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.

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.

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!

Possible Nutting's Flycatcher, Rio Grande Village of Big Bend National Park

*UPDATE* 12 Dec 2013 This bird continues to be seen and photographed.  Antonio has retrieved additional photos and video.  Written description of vocalization differences between this bird and neighboring Ash-throated Flycatcher are promising.
HOWEVER, recorded audio of the possible Nutting's vocalization STILL NEEDS to be obtained.  

Remember that playback is prohibited in National Parks.  Not necessary here anyways..

*UPDATE* North American Rare Bird Alert (NARBA) "Dec 9: negative reports."


On Dec. 7th, an interesting Myiarchus flycatcher was photographed by Antonio Cantu near the Rio Grande Village campground at Big Bend National Park. It was seen along a paved service road.

Heavily cropped photos from Antonio Cantu (his original files are HUGE):

7 Dec 2013, possible Nutting's Flycatcher, © Antonio Cantu

7 Dec 2013, possible Nutting's Flycatcher, © Antonio Cantu

There have been two Ash-throated Flycatchers reported from the RGV campground since late November, so it's possible that 2-3 Myiarchus are in the area, just to keep folks on their toes.

Photos of a VERY bright-bellied Ash-throated Flycatcher were taken by Mark Flippo on Dec. 8th from the campground, so it's not a very cut-and-dry search.

8 Dec 2013, Ash-throated Flycatcher, © Mark Flippo

8 Dec 2013, Ash-throated Flycatcher, © Mark Flippo

And the search continues with Kelly Bryan and Carolyn Ohl-Johnson on the trail today... will keep everyone updated as we know. Will try to post additional photos as possible.

*** This would be a second state record if confirmed, for all NUFL posts on the blog, please check the tag in the side bar, or click here: Nutting's Flycatcher.

The ultimate goal is audio, due to tricky visual ID - for that, please see our coverage of Chris Benesh's commentary and spectrogram work on the first bird here.

West Texas Christmas Bird Counts

Better late than never!

Get out there and count: there's no such thing as a 'normal' year!

Please refer to the Houston Audubon 2013-2014 CBC website for additional details.

Alphabetically arranged:
Balmorhea (TXBA) 12/15
Big Bend NP (East) (TXBG) 12/29
Chisos Mountains (TXCM) 12/28
Comstock (TXCO) 12/28
Davis Mountains (TXDM) 12/14
Del Rio (TXDR) 12/29
El Paso (TXEP) 12/29 probable
Guadalupe Mountains (TXGM) 1/4

Chronologically arranged:
Davis Mountains (TXDM) 12/14
Balmorhea (TXBA) 12/15
Chisos Mountains (TXCM) 12/28
Comstock (TXCO) 12/28
Big Bend NP (East) (TXBG) 12/29
Del Rio (TXDR) 12/29
El Paso (TXEP) 12/29 probable
Guadalupe Mountains (TXGM) 1/4

BBNP and Flame-colored post

Flame-colored Tanager update and Big Bend National Park trip summary on Cameron Carver's blog post over at The Painted Bunny. We owe him a Hooded Oriole for such a great post!

(all tags here reflect the content of his post)

Matt's write-up from a few days later is here.

December 1st, Big Bend National Park bird sightings

After birding Marathon on November 30, Catherine Winans headed to Big Bend National Park on December 1 with a few target birds in mind. With her permission, here's her note with observations from Rio Grande Village (Daniel's Ranch) and the Chisos Basin:

Matt and Heidi,

As promised, here is my Big Bend report, keeping in mind that I was target birding and did not make any complete surveys. Let me know if anything does not sound right.

About halfway between Panther Junction and RGV about ten quail on the side of the road quickly ducked into the brush. My impression was Bobwhite, but the maps in National Geographic suggest that Scaled would be more likely. [Scaled is the most likely quail in BBNP, though Gambel's becomes common further west. Bobwhite in the Trans-Pecos region tend to be small populations that have been released for hunting on private ranches. -h]

At Daniel Ranch, a juvenile Gray Hawk, 2 Black Phoebes, 1 Marsh Wren, 3 or 4 Yellow Rumps, 2 Common Raven, 2 Ruby-crowned Kinglets, 1 Verdin. One Coot at the silt ponds, and two Inca Doves. Quite sure I heard a Rock Wren on the hillside, but could not see it.

In the campgrounds, 3 or 4 Golden-fronted Woodpeckers, 7 Cardinals, 2 Great Blue Herons, 2 Blue-gray Gnatcatchers, 2 Roadrunners, more Ruby-crowned Kinglets.

It took me four hours to find one Black-throated Gray Warbler. The ones reported last week were with flocks of Yellow-rumps. There were not as many Rumps as I expected, a few singles, and a couple of small flocks. Finally found a few foraging birds in the grove behind the store, Yellow-rumps, Ruby-crowneds, and the lone male Black-throated Blue. [Fantastic sighting! Last report of Black-throated Blue Warbler out here was 23-24 September 2011, but while fall records are slightly predictable, this may be the first December record for the region!]

I did not see any male Vermilions. I think one female, but looked away and she moved before I had a good look.

So I did not get to The Basin until 2:45. Immediately remembered how much I love it there and booked a room for the night. I decided to skip The Guadalupes this trip, since I no longer needed Sage Thrasher. I looked for Black-chinned Sparrow for two hours. There was very little bird activity, a couple of calling Mexican Jays and an Acorn Woodpecker. Two Say's Phoebes and a Flicker near the dinning room just before dark. I was out at first light. White-winged Doves calling. Then four Mexican Jays flew in and landed in a tree for nice looks. A Cactus Wren calling. Several Ruby-crowned Kinglets. A Pyrrhuloxia was rustling around in the brush below a bush a few feet off the trail to the campground. I moved closer and he hopped up into the bush. I realized there was a second bird in the bush and got my binoculars on it in time for a good five second look at a Black-chinned Sparrow.

Three Black-crested Titmice near the cabins.

Then home in time to have a late dinner with my husband, daughter, son-in-law, and grandsons.

It was a great trip. Thanks so much to both of you for the good birds and great company.

Send me a picture and keep in touch.

Catherine

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

West Texas Christmas Bird Counts

(originally posted 11/29/11, reposted 12/11/11)

From Houston Audubon Society's compilation of statewide Christmas Bird Counts:

The details provided at the bottom are taken directly from the HAS website, but do let me know if there are any errors found! There stands a good chance that we will only be able to attend the Davis Mts,

By date:
Davis Mountains (TXDM) 12/17
Balmorhea (TXBA) 12/18

Comstock (TXCO) 12/26
Del Rio (TXDR) 12/27
Chisos Mountains (TXCM) 12/28
Big Bend NP (East) (TXBG) 12/29

Guadalupe Mountains (TXGM) 12/31


By location:
Balmorhea (TXBA) 12/18
Big Bend NP (East) (TXBG) 12/29
Chisos Mountains (TXCM) 12/28
Comstock (TXCO) 12/26
Davis Mountains (TXDM) 12/17
Del Rio (TXDR) 12/27
Guadalupe Mountains (TXGM) 12/31


Balmorhea: Sunday, December 18, 2011
The Balmorhea CBC traditionally falls on the day following the Davis Mountains. The count circle includes the state park, Phantom Springs, Balmorhea Lake, and wide open spaces around town. The count routinely records 100 species and, as with most rural counts, more observers are always welcome. If possible, please contact Mark Lockwood ahead of time of your interest in participating in the Balmorhea count. Meet at the Balmorhea State Park entry station at 07:30 AM CST. Compiler: Mark Lockwood (Mark.Lockwood@tpwd.state.tx.us).

Big Bend NP (East) - Rio Grande Village: Thursday, December 29, 2011
We will meet in front of the Rio Grande Village Campground Store at 7:15 AM. Birds of note seen during recent counts include: American Bittern, Sora, White-throated Swift, Green Kingfisher, Red-naped Sapsucker, Gray Flycatcher, Dusky Flycatcher, Sage Thrasher, Crissal Thrasher & Green-tailed Towhee. Participants always appreciated and needed. Please contact Bryan Hale at bmhale@swbell.net (email preferred) or phone 512-474-5499 (h) 512-912-4412 (w) 512-426-6033 (cell) for further details. Mark Flippo will also be a contact person out there. He is a ranger at the park and his phone is 432-477-1110.

Chisos Mountains: Wednesday, December 28, 2011
We will meet in the Basin in front of the grocery store at 7:15 AM. Areas will be assigned. Birds of note seen during recent counts include: Golden Eagle, White-throated Swift, Anna's Hummingbird, Red-naped Sapsucker, Plumbeous Vireo, Hutton's Vireo, Mexican Jay, Townsend's Solitaire, Sage Thrasher, Crissal Thrasher & Green-tailed Towhee. Participants always appreciated and needed. Please contact Bryan Hale at bmhale@swbell.net (email preferred) or phone 512-474-5499 (h) 512-912-4412 (w) 512-426-6033 (cell) for further details. Mark Flippo will also be a contact person out there. He is a ranger at the park and his phone is 432-477-1110.

Comstock: Monday, December 26, 2011
Located 45 miles west of Del Rio, the count circle includes parts of the Rio Grande and Pecos Rivers. Meet at the Visitor's Center in Seminole Canyon State Historical Park at 7 AM. Some routes on this count require a lot of walking. Should anyone wish to assist please contact compiler Sue Wiedenfeld at suewie@hctc.net or phone 830-995-2300 to sign up and for further details.


Davis Mountains: Saturday, December 17, 2011
Help with the Davis Mountains Christmas Count is always welcome. Participants will be divided into small groups that will bird the prairies, canyons, and mountains of Jeff Davis County. The count day is followed by a super potluck supper and tallying of the count. Hope to see you all there. Some of the highlights of recent counts were Long-eared Owl, Violet-crowned and Black-chinned Hummingbirds, Montezuma Quail and Grasshopper Sparrow. Compiler: Martha Hansen (birdsinflight@mac.com)

Del Rio: Tuesday, December 27, 2011
Open to all participants. Please preregister. Interested persons can e-mail compiler Karen Gleason at mgleason@stx.rr.com. Please include your phone number in your email. Your participation is appreciated. Within the count circle there is Lake Amistad, Rio Grande River, San Felipe and Spring Creeks, Amistad Recreation Area, Laguna de Plata, and much of Del Rio. We will be meeting at Fisherman's Headquarters at 7 AM on count day.

Guadalupe Mountains: Saturday, December 31, 2011
We are always looking for enough people to cover the count circle. It would be great to have anyone from across the state to come out to far west Texas for the count. This is one of the few places in Texas you can find Steller's Jays. Other birds of note from recent counts include: Golden Eagle, Mountain Chickadee, Juniper Titmouse, Pygmy Nuthatch, Mountain and Western Bluebirds, Townsend's Solitaire, Sage and Crissal Thrasher, Green-tailed Towhee, Sage Sparrow and a variety of Dark-eyed Junco ssp. Please contact the compiler before count day because coverage areas will be assigned before count day. Most areas require hiking. Participants will meet at 6:45 AM at the Pine Springs Cholla Chateau (call 915-828-3251 x2314 for directions) to be sure all areas are covered. Preliminary post-count tally will be at the Cholla at the end of the day. Some housing or RV space may be available for Friday and Saturday nights for $8.00 per person per night. Advance reservations required (phone number above). Contact Michael Haynie (Michael_Haynie@nps.gov) for more information about joining.

Big Bend National Park - Least Grebe, Summer Tanager, Golden Eagle

Texbirds post -
Subject: LEAST GREBE, late Summer Tanager, BBNP, Brewster Co. 21 Nov. 2011
Date: Mon, 21 Nov 2011 15:54:52 -0600

Heidi and I decided to go down to the park this morning before Thanksgiving madness. That madness is already at the park.

Anyhow, months ago Byron Stone asked publicly about a Least Grebe report from Big Bend NP. I think Bill Tarbox and a friend found it way back whenever.

LEAST GREBE was seen and photographed in the ponds NNW of Daniel's Ranch, Rio Grande Village, BBNP this morning by Heidi and me.

Also at Rio Grande Village, back near the campgrounds, an American Bittern flew over. We also saw Brown Creeper heard Golden-crowned Kinglets, had all three phoebes, really nothing out of the ordinary. Truthfully, it wasn't terribly birdy this morning out there.

At Dugout Wells, we had an incredibly late Summer Tanager male.

Golden Eagle was seen ~ 10 miles north of Panther Junction, in the park, as we headed home.

-Matt York & Heidi Trudell
Marathon
Brewster Co.

***

Foreground: ponds behind Cottonwood groves at Daniel's Ranch, Least Grebe.
Background: Sierra del Carmens

Big Bend NP--Rio Grande Village, Brewster County, Texas, US

Comments:
From campgrounds to Daniel's Ranch (of Tufted Flycatcher fame). Least Grebe found in ponds around Cottonwood Grove (NNW) from adobe house.

Species - 31 species (+1 other taxa) total

1 Northern Shoveler Anas clypeata
1 Least Grebe Tachybaptus dominicus - ponds NNW of cottonwoods grove at Daniel's Ranch.
1 Pied-billed Grebe Podilymbus podiceps
1 Double-crested Cormorant Phalacrocorax auritus
1 American Bittern Botaurus lentiginosus
1 Green Heron Butorides virescens
2 American Coot Fulica americana
3 Greater Roadrunner Geococcyx californianus
1 hummingbird sp. Trochilidae sp.
7 Golden-fronted Woodpecker Melanerpes aurifrons
1 Yellow-bellied Sapsucker Sphyrapicus varius
1 Black Phoebe Sayornis nigricans
4 Eastern Phoebe Sayornis phoebe
4 Say's Phoebe Sayornis saya
3 Vermilion Flycatcher Pyrocephalus rubinus
1 Loggerhead Shrike Lanius ludovicianus
1 Brown Creeper Certhia americana
3 Rock Wren Salpinctes obsoletus
1 Marsh Wren Cistothorus palustris
1 Blue-gray Gnatcatcher Polioptila caerulea
2 Black-tailed Gnatcatcher Polioptila melanura
X Golden-crowned Kinglet Regulus satrapa - heard only
3 Ruby-crowned Kinglet Regulus calendula
1 Northern Mockingbird Mimus polyglottos
4 Orange-crowned Warbler Oreothlypis celata
1 Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) Setophaga coronata coronata
1 Yellow-rumped Warbler (Audubon's) Setophaga coronata auduboni
1 Lincoln's Sparrow Melospiza lincolnii
X White-crowned Sparrow Zonotrichia leucophrys - heard only
3 Pyrrhuloxia Cardinalis sinuatus
3 Red-winged Blackbird Agelaius phoeniceus
5 House Finch Carpodacus mexicanus

Big Bend NP--Dugout Wells, Brewster County, Texas, US

Species - 5 species total

1 Greater Roadrunner Geococcyx californianus
1 Verdin Auriparus flaviceps juv.
1 Northern Mockingbird Mimus polyglottos
1 Black-throated Sparrow Amphispiza bilineata
1 Summer Tanager Piranga rubra - Aye. Very late. Male seen easily.

Tufted Flycatcher - Nov. 2010 thru Jan. 2011

"No news" means no positive or negative reports were received; it usually means nobody was looking or those who were looking didn't report (or weren't able to).

By now it's most likely that folks chasing the bird are alone or in pairs and unable to report the bird as fast as larger groups have been able to. The key is just getting a positive or negative answer. Eventually. Most people who would drop everything to see the bird, already have.

Jan. 8 - No, several people looking

Jan. 7 - No, several people looking

Jan. 6 - no news

Jan. 5 - no news

Jan. 4 - yes

Jan. 3 - no news

Jan. 2 - No; several people looking in the AM.

Jan. 1 - YES (belated NARBA report)

Dec. 31 - no news

Dec. 30 - no news

Dec. 29 - YES - viewed briefly in AM across road from adobe house, Daniel's Ranch, RG Village, BBNP

Dec. 28 - YES - viewed this AM across the road from the adobe house (Daniel's Ranch)

Dec. 26 - no news

Dec. 25 - no news

Dec. 24 - no news

Dec. 23 - YES - Carolyn Ohl-Johnson reported it in this morning near Daniel's Ranch, RG Village, Big Bend Nat'l Park.

Dec. 22 - Negative report

Dec. 21 - NO

Dec. 20 - YES per Tex-Birds listserv and Rich Kostecke, Ph.D,

"This morning (12/20/10), myself and 4 others were able to view the Tufted Flycatcher from approx. 1020-1110 at Daniels Ranch, Rio Grande Village, Big Bend National Park. It was actively feeding, sallying forth to catch insects, and occassionally perching and preening in the mid-story to canopy of the cottonwoods closest to and immediately northeast of the trailhead to Hot Springs (i.e., the cottonwoods along the road that leads north to the ponds). Rich Richard Kostecke, Ph.D.

Dec. 19 - no news

Dec. 18 - no news

Dec. 17 - YES - per narba.org: 9:15am, the west end of the large clearing, on the south side of the road to Daniels Ranch, about 200 to 300 yards from the adobe building. The bird was seen low in one of the small trees and then perched or flycatching till at least 10am. (Bruce Sherman, David Crowe, others)

Dec. 16 - no news

Dec. 15 - no news

Dec. 14 - no

Dec. 13 - YES

Dec. 12 - YES Steve Gross reports seen 0.2 miles E. of Daniel's Ranch, RG Village, BBNP at 0915 hrs to 1045 hrs. From NARBA and Carolyn Ohl: sightings starting at 8:05 and lasting at least through 11am. (Carolyn Ohl-Johnson, others).

Dec. 11 - YES
Cottonwood grove east of Daniel's Ranch (numerous people, am)

Dec. 10 - YES
Cottonwood grove east of Daniel's Ranch (Erik Breden, am)

Dec. 9 - no news

Dec. 8 - YES
Cottonwood grove east of Daniel's Ranch (Ron Baltzegar, 9:07 am)

Dec. 7 - YES
Cottonwood grove east of Daniel's Ranch (Jim Hines, 10:30 am)

Dec. 6 - YES
Cottonwood grove east of Daniel's Ranch (numerous people, 8:30 am)

Dec. 5 - YES
Between campsites 56 & 57 (numerous people, 8:40 am)

Dec. 4 - YES
Daniel's Ranch area (numerous people, ? am - noon)
Behind campsite 87 (Cameron Carver, Steve Collins, 3:08 pm)

Dec. 3 - YES
Cottonwood grove east of Daniel's Ranch (bird walk of 8 people, 10:15 am)

Dec. 2 - YES
Cottonwood grove east of Daniel's Ranch (numerous people, 8:45 am)

Dec. 1 - YES
Cottonwood grove east of Daniel's Ranch (numerous people, 11:30 am)

Big Bend NP - east CBC

This entry is backdated to reflect the date of the count; these numbers are via the Christmas Bird Count web site and the 'current year' results (date of reference 2/18/2011). I've removed number/party hour for the sake of the blog format which already crunches the columns awkwardly.

Big Bend N.P. (east) [TXBG]
Texas Region
29.1833°, -103.0°
Christmas Bird Count
Count Year: 111


















Rio Grand overlook near Rio Grande Village; not taken during the count.

CW = count week
PS = present for some time
GD = good details

Species / Number

Wood Duck (Aix sponsa) 4
Gadwall (Anas strepera) 11
Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) 3
Mexican Duck (Anas platyrhynchos) 13
Green-winged Teal (Anas crecca) 24
duck sp. (Anatinae) 10
Lesser Scaup (Aythya affinis) 1
Scaled Quail (Callipepla squamata) 50
Pied-billed Grebe (Podilymbus podiceps) 1
Great Blue Heron (Blue form) (Ardea herodias) 0 0 CW
Green Heron (Butorides virescens) 2
Black Vulture (Coragyps atratus) 2
Sharp-shinned Hawk (Accipiter striatus) 2
Cooper's Hawk (Accipiter cooperii) 3
Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) 5
Buteo sp. (Buteo) 1
American Kestrel (Falco sparverius) 2
Virginia Rail (Rallus limicola) 0 0 CW
Sora (Porzana carolina) 1
American Coot (Fulica americana) 3
Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus) 7
Spotted Sandpiper (Actitis macularia) 6
Wilson's Snipe (Gallinago delicata) 3
White-winged Dove (Zenaida asiatica) 17
Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura) 1
Common Ground-Dove (Columbina passerina) 5
Greater Roadrunner (Geococcyx californianus) 5
Great Horned Owl (Bubo virginianus) 1
Anna's Hummingbird (Calypte anna) 2
hummingbird sp. (Trochilidae) 3
Belted Kingfisher (Ceryle alcyon) 2
Green Kingfisher (Chloroceryle americana) 1
Golden-fronted Woodpecker (Melanerpes aurifrons) 9
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (Sphyrapicus varius) 2
Ladder-backed Woodpecker (Picoides scalaris) 7
Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus) 1
Northern (Red-shafted) Flicker (Colaptes auratus) 3
Tufted Flycatcher (Mitrephanes phaeocercus) 1 PS
Gray Flycatcher (Empidonax wrightii) 3
Black Phoebe (Sayornis nigricans) 14
Eastern Phoebe (Sayornis phoebe) 19
Say's Phoebe (Sayornis saya) 21
Vermilion Flycatcher (Pyrocephalus rubinus) 5
Ash-throated Flycatcher (Myiarchus cinerascens) 2
Loggerhead Shrike (Lanius ludovicianus) 4
Common Raven (Corvus corax) 14
Verdin (Auriparus flaviceps) 19
Cactus Wren (Campylorhynchus brunneicapillus) 2
Rock Wren (Salpinctes obsoletus) 26
Canyon Wren (Catherpes mexicanus) 2
Carolina Wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus) 1
Bewick's Wren (Thryomanes bewickii) 7
Marsh Wren (Cistothorus palustris) 6
Golden-crowned Kinglet (Regulus satrapa) 3
Ruby-crowned Kinglet (Regulus calendula) 23
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher (Polioptila caerulea) 8
Black-tailed Gnatcatcher (Polioptila melanura) 32
Hermit Thrush (Catharus guttatus) 2
Gray Catbird (Dumetella carolinensis) 1 GD
Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos) 21
Brown Thrasher (Toxostoma rufum) 2
Curve-billed Thrasher (Toxostoma curvirostre) 3
Crissal Thrasher (Toxostoma crissale) 3
American Pipit (Anthus rubescens) 13
Orange-crowned Warbler (Oreothlypis celata) 8
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Dendroica coronata) 25
Yellow-rumped (Audubon's) Warbler (Dendroica coronata) 6
Yellow-rumped (Myrtle) Warbler (Dendroica coronata) 2
Common Yellowthroat (Geothlypis trichas) 8
Canyon Towhee (Melozone fuscus) 1
Black-throated Sparrow (Amphispiza bilineata) 29
Savannah Sparrow (Passerculus sandwichensis) 4
Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia) 4
Lincoln's Sparrow (Melospiza lincolnii) 1
Swamp Sparrow (Melospiza georgiana) 6
White-crowned Sparrow (Zonotrichia leucophrys) 4
sparrow sp. (Emberizinae) 1
Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) 13
Pyrrhuloxia (Cardinalis sinuatus) 25
House Finch (Carpodacus mexicanus) 185


Weather & Effort

Count Date: Dec 29, 2010
Number of Participants: 17
Number of Party Hours: 35.0
Species Reported: 74
Low Temperature: 33
High Temperature: 80
AM Weather: Clear
Rain: None
Snow: None
PM Weather: Clear
Rain: None
Snow: None

Big Bend National Park - late December photos

With permission from Jeff, links to his adventures in Big Bend National Park - this is a great collection of photos and observations typical of December in BBNP. It has definitely reminded me that I need to get more local photos posted!

Big Bend Trip 1
(Introduction, Cook's Slough, the drive west)

Big Bend Trip 2
(Marathon, Post Park, Chisos Basin/Window Trail)

Big Bend Trip 3
(Daniel's Ranch, Rio Grande Village, Dugout Wells, Sam Nail Ranch)

Big Bend Trip 4
(Window Trail, Daniel's Ranch, Rio Grande Village)

Many thanks to Jeff for the permission to share his blog links!

Tufted Flycatcher discussion

This post is a summary of previous posts and their pithy wisdom - mostly from other people! Most info was from Texbirds posts and/or personal e-mails.

Dec. 11 -
Saw that bird this AM, Dec 11, in the overflow campsite at the next field from the adobe building. It put on a great display for over an hour when I left. [...]
Peter B. Riesz, MD

Eric Stager, Mat Colbert and I along with 5-7 other birders had the Tufted Flycatchter near Daniels Ranch in Rio Grande Village this morning from about 9:30-11:00. The bird seemed to be making a circuit in the area and was also observed perched and flycatching on the mexican side of the river then back into Texas.
Jeff Patterson Austin


Dec. 9 - (from TUFL summary)
By now it's most likely that folks chasing the bird are alone or in pairs and unable to report the bird as fast as larger groups have been able to. The key is just getting a positive or negative answer. Eventually. If this bird sticks around as long as the 1991 bird, there's still plenty of time. Most people who would drop everything to see the bird, already have.

To the best of our collective knowledge, no individual or group has missed the bird if they at least tried the day after they missed it. Pretty good record so far!


Dec. 8 - From Texbirds:
Arrived at Rio Grande Village at 8:55, found Tufted Flycatcher at 9:07 in the usual spot .2 miles east of Daniel's Ranch. I parked at the adobe house and walked down to the old overflow camping area where I first heard and then saw him. Observed and photographed him until about 11:45 when I left. I left several times and had no trouble refinding him both by sound and by his distinctive flight pattern when I returned.

I was the only person looking all morning, so if you're considering chasing this bird, don't worry if you don't see sightings every day. He appeared very happy with the bugs he was catching and didn't appear to have any ideas of leaving anytime soon.

Ron Baltzegar Greenville TX


Dec. 7 - From Mark Flippo:
Jim Hines saw the tufted yesterday at Daniels ranch around 10:30 AM


Dec. 6 - From Texbirds:
"The Big Bend NP Tufted Flycatcher continues in the Daniel's Ranch area. Jack Windsor, Larry & Carol Carpenter and at least one other observer had it this morning (6 December) at around 8.30am at one of it's "usual" locations - the open area on the south side of the road perhaps 200 meters prior to reaching the adobe house at the terminal end of the road to Daniel's Ranch. "
- Eric Carpenter, Austin

"The Tufted Flycatcher was down towarl the Daniel Ranch at 9:25 until I left at 10 this morning. About 0.1 mile from end of rd on south side and very active."
- Lynn Barber, Ft. Worth.


Dec. 5 - From Texbirds:
Just received a call that Gail Morris, Jerri Kerr, & Ann Hover, plus 2 others saw the Flycatcher this morning at 8:40 between campsites 56 & 57. When they left at noon, the bird had not been reported again.
Terry Ferguson Sabine Pass, TX


Dec. 4 - Susan Heath of GCBO:
"The Tufted Flycatcher was not seen this morning despite about 20 sets of eyes looking for it."

...if it was as windy down there as it was in Marathon, the bird is lucky to keep a grip on its perch! Our first attempt was a flop as well, but hopefully if folks keep looking throughout the day there will be some better news.

EDIT: YES
The Tufted Flycatcher was seen in the usual Daniel's Ranch locations both Friday (3rd) and Saturday (4th).

Ranger Mark Flippo's Friday morning bird walk group got to see it. Bird walks do not happen every Friday, e.g. there is not one this coming Friday, the 10th of Dec.

Today, Saturday, a visitor reported at the Panther Junction Visitor Center around noon, that they had seen it this morning down at RGV.

You can report the bird at any of our visitor centers, but the ones that make the most sense are the RGV center and the Panther Junction center, since they are on the route to see the flycatcher.

Happy Birding!

Jan Allen

Really wish there was a bit more information about who the observer was and what time they snuck past 20 other people!

EDIT 2: YES - noon - Tripp Davenport
Tufted Flycatcher 11:55 AM Dec. 4 on east side of Rio Grande Village Big Bend National Park, location in cottonwood grove beside the Gambusia Pond along the service road on the east side of Rio Grande Village. Pics posted to my page
http://www.flickr.com/photos/tdavenport/5231962603/

EDIT 3: YES - 3 pm new location - from Cameron Carver
After hours of searching and one report from the gambousia pond at noon, steve Collins and I found the bird at rio grande village campground behind campsite 87 at 3:08. I believe that everyone who was here was chased down and got to see the bird. The tufted flycatcher was still being seen at 3:50.


Dec. 3 - From Mark Flippo at BBNP; same location as previous sightings:

Just got back from RGV: found the flycatcher at the old overflow area
(down the road to Daniels, before the picnic area proper), south side of
the road in the cottonwoods near the west end of the field. I and another
8 folks on the morning walk watched it for about 1 5 minutes (1015-1030).


Dec. 2 - Edited post from Texbirds:
Greg Bretz and Ted Robinson from Florida and Ron Howard from Arkansas saw the Tufted Flycatcher December 2, from about 8:45am to 9:15am. Ron took photos.

Directions: From the adobe house heading back towards the direction of the general store...at the 25 MPH sign... the bird was seen feeding in the cottonwoods off to the right. The bird was very active and obvious among the lowest limbs of the cottonwoods and was flycatching almost constantly.

I know how much updated info means to us when planning a trip for a super bird!

Thanks and Happy Birding!

Dawn Bretz Altamonte Springs, Fl


Dec. 1 - YES
"We drove home yesterday (Wednesday) after checking in with the bird. Sure enough, it was stilldelighting folks at 11:30AM."

That's Wednesday....., yesterday......, 1 December 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.

This week in Brewster Co.

This is something of a week report (generated by eBird) but numbers were scrambled with their less than blog-friendly format... you can see where this is going! So here it is: species only, with unusual birds in bold.

Most sightings are from Rio Grande Village, a few from Boquillas Canyon and the entry road to BBNP from Persimmon Gap (the north side). Dates primarily include Sunday, Nov. 28 and Tuesday, Nov. 30th. Had the northern side of the county been included, Allen's Hummingbird would be on the eBird list as well, it's visiting a feeder in Marathon.

Mallard (Mexican)
Scaled Quail
Horned Grebe
Black Vulture
Cooper's Hawk
American Kestrel
White-winged Dove
Inca Dove
Greater Roadrunner
Anna's Hummingbird
Golden-fronted Woodpecker
Ladder-backed Woodpecker
Tufted Flycatcher
Gray Flycatcher
Black Phoebe
Eastern Phoebe
Say's Phoebe
Vermilion Flycatcher
Ash-throated Flycatcher
Common Raven
Verdin
Brown Creeper
Cactus Wren
Rock Wren
Bewick's Wren
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Hermit Thrush
Northern Mockingbird
American Pipit
Phainopepla
Orange-crowned Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Black-throated Gray Warbler
Canyon Towhee
Black-throated Sparrow
Northern Cardinal
Pyrrhuloxia
House Finch

Notes:

Butterflies:
Common Mestra
Variegated Fritillary
Queen
Texan Crescent
Reakirt's Blue
Fatal Metalmark
Checkered White
Orange Sulphur
Tawny Emperor
Common Buckeye
Tropical Buckeye
Dainty Sulphur
Western Pygmy Blue
Vanessa sp

Mammals:
Bobcat
Coyote
Desert Cottontail


Edit: Allen's Hummingbird photos upon request (HY male).



















Hopefully better pics soon to come...

Tufted Flycatcher Nov. 30

EDIT: Video is up! Click here.

This morning (Tues, Nov. 30, 2010) we arrived at Daniels Ranch at 7:15 and split up to cover more ground; each with radio in hand, we covered from the adobe/mud brick house all the way to the eastern edge of the grove nearest to the RVs. A fellow from IN showed up a bit later and thankfully had a radio as well, so we were all in communication.

Matt located the Tufted Flycatcher at 8:05 and radioed to the rest of us as more birders converged in the vicinity (Peggy and RP, on their third TUFL watch). Another set of fellows from Austin/Bastrop joined us almost as soon as the bird was found and we were all able to watch and photograph it until our group dispersed an hour later. It was foraging in the cottonwood grove between the river and the road in the corner closest to the old adobe-style (mud brick?) ranch house. The grove is not to be confused with the picnic area just adjacent to the house, however.

Blogger keeps eating the video - three tries now - but to tide you over until the video gets sorted out:


















Edit 2: other sightings from the park this week have now been posted here.

For continued NARBA updates, click here.

Edit 3: Shaky tufted awesome.

Rarities in the sidebar

A thought that had been in the works has been scooted into motion: our blog sidebar now has a 'regional rarity' feature (if you're reading this via RSS feed, you'll have to click over to the blog).

This was prompted by the first second Texas record for Tufted Flycatcher since the initial documentation in 1991. For up-to-date reports on the critter, NARBA is detailing reports and many folks are posting their sightings on Texbirds as well.

Until next time:

NARBA's link to Matt VanWallene's photos - kudos to him for immediately reporting a bird not in his field guide! He spotted it on Nov. 21, and it was confirmed by the 23rd.

Carolyn Ohl's post and photo

...we missed the flycatcher on Sunday afternoon and will be trying again on Tuesday morning. Fantastic things show up in your own back yard, you just have to be out of state for it to happen, no? =)

[edit]

Trans-Pecos Christmas Bird Counts

The 'Christmas Bird Count' or CBC is a long tradition (see wiki link here) among birders. Perks? It encourages birding during an under-birded time of year as well as covering areas that aren't always included in casual birding. It's essentially a citizen-based bird census that takes place all over the continent between December 14th and January 5th.

Why not celebrate the New Year in a gorgeous part of the state while contributing to science? CBCs are great for people with all levels of bird interest - there's ample opportunity to learn and just because you can't identify them doesn't mean you can't spot them! Also, note-takers are in high demand (without notes, what data have you got?)

For more CBCs check out Houston Audubon's list of Texas Christmas Bird Counts for 2010-2011

In the Big Bend region, we've got a few to CBCs consider:

Sat. Dec. 18 - Davis Mountains

Sun. Dec. 19 - Balmorhea

Contact for both: Marty Hansen, birdsinflight/at/mac.com

Tues. Dec. 28 - Chisos Basin (Big Bend National Park)
Meet at 7:30 am in the visitor center, reconvene in the evening at the Panther Junction auditorium (around 6:00 PM) to compile the day's counts , pay registration fees, and prepare for the next day count.

Weds. Dec. 29 - Rio Grande Village (Big Bend National Park)
Meet at 7:30 am at the Rio Grande Village store. Meet again at Panther Junction auditorium to compile the list in the evening.

Contact for both BBNP counts: Mark Flippo, Mark_R_Flippo/at/nps.gov

Sat. Jan. 1 - Guadalupe Mountains
It is worth noting the dire situation for the Guadalupe Mountains CBC:

We have tried to set our count as the last Saturday of the count period every year so that people can routinely make plans. We would welcome the help. Several of our routine participants have died, moved away, aged to the point of not being able to do the hiking, etc., so I have been crying for help over the past couple of years. In the winter some of the park apartments or RV pads are vacant and I can usually offer a place to stay for $8 a person a night so participants can be here at dawn. Stay in touch and let me know if you or others can join us so I can pre-assign coverage areas. Thanks.

Contact: Fred Armstrong, Fred_Armstrong@nps.gov


Note on dates:
Counts used to start on the "second Saturday in December" and then it was changed to Dec. 14 regardless of day, causing a lot of conflict in areas that have many counts but not enough birders to go around! So when living on the Upper Texas Coast, I could do nearly 20 counts in one season because of ample weekend counts - when the dates changed and counts started to overlap, I was only able to do maybe eight. With only five counts out here, I sure hope there's good attendance!

October summary, Big Bend region

This list reflects observations made in/around Brewster, Jeff Davis, and Reeves Counties during October 2010 to the best of our recollection. Species are considered common unless otherwise noted. Locations indicate place(s) of observation. Species in bold are either "First of Season" (FOS) or of regional interest.

Snow Goose - 1 at Lake Balmorhea
Ross's Goose - 1 at Lake Balmorhea
Gadwall - small flock at Lake Balmorhea
American Wigeon - small flock at Lake Balmorhea
Mallard (Mexican) - pair at Post Park, pair at Lake Balmorhea
Blue-winged Teal - small flock at Post Park
Ruddy Duck - flock at Lake Balmorhea
duck sp. - small flock of unidentified ducks at Rio Grande Village (BBNP)
Scaled Quail - covey at Marathon Motel, Lake Balmorhea, Dugout Wells (BBNP)
Montezuma Quail - one adult male crossing Hwy 90 ~10 miles west of Marathon
Wild Turkey - Jeff Davis County
Pied-billed Grebe - numerous at Lake Balmorhea
Eared Grebe - small flock at Lake Balmorhea
Western Grebe - at least one distinct individual at Lake Balmorhea
Clark's Grebe - dozens at Lake Balmorhea
Western/Clark's Grebe - a few distant birds unidentified at Lake Balmorhea
Double-crested Cormorant - one at Lake Balmorhea
Great Blue Heron - several at Lake Balmorhea
Great Egret - several at Lake Balmorhea
Snowy Egret - one at Lake Balmorhea
Cattle Egret - one at Lake Balmorhea
Black Vulture - reported by camp host at Rio Grande Village, BBNP
Turkey Vulture - Marathon roost is dwindling
Northern Harrier - two at Lake Balmorhea
Swainson's Hawk - along Hwy 90, dwindling for winter
Red-tailed Hawk - along Hwy 90
American Kestrel - along Hwy 90
Merlin - one at Lake Balmorhea
Aplomado Falcon - one along Hwy 90 west of Marathon by ~5 miles
Prairie Falcon - one at Lake Balmorhea
American Coot - one at Post Park, dozens at Lake Balmorhea
Sandhill Crane - one at Lake Balmorhea
Semipalmated Plover - small group at Lake Balmorhea
Killdeer - Marathon Motel, at least one at Lake Balmorhea
Spotted Sandpiper - several at Lake Balmorhea
Greater Yellowlegs - a pair at Lake Balmorhea
Lesser Yellowlegs - one at Lake Balmorhea
Long-billed Curlew - one at Lake Balmorhea
Pectoral Sandpiper - one at Lake Balmorhea
Long-billed Dowitcher - small flock at Lake Balmorhea
Ring-billed Gull - flock at Lake Balmorhea
Rock Pigeon - Marathon, Alpine, Lake Balmorhea
Eurasian Collared-Dove - Marathon, Alpine, Lake Balmorhea
White-winged Dove - Marathon, Alpine, Lake Balmorhea
Mourning Dove - several at Lake Balmorhea
Inca Dove - Marathon
Yellow-billed Cuckoo - declining at Post Park
Greater Roadrunner - Dugout Wells (BBNP), Lake Balmorhea
Groove-billed Ani - one bird, recorded Oct. 10, 23, and 24 at the Marathon Motel
Common Nighthawk - the last of the lingerers moved on in mid-month
Anna's Hummingbird - FOS yard bird in NE Marathon, also reported from Fort Davis by Matt Brady and Oscar Johnson
hummingbird sp. - early Ocober flyby in Marathon
Belted Kingfisher - Post Park, Rio Grande Village (BBNP), Lake Balmorhea
Green Kingfisher - Rio Grande Village (BBNP)
Golden-fronted Woodpecker - common
Ladder-backed Woodpecker - common
Northern Flicker (Red-shafted) - common
Black Phoebe - Post Park, Rio Grande Village (BBNP), Lake Balmorhea
Eastern Phoebe - at least three at Rio Grande Village (BBNP)
Say's Phoebe - Post Park, Rio Grande Village (BBNP), Lake Balmorhea
Vermilion Flycatcher - Post Park, Rio Grande Village (BBNP), Lake Balmorhea
Ash-throated Flycatcher - one heard early in the month on the NE side of Marathon
Cassin's Kingbird - most moved out of Marathon early, no other kingbirds noted
Scissor-tailed Flycatcher - Hwy 90, numbers dwindling
Loggerhead Shrike - Big Bend National Park
Chihuahuan Raven - Marathon flyovers
Common Raven - Marathon flyovers, Big Bend National Park
Northern Rough-winged Swallow - moved out of Marathon by mid-month
Verdin - Rio Grande Village (BBNP), Lake Balmorhea
Red-breasted Nuthatch - Marathon Motel
Brown Creeper - Rio Grande Village (BBNP), FOS
Cactus Wren - Brewster, Reeves Counties
Rock Wren - Lake Balmorhea, Rio Grande Village (BBNP)
Bewick's Wren - a pair at Lake Balmorhea
House Wren - Rio Grande Village (BBNP) and Lake Balmorhea
Marsh Wren - Rio Grande Village (BBNP)
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher - Lake Balmorhea, Dugout Wells (BBNP)
Black-tailed Gnatcatcher - Lake Balmorhea, Rio Grande Village (BBNP)
Golden-crowned Kinglet - Rio Grande Village (BBNP), FOS
Ruby-crowned Kinglet - Rio Grande Village (BBNP), Marathon
Mountain Bluebird - Marathon Motel, FOS
Gray Catbird - Rio Grande Village (BBNP)
Northern Mockingbird - common
Sage Thrasher - Marathon Motel, FOS
Curve-billed Thrasher - common
European Starling - common
Cedar Waxwing - Marathon, FOS
Orange-crowned Warbler - Post Park, Rio Grande Village (BBNP)
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Audubon's) - common
Common Yellowthroat - Lake Balmorhea
Wilson's Warbler - Lake Balmorhea
Canyon Towhee - common
Cassin's Sparrow - numbers dwindling, roadkill found in Jeff Davis County
Brewer's Sparrow - Lake Balmorhea, Dugout Wells (BBNP)
Vesper Sparrow - Lake Balmorhea
Lark Sparrow - Lake Balmorhea, numbers dwindling
Black-throated Sparrow - Lake Balmorhea
Lark Bunting - Lake Balmorhea, Big Bend National Park
Savannah Sparrow - one 'rolled' at Big Bend National Park; presumably survived
Lincoln's Sparrow - Lake Balmorhea
White-crowned Sparrow - Marathon Motel, Lake Balmorhea
Dark-eyed Junco - Dugout Wells (BBNP), FOS
Northern Cardinal - Marathon Motel, Rio Grande Village
Pyrrhuloxia - common
Red-winged Blackbird - Lake Balmorhea
Western Meadowlark - Lake Balmorhea
meadowlark sp. - common
Rusty Blackbird - reported from Fort Davis by Matt Brady and Oscar Johnson
Brewer's Blackbird - common
Great-tailed Grackle - numbers dwindling by late in the month
Brown-headed Cowbird - Lake Balmorhea
Scott's Oriole, Oriole jaune-verdâtre - photographed in Post Park late in the month by Marathon Motel guests from Quebec (late sighting)
Lesser Goldfinch - numbers decreasing
American Goldfinch - Post Park
House Sparrow - common

Total species reported: 113

Notes:
Sightings this month were drastically boosted with trips to Balmorhea and Big Bend National Park, but the seasonal changes are quite apparent in Marathon as well. Flycatchers have been replaced by Audubon's Yellow-rumps and most summer raptors have moved out. I may have omitted Yellow-billed Cuckoo in error, but I can't find the notes that would confirm or deny a late Post Park sighting. Same goes for Summer Tanager.

Big Bend; Rio Grande Village, Dugout Wells

All of these observations are from October 27 - apologies for the two game delay, it's not ever often that the Texas Rangers are in the World Series!

We spent about three hours in the Rio Grande Village area and then maybe half an hour at Dugout Wells on our way out - emphasis has been added on 'first of season' species.

Location name: Big Bend NP--Rio Grande Village

10 duck sp.
1 Greater Roadrunner
1 Belted Kingfisher
1 Green Kingfisher
X Golden-fronted Woodpecker
1 Ladder-backed Woodpecker
2 Northern Flicker (Red-shafted)
1 Black Phoebe
2 Eastern Phoebe
2 Say's Phoebe
1 Vermilion Flycatcher
2 Loggerhead Shrike
2 Common Raven
X Verdin
1 Brown Creeper
1 Cactus Wren
1 Rock Wren
1 Bewick's Wren
1 Marsh Wren
1 Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
1 Black-tailed Gnatcatcher
1 Golden-crowned Kinglet
X Ruby-crowned Kinglet
1 Gray Catbird
1 Northern Mockingbird
X Curve-billed Thrasher
1 Orange-crowned Warbler
X Yellow-rumped Warbler (Audubon's)
2 Vesper Sparrow
3 Savannah Sparrow
1 Northern Cardinal
X Pyrrhuloxia

Total species reported: 31

Apologies, also for the "X" notations; we're trying to tailor our notes to fit ebird, but occasionally it just doesn't work out. Especially start/end times, distances, etc. Sometimes you just need to bird without the confines of a form. So for "X" please consider it a constant awareness, if not a high number.

Location name: Big Bend NP--Dugout Wells

4 Scaled Quail
1 Greater Roadrunner
1 Ladder-backed Woodpecker
1 Northern Flicker (Red-shafted)
1 Verdin
1 Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
1 Ruby-crowned Kinglet
3 Northern Mockingbird
X Yellow-rumped Warbler (Audubon's)
3 Brewer's Sparrow
1 Dark-eyed Junco

Total species reported: 11

Lists generated by