies in West Texas

Gage Gardens butterflies, AM of 12 June 2012

Butterfly diversity has greatly improved over the last few weeks.  The "back 18" grassland, behind the more manicured area, was particularly productive.  Wildflowers, grasses and forbs are in good shape back there.  Species that depend on mallows were more numerous this morning with many fresh adults present.


West Coast Lady (Vanessa annabella)
Taking the entire 27 or so acres of the Gage Gardens into account, this species had several fresh adults present.  
A promising strong flight, in addition to the mallows in the area, give hope for additional flights as the summer wears on.  In fact, the only Vanessa spp the entire morning were V. annabella and V. atalanta.



Texan Crescent (Anthanassa texana)
This species has had a decent showing within the last week and a half.  Always a nice insect to come across, for me, as I enjoy its fairly distinctive shape and dark color.
Mexican Yellow (Eurema mexicana), a species that is having a very strong flight during the early portion of the season.  Good numbers for several weeks if not a month now.


Common/White Checkered-Skipper (Pyrgus communis/albescens)



Reakirt's Blue (Echinargus isola)


Common Sootywing  (Pholisora catullus)

The above three species were commonly seen puddling on several wet caliche locations along the pathway that runs the perimeter of the back grassland.



Alongside the seemingly infinite number of these guys, Sleepy Orange (Abaeis nicippe).

Only two swallow tail species were observed.


Black Swallowtail (Papilio polyxenes)

and


Pipevine Swallowtail (Battus philenor)


Acacia Skipper (Cogia hippalus)
This large skipper is the first of the year for me.

Full species list from this morning:
Pipevine Swallowtail (Battus philenor)
Black Swallowtail (Papilio polyxenes)
Checkered White (Pontia protodice)
Clouded Sulphur (Colias philodice)
Orange Sulphur (C. eurytheme)
Southern Dogface (Zerene cesonia)
Sleepy Orange (Abaeis nicippe)
Dainty Sulphur (Nathalis iole)
Mexican Yellow (Eureme mexicana)
Lyside Sulphur (Kricogonia lyside)
Gray Hairstreak (Strymon melinus)
Marine Blue (Leptotes marina)
Western Pygmy-Blue (Brephidium exile)
Reakirt's Blue (Echinargus isola)
Variegated Fritillary  (Euptoieta claudia)
Texan Crescent (Athanassa texana)
Question Mark (Polygona interrogationis)
Mourning Cloak (Nymphalis antiopa)
Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta)
West Coast Lady (Vanessa annabella)
Queen (Danaus gilippus)
Acacia Skipper (Cogia hippalus)
Common/White Checkered-Skipper (Pyrgus communis/albescens)
Common Sootywing (Pholisora catullus)
Sachem (Atalopedes campestris)
Dotted Roadside-Skipper (Amblyscirtes eos)

As always, there were many notable no-shows.  That's what next time is for.