I'll spare you the less photogenic side of this badger who was no match for a 70 mph speed limit.
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 Marathon. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Marathon. Show all posts
Saturday, December 16, 2017
Badger feet, claws
Note: this photo is from Aug. 28, 2010 and the post will be archived to that date.
I'll spare you the less photogenic side of this badger who was no match for a 70 mph speed limit.
I'll spare you the less photogenic side of this badger who was no match for a 70 mph speed limit.
Sunday, August 30, 2015
Guest post: BBNP and Marathon
Ultimately, I need to check my pre-sorted emails more frequently: this information is nearly a month old (posting date is 23 Sept, but this will be backdated for the archives). These are from Sue Heath's posts from 28 and 29 Aug, 2015.
***
White-eared hummingbird, Brewster county
All,
Found a white-eared hummingbird along the boot spring trail in Brewster county this morning. It was past the buildings but before the juniper canyon trail goes left. It was defending a large patch of flowers against a black-chinned hummer and a blue-throated hummingbird. Appeared to be a female or young bird as it had no gorget feathers. I posted a full description on ebird. Got some very blurry photos but can't post them til I get better internet. Good birds up there today. Many townsends and Wilson's warblers, one Colima warbler, four or five painted redstarts.
Tad thinks he had a buff-breasted flycatcher in the same general area as the white-eared hummer but we could not relocate it so I didn't see the bird.
Sue
Susan Heath
Gulf Coast Bird Observatory
Lake Jackson, TX
Sent from my iPhone
***
Burrowing owls & long-billed curlews, marathon prairie dog
We found three live and one road kill burrowing owls at the marathon prairie dog town along U.S. 385 in Brewster county today. The live ones were near the northern end. There were also eight long-billed curlew which ebird flagged as rare. Also a dead badger that some vultures were investigating. It looked like it got hit by a car and was just able to drag itself about 30 ft out Into the field before expiring. I wish I would see a live one sometime. The dead owl was unfortunately too far gone for a specimen.
Sue
Susan Heath
Gulf Coast Bird Observatory
Lake Jackson, TX
Sent from my iPhone
***
The only corrections are to obvious phone-typos, many thanks to Sue for the permission to share!!
***
White-eared hummingbird, Brewster county
All,
Found a white-eared hummingbird along the boot spring trail in Brewster county this morning. It was past the buildings but before the juniper canyon trail goes left. It was defending a large patch of flowers against a black-chinned hummer and a blue-throated hummingbird. Appeared to be a female or young bird as it had no gorget feathers. I posted a full description on ebird. Got some very blurry photos but can't post them til I get better internet. Good birds up there today. Many townsends and Wilson's warblers, one Colima warbler, four or five painted redstarts.
Tad thinks he had a buff-breasted flycatcher in the same general area as the white-eared hummer but we could not relocate it so I didn't see the bird.
Sue
Susan Heath
Gulf Coast Bird Observatory
Lake Jackson, TX
Sent from my iPhone
***
Burrowing owls & long-billed curlews, marathon prairie dog
We found three live and one road kill burrowing owls at the marathon prairie dog town along U.S. 385 in Brewster county today. The live ones were near the northern end. There were also eight long-billed curlew which ebird flagged as rare. Also a dead badger that some vultures were investigating. It looked like it got hit by a car and was just able to drag itself about 30 ft out Into the field before expiring. I wish I would see a live one sometime. The dead owl was unfortunately too far gone for a specimen.
Sue
Susan Heath
Gulf Coast Bird Observatory
Lake Jackson, TX
Sent from my iPhone
***
The only corrections are to obvious phone-typos, many thanks to Sue for the permission to share!!
Thursday, July 2, 2015
Sunsets to watch
This blog never did post much in the way of sunsets, but if you'd like to see the Marathon Basin through the eyes of our neighbors... check out this little corner of the blogosphere. There's a horned lizard there, but click on through to the main page and the rest of the posts -- views will make your heart sigh.
::hat-tip to Tom and Klem::
::hat-tip to Tom and Klem::
Sunday, October 26, 2014
tis the season: Agapema Anona
A belated post - Charlie Sansom photographed this Mexican Agapema, Agapema Anona, reportedly one of several, on October 15th. Perfect timing for these beauties, who grace west Texas with their presence squarely in the middle of October every year (based on Marathon observations). Timely find and strikingly fresh individual! Such pristine condition...
 | ||
| Mexican Agapema, Agapema Anona. 15 Oct. 2014 by Charlie Sansom. Marathon/Brewster Co., TX. |
Thursday, July 3, 2014
House Guests
The big puppy has not been feeling well, so the back door has been propped open - day and night - to ease his discomfort. Unfortunately, cone-nosed beetles, mosquitoes and a few other guests have invited themselves in...
Like this female rhinoceros beetle.
Tuesday, June 17, 2014
flight
Generally we brace ourselves for one-day-wonders when something cool turns up... the Red Phalarope Dale Ohl found on Sunday stuck around through at least 5:45 pm on Monday, though. That evening we got 1.5 inches of rain in the span of a few hours and by this morning it was gone. No body was found, so we'll just wish her the best.
Blurry, they may be. But what a bird. Absolutely stunning creature. Very fortunate to have crossed paths.
Edit: Carolyn Ohl's post on the Red Phalarope is up on the Christmas Mountains Oasis blog.
Blurry, they may be. But what a bird. Absolutely stunning creature. Very fortunate to have crossed paths.
Edit: Carolyn Ohl's post on the Red Phalarope is up on the Christmas Mountains Oasis blog.
Sunday, June 15, 2014
Red Phalarope, BREEDING PLUMAGE, Marathon Treatment Ponds - PRIVATE Property
YES, THEY ACTUALLY COME IN RED! And this is the first time I have seen it in breeding plumage. What a thrill!
Remember, this is Private Property. Contact, preferably via text, Heidi for arranging access.
Dale Ohl of Alpine and Canton, TX originally spotted the bird as the three of us ventured to the ponds this morning. More later, perhaps. Here are a few photos:
A general range map for this species:
**range map is from: http://offline.whatbird.com/obj/643/_/Red_Phalarope.aspx
Yes, that orange up there is its summer breeding range.
Remember, this is Private Property. Contact, preferably via text, Heidi for arranging access.
Dale Ohl of Alpine and Canton, TX originally spotted the bird as the three of us ventured to the ponds this morning. More later, perhaps. Here are a few photos:
 |
| Red Phalarope (Phalaropus fulicarius) |
A general range map for this species:
**range map is from: http://offline.whatbird.com/obj/643/_/Red_Phalarope.aspx
Yes, that orange up there is its summer breeding range.
Wednesday, June 11, 2014
Guest Post - John Mariani (Davis Mts, Big Bend)
Post shared with permission:
This weekend I made a trip to the Davis Mountains. Originally I had planned on going from there to the Guadalupe Mountains, but I got some of my target birds for the Guadalupes in the Davis Mountains, so I opted for Big Bend instead.
On Thursday, on my way to the Davis Mountains, I took a detour off I-10 onto 290, which makes a loop back to I-10 (I think this is all in Crockett Co.). Had Gray Vireo in the canyon below the picnic area about 9 miles from I-10. At Fort Lancaster Historic Site I had Curve-billed Thrasher, Black-throated and Lark Sparrows, and Orchard Oriole.
While driving along Limpia Creek between Balmorhea and Fort Davis I spotted a Common Black Hawk perched in a tall cottonwood. I stopped to check it out, and watched it fly to a nest in another cottonwood. There was at least one downy chick in the nest.
The bird blinds at Davis Mountains State Park were attracting a lot of birds. Montezuma Quail have been coming to the bird blind on the right, just before the campgrounds. According to the log there, they have been seen almost daily, usually in the morning or late in the evening. On Thursday evening they were a no-show. I stopped there again at 8:30 the next morning, and a pair of Montezuma Quail were already there. Some people approaching the blind scared them off, but they returned briefly at 9:14. Other birds coming to the feeders/running water at the blinds included Acorn and Ladder-backed Woodpeckers, Cassin’s Kingbirds, a pair of Hepatic Tanagers, Blue and Black-headed Grosbeaks, Canyon Towhee, Lesser Goldfinch, Rufous-crowned, Chipping, and Black-throated Sparrows, and Scott’s Oriole. Only hummingbird species I saw at the feeders was Black-chinned.
Walking from the park entrance back through the campgrounds I saw Greater Roadrunner, LOTS more Cassin’s Kingbirds, Western Wood-Pewees, Say’s Phoebe, Western Scrub Jay, Cactus and Bewick’s Wrens, Summer Tanager, and more Blue Grosbeaks. At night it was really quiet in the park – didn’t hear Common Poorwill or any owls.
On the afternoon of 6/5 and early morning of 6/6 I birded the Lawrence E. Wood Picnic Area. Birds seen there and at the beginning of the Madera Canyon Trail included Cooper’s Hawk on a nest, Gray Flycatcher, Western Wood-Pewee, Ash-throated Flycatcher, Cassin’s Kingbird, Plumbeous Vireo, White-breasted Nuthatch, Western Bluebird, Grace’s Warbler, Hepatic Tanager, Black-headed Grosbeak, and Chipping Sparrow.
Driving 118 from Davis Mountains State Park toward Mt. Locke, where the road starts a winding ascend through patches of brush with flowering agaves, I had Scott’s Oriole and Rufous-crowned and Black-chinned Sparrows. Farther upslope, in a more wooded area, I saw a Hepatic Tanager singing alongside the road.
On the afternoon of 6/6 I hiked the Pinnacles Trail up to Boot Canyon in the Chisos. The ascent to the trail summit was a three-hour ordeal (not fun, felt like I was gonna have heat stroke). Did see Bushtit on the way up, and had a brief look at a Zone-tailed Hawk from the trail’s summit. Spent the night in Boot Canyon. Right at dusk the Mexican Whip-poor-wills started calling...everywhere...at times there were 3 or 4 going simultaneously. Joined a group of birders from Kingsville for owling, and in about an hour and a half we managed to see Whip-poor-will, Western Screech-Owl, and Flammulated Owl. Later I heard a pair of Western Screech-Owls dueting near my campsite, and the Whips were still calling – sometimes sounding like they were only a stone’s throw from my tent - when I finally fell asleep.
On the morning of 6/7, after the Whips finally shut up, I hiked the Juniper Canyon Trail from Boot Springs to the South Rim. The very orange probable Hepatic x Western Tanager was singing right above Boot Springs, with a pair of Hepatic Tanagers nearby. Along the Juniper Canyon Trail I had 4 Band-tailed Pigeons, Blue-throated and Broad-tailed Hummingbirds, Cordilleran Flycatcher, about a half dozen Colima Warblers, and an adult Painted Redstart with 3-4 recently fledged young (saw another redstart at Boot Springs, and one was heard singing down by the campgrounds). Had a Crissal Thrasher where the Juniper Canyon Trail meets the South Rim Trail.
Returned to Chisos Basin via Laguna Meadows – another grueling ordeal, but at least this time it was mostly downhill. Had another Hepatic Tanager down the trail, which made a total of 8 or 8.5 Hepatics for the trip, depending on how you count that weird hybrid at Boot Springs.
The group from Kingsville told me that they had Lucifer and Blue-throated Hummingbirds the day before near the water treatment plant below the Chisos Basin Campground. After recovering from the the long hike down to the Chisos Basin I went to check it out. There is a little drainage lined with reeds below the water treatment plant, and I saw a male Black-chinned and female Lucifer coming to the yellow flowers of the tree tobacco growing along this drainage. Other birds I saw there included a Yellow-billed Cuckoo and male Indigo Bunting.
In the desert scrub around the ranger station at Panther Junction I had Verdins, Black-tailed Gnatcatchers, and Pyrrhuloxias.
On Highway 385, about 6.8 miles north of Marathon, I found Susan Foster and her birding posse scoping a prairie dog town for Burrowing Owl. Lucky for me they were there when I drove by, because the approximate mileage I had to this site was incorrect - if I hadn’t seen them on the side of the road I would have driven right past the spot. Got to see the owl through their scope, and a little farther north, in the same prairie dog town, I had a pair of Scaled Quail. Farther north there were Cassin’s Sparrows singing in the grassland, and at about 22 miles from Marathon I saw a male Bronzed Cowbird on the roadside.
Special thanks to Sheridan Coffey for directions to some of my target birds, and to the birders from Kingsville (wish I could remember the names!) -
John Mariani
Lumberton, TX
This weekend I made a trip to the Davis Mountains. Originally I had planned on going from there to the Guadalupe Mountains, but I got some of my target birds for the Guadalupes in the Davis Mountains, so I opted for Big Bend instead.
On Thursday, on my way to the Davis Mountains, I took a detour off I-10 onto 290, which makes a loop back to I-10 (I think this is all in Crockett Co.). Had Gray Vireo in the canyon below the picnic area about 9 miles from I-10. At Fort Lancaster Historic Site I had Curve-billed Thrasher, Black-throated and Lark Sparrows, and Orchard Oriole.
While driving along Limpia Creek between Balmorhea and Fort Davis I spotted a Common Black Hawk perched in a tall cottonwood. I stopped to check it out, and watched it fly to a nest in another cottonwood. There was at least one downy chick in the nest.
The bird blinds at Davis Mountains State Park were attracting a lot of birds. Montezuma Quail have been coming to the bird blind on the right, just before the campgrounds. According to the log there, they have been seen almost daily, usually in the morning or late in the evening. On Thursday evening they were a no-show. I stopped there again at 8:30 the next morning, and a pair of Montezuma Quail were already there. Some people approaching the blind scared them off, but they returned briefly at 9:14. Other birds coming to the feeders/running water at the blinds included Acorn and Ladder-backed Woodpeckers, Cassin’s Kingbirds, a pair of Hepatic Tanagers, Blue and Black-headed Grosbeaks, Canyon Towhee, Lesser Goldfinch, Rufous-crowned, Chipping, and Black-throated Sparrows, and Scott’s Oriole. Only hummingbird species I saw at the feeders was Black-chinned.
Walking from the park entrance back through the campgrounds I saw Greater Roadrunner, LOTS more Cassin’s Kingbirds, Western Wood-Pewees, Say’s Phoebe, Western Scrub Jay, Cactus and Bewick’s Wrens, Summer Tanager, and more Blue Grosbeaks. At night it was really quiet in the park – didn’t hear Common Poorwill or any owls.
On the afternoon of 6/5 and early morning of 6/6 I birded the Lawrence E. Wood Picnic Area. Birds seen there and at the beginning of the Madera Canyon Trail included Cooper’s Hawk on a nest, Gray Flycatcher, Western Wood-Pewee, Ash-throated Flycatcher, Cassin’s Kingbird, Plumbeous Vireo, White-breasted Nuthatch, Western Bluebird, Grace’s Warbler, Hepatic Tanager, Black-headed Grosbeak, and Chipping Sparrow.
Driving 118 from Davis Mountains State Park toward Mt. Locke, where the road starts a winding ascend through patches of brush with flowering agaves, I had Scott’s Oriole and Rufous-crowned and Black-chinned Sparrows. Farther upslope, in a more wooded area, I saw a Hepatic Tanager singing alongside the road.
On the afternoon of 6/6 I hiked the Pinnacles Trail up to Boot Canyon in the Chisos. The ascent to the trail summit was a three-hour ordeal (not fun, felt like I was gonna have heat stroke). Did see Bushtit on the way up, and had a brief look at a Zone-tailed Hawk from the trail’s summit. Spent the night in Boot Canyon. Right at dusk the Mexican Whip-poor-wills started calling...everywhere...at times there were 3 or 4 going simultaneously. Joined a group of birders from Kingsville for owling, and in about an hour and a half we managed to see Whip-poor-will, Western Screech-Owl, and Flammulated Owl. Later I heard a pair of Western Screech-Owls dueting near my campsite, and the Whips were still calling – sometimes sounding like they were only a stone’s throw from my tent - when I finally fell asleep.
On the morning of 6/7, after the Whips finally shut up, I hiked the Juniper Canyon Trail from Boot Springs to the South Rim. The very orange probable Hepatic x Western Tanager was singing right above Boot Springs, with a pair of Hepatic Tanagers nearby. Along the Juniper Canyon Trail I had 4 Band-tailed Pigeons, Blue-throated and Broad-tailed Hummingbirds, Cordilleran Flycatcher, about a half dozen Colima Warblers, and an adult Painted Redstart with 3-4 recently fledged young (saw another redstart at Boot Springs, and one was heard singing down by the campgrounds). Had a Crissal Thrasher where the Juniper Canyon Trail meets the South Rim Trail.
Returned to Chisos Basin via Laguna Meadows – another grueling ordeal, but at least this time it was mostly downhill. Had another Hepatic Tanager down the trail, which made a total of 8 or 8.5 Hepatics for the trip, depending on how you count that weird hybrid at Boot Springs.
The group from Kingsville told me that they had Lucifer and Blue-throated Hummingbirds the day before near the water treatment plant below the Chisos Basin Campground. After recovering from the the long hike down to the Chisos Basin I went to check it out. There is a little drainage lined with reeds below the water treatment plant, and I saw a male Black-chinned and female Lucifer coming to the yellow flowers of the tree tobacco growing along this drainage. Other birds I saw there included a Yellow-billed Cuckoo and male Indigo Bunting.
In the desert scrub around the ranger station at Panther Junction I had Verdins, Black-tailed Gnatcatchers, and Pyrrhuloxias.
On Highway 385, about 6.8 miles north of Marathon, I found Susan Foster and her birding posse scoping a prairie dog town for Burrowing Owl. Lucky for me they were there when I drove by, because the approximate mileage I had to this site was incorrect - if I hadn’t seen them on the side of the road I would have driven right past the spot. Got to see the owl through their scope, and a little farther north, in the same prairie dog town, I had a pair of Scaled Quail. Farther north there were Cassin’s Sparrows singing in the grassland, and at about 22 miles from Marathon I saw a male Bronzed Cowbird on the roadside.
Special thanks to Sheridan Coffey for directions to some of my target birds, and to the birders from Kingsville (wish I could remember the names!) -
John Mariani
Lumberton, TX
Sunday, June 8, 2014
Lapland the 5th
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| Lapland Longspur (Calcarius lapponicus) |
In our brief four years in Marathon, we have become quite the Longspur enthusiasts. Something about the frozen gusts of wind blasting through your very soul... Who are we kidding? In the last year, access to private ponds has opened up a whole new world of longspur observation: less windy, less cold, lower numbers than the prairie dog town, but better looks.
I digress. This was about Lapland Longspurs. First record for Brewster County was a cat kill at the Marathon Motel. Second was road kill on Hwy 90. Third and fourth were very much alive just north of the prairie dog town on 385, as Matt was able to come and confirm that I was not hallucinating.
Fifth record... this is June 8th, all self respecting longspurs should have left in late March or late April (McCown's and Chestnut-collared, respectively). But the dark peep foraging on the bank next to a Western Sandpiper and a Baird's Sandpiper... It turned around and looked an awful lot like a Horned Lark. But it just wasn't quite Horned Lark. Silly Lapland Longspur, why are you so geographically confused?
I hereby hand the post over to Matt and a few more of his photos:
Edit: check out the range map for Lapland Longspur in summer!
Wednesday, May 28, 2014
Phrynosoma, say it with me...
Horned lizards are declining as a whole throughout Texas for a variety of reasons (fire ants, grassy lawns, urban sprawl, non-native predators, etc.) but we're fortunate to still have a holdout for Texas Horned Lizards in Marathon... and occasionally, if you're lucky, this little fellow: the Round-tailed Horned Lizard, Phrynosoma modestum. I am starting to think that our neighbors, Klem and Tom, have an affinity for rocks - they sent us some lovely images of a pebble-in-disguise toad lubber earlier this year - and now they've beautifully captured the essence of a remarkably lumpy skipping stone.
To learn more about these cryptic neighbors of ours (the lizards, not the humans!) the herps of Texas site covers the basics: click here for their round-tailed horned lizard species account.
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| Round-tailed Horned Lizard (Phrynosoma modestum) photo by Tom Lehr, Marathon/Brewster Co., TX 25 May 2014 |
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| Round-tailed Horned Lizard (Phrynosoma modestum) photo by Tom Lehr, Marathon/Brewster Co., TX 25 May 2014 |
Monday, May 26, 2014
26 May 2014 SW Ponds / Private
What a difference a day or two makes! We had lower oriole numbers and diversity, higher phalarope numbers, MUCH higher peep numbers and generally similar flycatcher numbers.
Other than a probable Zone-tailed Hawk on the way to the ponds (FOS ZTHA being seen yesterday), and a White-faced Ibis primary on the berm (none seen since the 3rd, likely due to lack of observers), the eBird list pretty much says it all...
31 Species:
10 Mallard (Mexican) Anas platyrhynchos diazi
2 Blue-winged Teal Anas discors
3 Green-winged Teal Anas crecca
6 Ruddy Duck Oxyura jamaicensis - Accurate count
4 Scaled Quail Callipepla squamata
2 Turkey Vulture Cathartes aura
3 Red-tailed Hawk Buteo jamaicensis
6 Killdeer Charadrius vociferus
2 Spotted Sandpiper Actitis macularius
1 Stilt Sandpiper Calidris himantopus - Pronounced white eyebrow. Taller, longer-necked than neighboring Western SPs. Drooping bill longer than width of head. Tail reminiscent of yellowlegs spp.
5 White-rumped Sandpiper Calidris fuscicollis - In flight, U-shaped broad white rump patch. Comparable in size to nearby Stilt and Western SP. Slightly larger than nearby Spotted SP.
1 Western Sandpiper Calidris mauri - Smaller peep compared to nearby Stilt SP.Clean white underneath w/o connecting collar. Upperside tail whitish with dark middle stripe (inner retrices) above when in flight. Dark legs.
5 Wilson's Phalarope Phalaropus tricolor
3 White-winged Dove Zenaida asiatica
1 Mourning Dove Zenaida macroura
1 Common Nighthawk Chordeiles minor
1 Say's Phoebe Sayornis saya
2 Ash-throated Flycatcher Myiarchus cinerascens
2 Cassin's Kingbird Tyrannus vociferans
4 Western Kingbird Tyrannus verticalis
3 Scissor-tailed Flycatcher Tyrannus forficatus
4 Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica
2 Cave Swallow Petrochelidon fulva
1 Cactus Wren Campylorhynchus brunneicapillus
1 Northern Mockingbird Mimus polyglottos
3 Lark Sparrow Chondestes grammacus
5 Black-throated Sparrow Amphispiza bilineata
2 Pyrrhuloxia Cardinalis sinuatus
3 Brown-headed Cowbird Molothrus ater
1 Orchard Oriole Icterus spurius
3 Bullock's Oriole Icterus bullockii
 |
| White-faced Ibis primary flight feather. |
31 Species:
10 Mallard (Mexican) Anas platyrhynchos diazi
2 Blue-winged Teal Anas discors
3 Green-winged Teal Anas crecca
6 Ruddy Duck Oxyura jamaicensis - Accurate count
4 Scaled Quail Callipepla squamata
2 Turkey Vulture Cathartes aura
3 Red-tailed Hawk Buteo jamaicensis
6 Killdeer Charadrius vociferus
2 Spotted Sandpiper Actitis macularius
1 Stilt Sandpiper Calidris himantopus - Pronounced white eyebrow. Taller, longer-necked than neighboring Western SPs. Drooping bill longer than width of head. Tail reminiscent of yellowlegs spp.
5 White-rumped Sandpiper Calidris fuscicollis - In flight, U-shaped broad white rump patch. Comparable in size to nearby Stilt and Western SP. Slightly larger than nearby Spotted SP.
1 Western Sandpiper Calidris mauri - Smaller peep compared to nearby Stilt SP.Clean white underneath w/o connecting collar. Upperside tail whitish with dark middle stripe (inner retrices) above when in flight. Dark legs.
5 Wilson's Phalarope Phalaropus tricolor
3 White-winged Dove Zenaida asiatica
1 Mourning Dove Zenaida macroura
 |
| Year + old box turtle shell, sun bleaching. |
1 Common Nighthawk Chordeiles minor
1 Say's Phoebe Sayornis saya
2 Ash-throated Flycatcher Myiarchus cinerascens
2 Cassin's Kingbird Tyrannus vociferans
4 Western Kingbird Tyrannus verticalis
3 Scissor-tailed Flycatcher Tyrannus forficatus
4 Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica
2 Cave Swallow Petrochelidon fulva
1 Cactus Wren Campylorhynchus brunneicapillus
1 Northern Mockingbird Mimus polyglottos
3 Lark Sparrow Chondestes grammacus
5 Black-throated Sparrow Amphispiza bilineata
2 Pyrrhuloxia Cardinalis sinuatus
3 Brown-headed Cowbird Molothrus ater
1 Orchard Oriole Icterus spurius
3 Bullock's Oriole Icterus bullockii
 |
| The Glass Mountains from the south, as seen from the ponds. |
Saturday, May 24, 2014
24 May 2014 SW Ponds / Private
From my Texbirds post:
Better late than never -- yesterday morning's pre-work jaunt to the ponds (private property) with Dale Ohl, Bill Sain, and Julie Oesper yielded an underwhelming variety of waterfowl but an excellent visit overall. I guess the summer waterfowl doldrums are expected by now, but I hadn't anticipated such good oriole diversity: multiple Scott's, Bullocks, and Orchard, and a stray Hooded; last spring one male Hooded stuck around Post Park, but the habitat there is far, far better than at the ponds! One stray Wilson's Phalarope was nice, along with a late, unspotted Spotted Sandpiper.
Otherwise, it was the usual suspects - Lark Sparrow, Curve-billed Thrasher, Vermilion Flycatcher, Yellow-headed Blackbird, Cassin's and Western Kingbirds, Scissor-tailed Flycatcher, Scaled Quail, itty-bitty Killdeerlings, and lots of ruckus from Killdeer parents.
Good birds, good company, what more can you ask for!
***
6 Mallard (Mexican) Anas platyrhynchos diazi
4 Blue-winged Teal Anas discors
3 Ruddy Duck Oxyura jamaicensis
2 Scaled Quail Callipepla squamata
5 Turkey Vulture Cathartes aura
4 Red-tailed Hawk Buteo jamaicensis
9 Killdeer Charadrius vociferus
1 Spotted Sandpiper Actitis macularius
1 Wilson's Phalarope Phalaropus tricolor
8 White-winged Dove Zenaida asiatica
2 Mourning Dove Zenaida macroura
1 hummingbird sp. Trochilidae sp. - likely BCHU
1 Say's Phoebe Sayornis saya
2 Vermilion Flycatcher Pyrocephalus rubinus
2 Ash-throated Flycatcher Myiarchus cinerascens
2 Cassin's Kingbird Tyrannus vociferans
2 Western Kingbird Tyrannus verticalis
2 Scissor-tailed Flycatcher Tyrannus forficatus
1 Bell's Vireo Vireo bellii - heard only by Dale
1 Bank Swallow Riparia riparia
2 Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica
7 Cave Swallow Petrochelidon fulva
1 Curve-billed Thrasher Toxostoma curvirostre
1 Northern Mockingbird Mimus polyglottos
5 Lark Sparrow Chondestes grammacus
1 Yellow-headed Blackbird Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus
3 Great-tailed Grackle Quiscalus mexicanus
1 Bronzed Cowbird Molothrus aeneus
2 Orchard Oriole Icterus spurius
1 Hooded Oriole Icterus cucullatus
3 Bullock's Oriole Icterus bullockii
2 Scott's Oriole Icterus parisorum
* post is backdated for the date of observations, not date of Texbirds post nor compiling of blog post!
Better late than never -- yesterday morning's pre-work jaunt to the ponds (private property) with Dale Ohl, Bill Sain, and Julie Oesper yielded an underwhelming variety of waterfowl but an excellent visit overall. I guess the summer waterfowl doldrums are expected by now, but I hadn't anticipated such good oriole diversity: multiple Scott's, Bullocks, and Orchard, and a stray Hooded; last spring one male Hooded stuck around Post Park, but the habitat there is far, far better than at the ponds! One stray Wilson's Phalarope was nice, along with a late, unspotted Spotted Sandpiper.
Otherwise, it was the usual suspects - Lark Sparrow, Curve-billed Thrasher, Vermilion Flycatcher, Yellow-headed Blackbird, Cassin's and Western Kingbirds, Scissor-tailed Flycatcher, Scaled Quail, itty-bitty Killdeerlings, and lots of ruckus from Killdeer parents.
Good birds, good company, what more can you ask for!
***
 |
| There's a pond over there somewhere... Dale, Bill, and Julie's shadow. |
4 Blue-winged Teal Anas discors
3 Ruddy Duck Oxyura jamaicensis
2 Scaled Quail Callipepla squamata
5 Turkey Vulture Cathartes aura
4 Red-tailed Hawk Buteo jamaicensis
9 Killdeer Charadrius vociferus
1 Spotted Sandpiper Actitis macularius
1 Wilson's Phalarope Phalaropus tricolor
8 White-winged Dove Zenaida asiatica
2 Mourning Dove Zenaida macroura
1 hummingbird sp. Trochilidae sp. - likely BCHU
1 Say's Phoebe Sayornis saya
2 Vermilion Flycatcher Pyrocephalus rubinus
2 Ash-throated Flycatcher Myiarchus cinerascens
2 Cassin's Kingbird Tyrannus vociferans
2 Western Kingbird Tyrannus verticalis
2 Scissor-tailed Flycatcher Tyrannus forficatus
1 Bell's Vireo Vireo bellii - heard only by Dale
1 Bank Swallow Riparia riparia
2 Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica
7 Cave Swallow Petrochelidon fulva
1 Curve-billed Thrasher Toxostoma curvirostre
1 Northern Mockingbird Mimus polyglottos
5 Lark Sparrow Chondestes grammacus
1 Yellow-headed Blackbird Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus
3 Great-tailed Grackle Quiscalus mexicanus
1 Bronzed Cowbird Molothrus aeneus
2 Orchard Oriole Icterus spurius
1 Hooded Oriole Icterus cucullatus
3 Bullock's Oriole Icterus bullockii
2 Scott's Oriole Icterus parisorum
* post is backdated for the date of observations, not date of Texbirds post nor compiling of blog post!
Sunday, May 11, 2014
Tuesday, May 6, 2014
Barfly, a weekend update
Saturday night at the Famous Burro: one of the owners, Scott, brought out a very fresh Mourning Cloak that had been in the building for two days. It loitered for about an hour and then reluctantly stepped over to the [Mexican Olive?] tree when prompted.
Of course, the following day, a text came that it - or another Mourning Cloak - was back inside! Photos by Tiffany Harelik.
Not two hours earlier, instead of the wildlife being brought to me, I was out grabbing it. This Mourning Dove was picked up at the ponds, unable to escape. Wings, feet, and tail were fine. Eyes bright. Flappy but not going very far... turns out crop was ruptured and there may have been keel damage - it was pretty far from the power line and any barbed wire, but it wasn't far enough from he power line to definitively rule out the possibility of strike. Rehabber updates will be posted as available. (Photo by Steve Collins)
I won't spoil the news, but The Colima Death Experiment may have done an excellent job with their Brewster County Big Day as part of the Great Texas Birding Classic! Mad props to Cameron Carver, Steve Collins, Ryan Shaw and Ross Rickett!
Cameron, Steve, Ryan, and Ross, two hours before Saturday's madness officially began.
Posting from a small gadget - hope the format isn't too messed up!
Edit: Check out The Painted Bunny for Big Day details!
Friday, April 18, 2014
S/He's back!
Hallie, or Herald/Henry/Hank/Harold... is back for the summer! We oversee management of the front 'yard' so that it remains up to the standards of our benign overlord.
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| Texas Horned Lizard, Phrynosoma cornutum, 18 April 2014, Marathon / Brewster Co. TX. |
Saturday, March 29, 2014
11 hours later...
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| Oculea Silkmoth (Antheraea oculea), male. Marathon, TX 29 March, 2014 |
The intrepid male departed:
Our female remained until dusk.
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| Oculea Silkmoth (Antheraea oculea), female. Marathon, TX 29 March, 2014 |
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| Oculea Silkmoth (Antheraea oculea), female. Marathon, TX 29 March, 2014 |
March Moth Madness
We generally have a very slow start to mothing season - and this year we haven't even technically blacklighted at all - but this morning shocked my socks off!
In January we'd helped a neighbor on the north side of town with some yard work, clearing dead vegetation and shuffling it over to the burn pile. A lump of cocoon had caught my eye (it was in a tangle of chile pequin and unidentifiable vegetation) and I'd tucked it aside for further study. It may or may not have been toted around in the bed of the truck for about a week before I remembered it!
With no suitable place to put it around the house, I propped it in the branches of our pine tree, out of puppy-reach in the yard.
This is what greeted me this morning: Antheraea oculea, the Oculea Silkmoth, apparently also called Western Polyphemus? Check out its range. They feed on oaks and walnuts, neither of which are terribly abundant in these parts.
With the variability among individuals, I was surprised to see just how much markings differ (see Bugguide link way at the top) and even with these two, the richness of color from above was strikingly different between them... at least, for looking like clones from below. Amazing how one cocoon can completely derail a morning!
In January we'd helped a neighbor on the north side of town with some yard work, clearing dead vegetation and shuffling it over to the burn pile. A lump of cocoon had caught my eye (it was in a tangle of chile pequin and unidentifiable vegetation) and I'd tucked it aside for further study. It may or may not have been toted around in the bed of the truck for about a week before I remembered it!
With no suitable place to put it around the house, I propped it in the branches of our pine tree, out of puppy-reach in the yard.
This is what greeted me this morning: Antheraea oculea, the Oculea Silkmoth, apparently also called Western Polyphemus? Check out its range. They feed on oaks and walnuts, neither of which are terribly abundant in these parts.
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| The circle of life, or something. |
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| To add some scale... |
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| My what fuzzy antennae and large eye spots you have! Chestnut tones for the male... |
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| The male, right, is showing a bit of wear. |
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| Fresh wings, small antennae, this is the female. |
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| Pardon the lack of privacy, but WOW those are nice antennae! |
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| Female, rumply-fresh. |
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| Such symmetry! |
Tuesday, March 18, 2014
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.
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.
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:
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.
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