Recent Sightings

In our absence, please see the recent eBird reports for area sightings.

NOTE: These may or may not have been reviewed by regional editors! Take these reports with a grain of salt, as typos and misidentification can occur.

Brewster County (eBird link here)

Guest sightings: GMNP and Davis Mountains

This post has been slightly reformatted for the blog, but is being re-posted from Texbirds with Christian's permission (thank you!)

***

GMNP and Davis Mountains last week - possible Gray Hawk
Date: Tue, 28 Jul 2015

Hey there,
Sorry for the belated post. Had a great birding/hiking/camping trip last week out in West Texas with friends Matt Melendez and Michael Falconer mainly at Guadalupe Mountains National Park and Davis Mountains. Lots of rain. Hail and rain cut our time a little short in the back country, but we re-located to Davis Mountains and had a good time.

Monday 7/20/15 Short afternoon stop at McDonald Observatory, over to Van Horn, and up to GMNP.
Highlights included Hepatic Tanager pair at McDonald Observatory, and a big flock of Yellow-headed Blackbirds at Van Horn Cemetery. And steaks to go from Van Horn Steak House. Also eBird was upset at two Scissor-tailed Flycatchers at the cemetery. Pine Springs at GMNP has an active pair of Summer Tanagers, also great views of Blue Grosbeaks and Scott’s Orioles in the evening sunset. After dark had great looks at Common Poorwills near Frijole Ranch, as well as two huge magnificent meteors, one red and one blazing green, right after another. Matt the astronomer was pumped, as were we. Shockingly exhilarating.

Tuesday 7/21/15 up to Tejas Campground
At around 6:40 drove over to the rest area east of the park and saw the breeding Hooded Orioles, including at least one youngster. Started hike up to high country at around 9:00 AM, but it was not to warm on the hike; packs made it pretty hot and sweaty though. Highlights of the hike in included loads of singing Black-chinned Sparrows, a soaring Peregrine Falcon (bird of the trip for Falconer) and getting acquainted with the high country birds like Cordilleran Flycatcher and Pygmy Nuthatches.

Wednesday 7/22/15 Tejas Campground to Bowl and down
Woke up real early to hear the Mexican Whip-poor-wills. No owls. Hiked up to the bowl, hearing and seeing more of the high country birds including Warbling Vireo, Golden Eagle, a single Virginia’s Warbler, a pair of Pine Siskins, a Zone-tailed Hawk, but no Grace’s Warbler. Also found a tree that had exploded from lightning.

Thursday 7/23/15 Davis Mountains
Spend half the day at the Davis Mountains. No Montezuma Quail, but had Zone-tailed Hawks at the State Park and at Madera Canyon Trail. Here we also had 2 Gray Flycatchers. Had the Common Black-Hawk family along Limpia Creek. On the way out we also briefly saw a small buteo that was probably a Gray Hawk, (before reaching Wild Rose Pass) but only had a split second view as it flew by into the cottonwoods. Stopped and turned around but were never able to relocate it. Clearly a small buteo, with a boldly banded tail. Shape unlike Zone-tailed, and appeared more pale. Oh well maybe someone else will find it.

Also had a Zone-tailed Hawk just east of Ozona in Crockett County.

Good birding,

Christian Walker

Begin forwarded message:

> From: ebird-checklist@cornell.edu
> Subject: eBird Report - Guadalupe Mts. NP--The Bowl, Jul 22, 2015
> Date: July 28, 2015 at 7:41:48 PM CDT
> To: christian.walker@earthlink.net
>
> Guadalupe Mts. NP--The Bowl, Culberson, Texas, US
> Jul 22, 2015 5:00 AM - 4:00 PM
> Protocol: Traveling
> 9.6 mile(s)
> Comments: Birding with Michael Falconer and Matthew Melendez. Walked from Tejas Campground up the Juniper Trail, spent a lot of time in the bowl, walked the entire Bowl Trail, and then back out to the top of Bear Canyon. Clear, with some clouds, calm, 50 degrees in the morning, slowly warming up to 80 degrees about. Couldn't find a Grace's Warbler for the life of us. Damn. One of the best spots was by the creek in the Bowl which had water and constantly had birds coming in to a little pool by the spot in the trail where it pulls a u from going north-east to west.
> 40 species
>
> Turkey Vulture 4
> Golden Eagle 1 AD soaring in from the north over McKittrick Ridge (?) near lightning struck pine on Juniper Trail almost to Bowl. Wowie.
> Cooper's Hawk 2
> Zone-tailed Hawk 1 Nice adult soaring over the bowl
> Red-tailed Hawk 2
> Mexican Whip-poor-will 2 HO in Tejas Campground. Would only sing song once before shutting up for fifteen minutes or so.
> White-throated Swift 8
> Broad-tailed Hummingbird 5
> Rufous Hummingbird 1 Brilliant male briefly seen feeding at red flowers
> Acorn Woodpecker 2 At the creek in the Bowl
> Hairy Woodpecker (Rocky Mts.) 1 HO in Tejas Campground
> Northern Flicker (Red-shafted) 6
> Western Wood-Pewee 12 Loads in the open areas in the bowl
> Cordilleran Flycatcher 17 Mainly HO
> Ash-throated Flycatcher 1 Heard up in the Bowl
> Plumbeous Vireo 4
> Warbling Vireo 1 HO on Juniper Trail
> Steller's Jay 4 HO
> Violet-green Swallow 12 Flying high above the bowl. Definitely not WTSW
> Mountain Chickadee 46
> Bushtit (Interior) 20
> White-breasted Nuthatch 7
> Pygmy Nuthatch 17
> Brown Creeper 1
> Rock Wren 4 Family at Hunter Peak
> Canyon Wren 1 HO from Hunter Peak on outer face of range
> House Wren 8
> Western Bluebird 3
> Hermit Thrush 14
> Virginia's Warbler 1 M in the very top of a pine in the bowl. Flew in from a while a way, stayed for two minutes and then flew on. Out of habitat and acting like it.
> Yellow-rumped Warbler (Audubon's) 3 At the creek in the Bowl
> Spotted Towhee 9
> Rufous-crowned Sparrow 2
> Chipping Sparrow 2
> Black-chinned Sparrow 1 1 imm at the very top of Hunter Peak at about 8,300 ft. Crazy?
> Dark-eyed Junco (Red-backed) 9
> Hepatic Tanager 1
> Western Tanager 4
> Pine Siskin 2 A pair at the creek in the Bowl
> Lesser Goldfinch 3 In the Bowl
>
> View this checklist online at http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S24414520
>
> This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (http://ebird.org)

***

Oh and also heard a Bell’s Vireo singing along Hwy 54 south to Van Horn on 7/22/15.


***

Many thanks to Christian Walker of Austin, TX for graciously allowing us to re-post his trip notes!

Trans-Pecos BBS Wrap-up 2015 / Trip Report

The following content was kindly approved for sharing by Stu Wilson, intrepid Breeding Bird Survey adventurer currently living in FL - he's done WTX BBS routes for many years and sent his end of route summary. This is shared with his permission, and with our gratitude for his efforts!

* Post Park was mistakenly listed as being south of Marfa, in Presidio County: it has been corrected to being south of Marathon, in Brewster County. Links were modified to be blog friendly.

***

All-

I've put together a little wrap-up for my 4-11May2015 central Trans-Pecos BBS trip. Besides my three current BBS routes, I made a number of "general interest birding" stops, many of which I entered into eBird. The area continues to suffer from the effects of drought as well as the freeze and fire of 2011, but there were signs of recovery, e.g. good numbers of Scaled Quail and Greater Roadrunner. In general, neotropical migrants were in short supply anywhere I went.

El Paso Memorial Park (FWTX 9) 4May2015
One of the best opportunities to find migrants within the El Paso city limits is this urban park (El Paso County). However, I found very few- a Western Wood-Pewee, an Audubon's Yellow-rump, and several Wilson's Warbler- amongst 20 species total. eBird checklist here

McNary Reservoir 5May2015
Auduboners generally have permission to visit this water body located about 80 miles east of El Paso in Hudspeth County. I tallied 34 species in an hour including both Western and Clark's Grebes, as well as a pair of Red-breasted Mergansers, possibly a new May record for the area. eBird checklist here

Marathon- Ft Pena Colorado Pk (The Post) (FWTX 28) 5May2015
This popular birding stop 5 miles south of Marathon in Brewster County was flush with water and yielded 26 species, but no rarities and just a couple of migrants. eBird checklist here

Alamito Creek Preserve 6May2015
This was my fourth visit to this cottonwood-lined riparian desert strip 35 miles south of Marfa in Presidio County. I started out the walk with Robert Potts, president of property owner Dixon Water Foundation, as well as Jay Pruett from Tulsa and Bob Ayres from Austin. Those three had to turn back mid-morning to tend to some business, but I walked the full 3.5-mile segment, and return, picking up 40 spp. Although there were some impressive numbers of individuals (52 House Finch, 60 Mourning Dove, 58 Northern Mockingbird, 42 Orchard Oriole, 45 Summer Tanager, and 46 Vermilion Flycatcher), and some good raptor activity (2 nesting pairs of Zone-tailed and 1 pair of Swainson's Hawk), migrants were few... only two species of warbler (Audubon's Yellow-rumped and Wilson's). eBird checklist here

Coyanda Draw BBS (Pecos Co 35 mi WSW of Ft Stockton) 7May2015 Habitat: dry and desolate Chihuahuan Desert scrub
I had to contend with only 2 vehicles the entire route! Veteran BBSers know what a luxury that is. The route produced 25 spp with Northern Mockingbird taking home the bacon at 61 and Scaled Quail trailing with 50.
* The Barn Owls at Stop 1 have apparently been evicted by a pair of Great Horned Owls
* 4 Lesser Nighthawks was very low
* Cassin's and Black-throated Sparrow made nice showings with 28 each
* Cactus Wren (avg 20+) has not rebounded on this route as I had only 2

Balmorhea- Sandia Wetlands (FWTX 20A) 7May2015
I had not previously visited this small facility east of Balmorhea in Reeves County, but was glad I did. I found 25 spp highlighted by Cinnamon Teal, Black-necked Stilt, American Avocet, Baird's Sandpiper, Long-billed Dowitcher, Wilson's Phalarope, Scissor-tailed Flycatcher, Bank Swallow, Grasshopper Sparrow, and Yellow-headed Blackbird. eBird checklist here

Balmorhea Lake - Sandia Wetlands (FWTX 20) 7May2015
I did a loop around the lake, but it was now late afternoon and there just wasn't much happening. I noted about 16 spp, including both Aechmophorus grebes and a couple late Eared Grebes. A lone Ruddy Duck also seemed late.

Toyahvale BBS (Jeff Davis Co between Balmorhea and Ft Davis) 8May2015 Habitat: Davis Mtn foothills
This route was especially fire-ravaged in 2011. I turned up 32 spp with usual champ Northern Mockingbird taking top honors with 55 just overcoming a strong showing by resurging Scaled Quail at 50.
* The Elf Owl pair, present the last two years, could not be found
* Seven (7) Greater Roadrunner may be record for me for any route
* Twenty (20) Black-throated Sparrow was a strong showing
* No evidence of Cactus Wren recovery on this route (avg 16) as I had only 4
* 3 Painted Bunting and 1 Vermilion Flycatcher added some color to things

Bear Mountain BBS (Jeff Davis Co on the NW flanks of Davis Mountains) 9May2015 Habitat: Davis Mtn foothills (desert transitioning to oak/juniper)
This route has become my favorite for reasons I can't quite pinpoint. Only encountering five (5) vehicles on a route with a nicely paved road certainly helps. I tallied 34 spp with Northern Mockingbird achieving top dog at 27 individuals withstanding a strong challenge from Cactus Wren with 24. The Cactus Wren total is right at the historic average and suggests, on this route at least, the species is recovering.
* Cassin's Sparrow (avg 16) curiously absent from this route
* Six (6) Greater Roadrunner might be a record except for Toyahvale above
* Eighteen (18) Canyon Towhees might be a record for me for any route
* A Yellow-breasted Chat lustily singing in the wide open was a nice surprise

Madera Canyon Trail (FWTX 25) 9May2015
This 2.5-mile loop trail starts (and ends) at the south end of the Lawrence E Wood Picnic Area on TX 118 in Jeff Davis County. Most of the juniper trees are dead or dying lending a desolate air, but I nonetheless managed 17 spp including a rampaging young Cooper's Hawk and a Hepatic Tanager pair where the female was doing the singing. eBird checklist here


Big Bend NP- Chisos Basin 10May2015
I had run into some birders from Maryland at Davis Mountains SP who had just been to BBNP (Brewster County) and told me of the rarities lurking there: Short-tailed Hawk, Northern Pygmy-Owl, Flame-colored Tanager, and Evening Grosbeak. Given my limited time, I decided the latter three were out of reach, but I was on point for the STHA, which I thought I understood them to say was being seen (a dark morph and a light morph??) in the Chisos Basin from the lodge area. It didn't fill me with confidence when each of the five (5) rangers I quizzed indicated they were unaware of any rare hawks, and in the end I failed to turn one up. In the course of things, I did a long mid-day hike through the campgrounds, down to the sewage treatment plant, and out and back on the Window Trail, tallying about 17 species, but nothing unexpected. That evening I hiked up the Pinnacles Trail about a half-mile above the cottages and did a 7-9pm sentry duty listening for Mexican Whip-poor-will, but heard not a one. The mountain lion signs say "don't hike alone" and "don't hike at night" and I must confess this weighed on me as the day's light grew dim. My overnight accommodation was a room in the Emory Peak Lodge area but, despite leaving my windows open all night and doing a couple of short local hikes, I heard no owl nor nightjar at all.

Big Bend NP- Cottonwood Campground (FWTX 40) 11May2015
I got up early for the 38-mi drive to Cottonwood CG, arriving just after sunrise, and was promptly greeted by an Elf Owl. Other nuggets amongst 27 spp found were a Cassin's Vireo, a MacGillivray's Warbler, and several singing Yellow-breasted Chats. The prize, however, and the Bird of the Trip for me was a singing male Lucy's Warbler which I found just across the entrance road from the Amphitheater... my first new Texas bird (#489) since a Canada Warbler at Hornsby Bend in Austin on 19Sep2011. eBird checklist here


Out,

Stu

Pipevine at Post Park

Post Road and Post Park were quite birdy (hat-tip to Bill Sain for another excellent adventure), but the highlight was simply being outside on a fantastic day. Admittedly, I did sigh that there were no leps around and a Queen, Pipevine Swallowtail, and a mystery skipper decided to cooperate. Not that any of them are earth shattering, but it seems to have been a quiet spring for butterflies, perhaps due to lack of moisture.

Pipevine Swallowtail, Battus philenor. Post Park, Marathon/Brewster Co, TX. 27 May 2014.

Bird list for Post Road here and bird list for Post Park here.

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.

White-faced Ibis primary flight feather.

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

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.

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!

***

There's a pond over there somewhere... Dale, Bill, and Julie's shadow.

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!

Flame-colored Tanager via Colima Death March

 A bit of background: 6 May, Flame-colored Tanager was reported near the junction of Boot and Juniper trails by Mark Flippo, retired BBNP staff who continues to remain designated Trail Ninja. It has been seen/sort-of-seen almost daily since then. Our first attempt was on 28 May. It's funny, claiming the Colima Death March (traditionally a combination of Pinnacles or Laguna Meadows trails to Colima Trail... and back) in the name of a non-Colima. While we did trot past ~5 singing Colima Warblers on our way up Pinnacles (the steeper and more grueling, but shorter of the approaches), our goal was the same as it was last time... Flame-colored Tanager. "Heard-only" is a heck of a foot note for such a gorgeous bird, but that's what it was. So we had to give it another try. In late June. Because we are masochists and that's what our schedule allowed.

Colima Warbler before sun reached our slope.

Note:
Boot Canyon itself is listed as 'strenuous' but fails to mention 'grueling' in the description! Our traditional approach ends up being something like 11-12 miles round trip. Boot Canyon, as a trail, is not bad at all. But you have to GET to it first! Darn the Pinnacles...

Flame-colored Tanager, 21 June 2013

This time we were able to make it out of Marathon before 5 am and hit the trail just before 6:30 am. We scooted past Hutton's Vireo (food carrying), singing and snacking Colima Warblers, Canyon Wrens falling/chasing each other down a cliff face, and begging/parent-chasing White-throated Swifts. Nearing the end of the trek, we were graced by the presence of the Ghost of Christmas Bird Counts Past: Ron Weeks. Also, the Ghost of Gulf Coast Birding Past: Brad Lirette. Having not seen either of them in roughly 10 years, it was a very hasty but pleasant reunion (and introduction to Matt) as they graciously backtracked up the trail to show us the spot where we'd waited for hours last time: instead of sticking to the ridge line, however, the female Western Tanager and male Flame-colored Tanagers were staying mid-canopy along the trail!

Golden Banded-Skipper (Autochton cellus)

Butterflies were definitely out as well: Arizona Sister, Two-tailed Swallowtail, Lyside Sulphur, American Snout, Varigated Fritillary, Gulf Fritillary, Golden-banded Skipper, Juniper Hairstreak, etc.

Painted Redstart adult, preening.

In addition to the flame-colored proverbial icing on the cake, we shared the morning with a cluster of Painted Redstarts, Black-crested Titmice feeding young, singing Colima Warblers, singing Black-headed Grosbeaks, singing Hepatic Tanagers, fly-by Summer Tanagers, one Band-tailed Pigeon, groups of Mexican Jays, a pair of Dusky-capped Flycatchers, a Cordilleran Flycatcher, some Hutton's Vireos, a female Lucifer Hummingbird, and a smattering of other high-elevation goodies.
As we were leaving the park, we stopped at Panther Junction on social rounds and were given directions to a hybrid agave/lechuguilla... but that may be a plant for another post!





Click here for the eBird list from Boot Canyon, and here for the eBird list from Pinnacles Trail.

Here's another pile of Flame-colored goodness, all heavily cropped:

Flame-colored Tanager, 21 June 2013

Flame-colored Tanager, 21 June 2013

Flame-colored Tanager, 21 June 2013

Flame-colored Tanager, 21 June 2013

Crouching Longspur, Hidden Warbler. Patch birding challenge.

This post has been in the works since Christmas Bird Counts started; it has only materialized with the prompting of a challenge from David Sarkozi to Texas birders. (Helpful links to participate in the Texas Local Patch Challenge are listed at the bottom of this post.)

I would like to challenge others to an interesting game for 2013, I'll call it the Local Patch Challenge. Pretty simple, how many species can you find in a 7.5 mile radius circle around your residence. If you have more than one "residence" that's fine, do either or both. The idea is to see what you can find close to home without out burning a tank of gas. There are several ways to find whats inside the circle around your home, just Google "draw circle google maps" and you can find several tools to do that. An easy one I found was http://obeattie.github.com/gmaps-radius/

Not every circle is going to be competitive with every circle, this is mostly about what you can do. No everyone can generate the species totals of folk like Clay Taylor and Brush Freeman can with their locals, but most of use would be surprised with what is in 7.5 miles of our homes (essentially a CBC circle around your home). In fact I would like to through down a challenge to Brush and Clay directly to participate just to make it interesting. Out In West Texas, I'd love to see Carolyn include her Oasis, and Heidi to participate. Love to get "Fat Tony" on board too! Susan Schaezler you should do this too,

I don't think one needs to post every bird you find to TEXBIRDS, but certainly those interesting birds you find and milestones like 100. 150, 200 species would interest many. I know many OCD types like myself would like to see lists though, so to keep the chatter to those most interested I did start an open Facebook Group call "Texas Local Patch Challenge" where you can post all you want.

eBird.org hase some good tools for keep track of what you find in your patch. Just go to "Explore Data" in the top tool bar, then select "Patch Totals" in the right hand box. Then click on Add Patch and select the locations in your patch. eBird will keep your patch total for you.

What are you waiting for, 2013 has already started!

That circle above? Other than Marathon and Post Park... it's all inaccessible private ranch.

I'm really thankful that David issued the challenge. The timely nature of a new year and the blossoming/festering expansion of the facebook birding community (not just among Texas birders) as well as the eBirding increase has been something I've been curious about.

Curiosity has, in a few places, given way to exasperation: I've only been a reviewer for eBird for a few months and already I've become disheartened with the lists riddled with errors. ID errors are one thing, but listing 3-4 counties worth of sightings from one 'hotspot' is another. Perhaps it is a symptom of birders traveling outside of their home turf, unaware of county lines; locals seem immune to this error. Perhaps it is a symptom of trip-list or day-list or year-list accumulation. County listing - the Texas Century Club (100 species in 100 counties) - would virtually eliminate this issue if folks were adhering to county list protocol... but I digress.

 What little I've seen in the process of reviewing is that many, many errors are made in the name of Lists - Texas Big Year, Big Year, etc. Several species accounts have brought this to light. A hasty survey in unfamiliar territory leads to many assumptions and many glitches in the data. "Common" birds are overlooked even though they may be out of range (Common Grackle is... uncommon. 75 reports *can* be wrong!). "Rare" birds are reported because of naive excitement (Mexican Jays are not Western Scrub Jays).

Big Years (and Bird-a-day Years) are exhausting, expensive, tail-chasing and sanity-draining. Big Days are lovely substitutes!

Being intimately familiar with one particular territory, on the other hand, lends itself to expanding knowledge. Thorough coverage of a birder's home turf leads to much better regional abundance and diversity and arrival/departure information that is so often overlooked by target birding. Target birding may result in Patagonia effect, but how many "Patagonias" are being overlooked? Competitive listing is killing citizen science* (unless you are doing a county big year, then tip o' the hat and carry on!)

In the name of personal lists, I fear that a lot of useful information and truly interesting sightings are slipping through our collective fingers. Instead, chasers and listers are converging in places that are known, instead of charting new territory. There's certainly data in heavily birded areas, but the more people cover them, the less consistency there is (perhaps the consistency is inconsistency?)

Lest this post further gripe about how everyone enters Brewster and Jeff Davis County birds in Reeves County, here's a lovely screen shot of my plans for 2013.

This circle includes zero traffic lights, 3 train crossings, a cemetery, Post Park, the entire town of Marathon, and one border checkpoint. Should be interesting! Apparently we've already recorded at least 208 species in this area in the last 2.5 years. It's a happy combination of competitive (because apparently that's how birding is these days) and the opportunity to get intimately familiar with your closest surroundings.

 Getting started with your own patch challenge:

Texas Local Patch Challenge - the facebook group

Pick your location - http://obeattie.github.com/gmaps-radius/ (7.5 mile radius, please!)

New to eBird? It's fascinating. http://www.ebird.org

Instructions on setting up a "patch" in eBird, via David Sarkozi

(shortcut to eBird's patch page if you're already a user)

Looking back on 2012

2012 in review... something of a daunting task, but we generally do a semi-annual update and the timing is about right for one. Let the festival of links begin!

Changes and challenges:

In somewhat exciting news, we've decided to branch out a bit - we've always done informal guiding, but now we've actually listed regional guiding here on the blog. Regardless of skill level, we're more than happy to introduce folks to the birds (and butterflies) or general nature of the region; Marathon is our home turf, but as long as our schedules work out, we're quite happy to help out with Balmorhea, the Davis Mountains and whatever else suits you. Year listers, county listers, target birding or simply soaking up the region - we'd be happy to help. 

It was also in 2012 that eBird reviewing for Reeves and Pecos Counties fell into play: Pecos hasn't even been touched yet, but the learning curve has gone from vertical to... still pretty steep. It's all in the name of progress, right? Speaking of progress, there's another Sul Ross State University grad in the family! After 9 years, 7 moves, 3 schools and 2 states, Heidi finished ~160 hours of a B.A.

This was also the first year that both of us were recruited to co-lead trips for the Rio Grande Valley Birding Festival. For 2011 we were tied up with a booth, so 2012 was a bit more freeing, even if that free time was used to track down speaker/sponsor/leader people for the summer festival!

Last year saw 131 blog posts here, peaking in July with 20 posts. Can't imagine why... we only assembled the finest crew of Texas birders with Kenn and Kimberly Kaufman in attendance!

From left to right: Cameron Carver, Kelly Bryan, Matthew York, Heidi Trudell, Kimberly Kaufman, Kenn Kaufman, and Steve Gross. Mark Flippo disappeared in the photo; ninjas do not show up in photographs. Photo by Patty Pasztor.

Blog factoids and people aside, it was quite a year for birds in our region (roughly Brewster, Jeff Davis and Reeves Counties), including but not limited to:
January - Nutting's Flycatcher, a life bird for both of us!)
April - Swainson's and Hermit Wablers
August - Black-billed Cuckoo, Black-throated Green Warbler
October - Sabine's Gull - another double life bird, Varied Thrush, Surf Scoter and Red Phalarope
November - Williamson's Sapsucker* (usually in Jeff Davis Co, not Marathon!)
December - Red Crossbill - it most certainly has been Winter of the Crossbills, and not just for our region. They've been reported all over the southern states and throughout much of Texas. In December we also snuck off to Lubbock to see a double-life Northern Shrike!

Most cooperative non-passerine of the year goes to a pair of Zone-tailed Hawks that cooperated for the festival, tending to their large nestling (still in nest) in front of a group of ~15 or so folks!

Zone-tailed Hawk (Buteo albonotatus), photo by Matt York.

...but let's not forget the butterflies that made this year amazing:
Palmer's Metalmark stole the show for the entire summer and well into fall. Common Mestras made an exceptional appearance nearly daily in our yard - not that they ever landed - and made a surge throughout the state. And Big Bend? Diversity was fantastic, and we only made it down there a few times! The festival list was also quite impressive.

Arizona Sister (Adelpha eulalia), photo by Matt York.

Moths took on a whole new meaning to us in 2012, with regular sessions: Summer was great for blacklighting big moths and medium moths and little moths, but the fall threw amazing diversity at us. Biggest miss of the year: Mexican Agapema. We must have slept through it. But, really, the mothy highlight of the year: Plagiomimicus olvello, our beloved Planet Arium Moth.

Planet Arium Moth (Plagiomimicus olvello), photo by Matt York.

It will be interesting to see what 2013 brings; we're already off to a good start with more Red Crossbills and a Rough-legged Hawk! Rumor has it that August 8-11 will be the next birding festival out here, but details are still in the works.

Happy New Year and happy trails,
-Heidi & Matt

Red 'rope. Balmorhea Lake, Reeves Co.

31 October 2012

Balmorhea Lake, Balmorhea, Reeves Co., TX

Red Phalarope (Phaloropus fulicarius)

** Excerpt from TX-Birds list-serve**

RED PHALAROPE pics from this morning at Balmorhea Lake.  

Found initially (FOUND AND ID) by

Heidi Trudell, I like to think I was slightly distracted driving.  :)
http://www.bigbendnature.com/2012/10/red-rope-blam-orhea-lake-reeves-co.html
This bird was first noticed on the eastern half of the lake, as we were on
the east dam.  Easily enjoyed through bins, a scope is great.
After a lunch break in town, we re-located the bird at 1:18 PM on the
western quarter of the lake.  Also could be enjoyed through bins during
this observation

NO Surf Scoter was seen.  In fact, the raft of scaup, ruddys, and redhead
the scoter sought refuge in was gone as well.

**Excerpt from TX-Birds facebook note originally from Heidi Trudell**

Seen from 11:20-noon at the dam, seen from 1:18-1:25 at the total opposite end of the lake (near reeds on west end) before it headed back toward the middle of the lake.

Edit: 
Here's the combined morning/afternoon list from Lake Balmorhea (apologies for lack of numbers here), perks from the town and cemetery are at the bottom!

Snow Goose (Chen caerulescens)
Gadwall (Anas strepera)
Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos)
Blue-winged Teal (Anas discors)
Northern Shoveler (Anas clypeata)
Northern Pintail (Anas acuta)
Redhead (Aythya americana)
Lesser Scaup (Aythya affinis)
Red-breasted Merganser (Mergus serrator)
Ruddy Duck (Oxyura jamaicensis)
Scaled Quail (Callipepla squamata)
Common Loon (Gavia immer)
Pied-billed Grebe (Podilymbus podiceps)
Eared Grebe (Podiceps nigricollis)
Western Grebe (Aechmophorus occidentalis)
Clark's Grebe (Aechmophorus clarkii)
Double-crested Cormorant (Phalacrocorax auritus)
American White Pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos)
American Bittern (Botaurus lentiginosus)
Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias)
Snowy Egret (Egretta thula)
Cattle Egret (Bubulcus ibis)
Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos)
Northern Harrier (Circus cyaneus)
American Coot (Fulica americana)
Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus)
American Avocet (Recurvirostra americana)
Spotted Sandpiper (Actitis macularius)
Least Sandpiper (Calidris minutilla)
Red Phalarope (Phalaropus fulicarius)
Bonaparte's Gull (Chroicocephalus philadelphia)
Franklin's Gull (Leucophaeus pipixcan)
Ring-billed Gull (Larus delawarensis)
Herring Gull (Larus argentatus)
Eurasian Collared-Dove (Streptopelia decaocto)
Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura)
Greater Roadrunner (Geococcyx californianus)
Belted Kingfisher (Megaceryle alcyon)
Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus)
Say's Phoebe (Sayornis saya)
Vermilion Flycatcher (Pyrocephalus rubinus)
Common Raven (Corvus corax)
Verdin (Auriparus flaviceps)
Rock Wren (Salpinctes obsoletus)
Winter Wren (Troglodytes hiemalis)
Marsh Wren (Cistothorus palustris)
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher (Polioptila caerulea)
Black-tailed Gnatcatcher (Polioptila melanura)
Golden-crowned Kinglet (Regulus satrapa)
Ruby-crowned Kinglet (Regulus calendula)
Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos)
American Pipit (Anthus rubescens)
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Setophaga coronata)
Green-tailed Towhee (Pipilo chlorurus)
Spotted Towhee (Pipilo maculatus)
Vesper Sparrow (Pooecetes gramineus)
Lark Bunting (Calamospiza melanocorys)
Savannah Sparrow (Passerculus sandwichensis)
Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia)
Lincoln's Sparrow (Melospiza lincolnii)
Swamp Sparrow (Melospiza georgiana)
White-crowned Sparrow (Zonotrichia leucophrys)
Pyrrhuloxia (Cardinalis sinuatus)
Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus)
Yellow-headed Blackbird (Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus)
Great-tailed Grackle (Quiscalus mexicanus)
House Sparrow (Passer domesticus)

***

Town highlight:
Western Scrub-Jay (Aphelocoma californica) - heard only

Cemetery, complete list:
Greater Roadrunner (Geococcyx californianus)
American Kestrel (Falco sparverius)
Common Raven (Corvus corax)
Bewick's Wren (Thryomanes bewickii)
Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos)
Curve-billed Thrasher (Toxostoma curvirostre)
Vesper Sparrow (Pooecetes gramineus)
Black-throated Sparrow (Amphispiza bilineata)
Sage Sparrow (Artemisiospiza belli)

Balmorhea mystery bird

Until Tripp is able to post further details, this is the only shot we have at the moment of an all-dark gull with pale rump at Lake Balmorhea on Saturday, October 27.

The bird on the left is a Ring-billed Gull, and the dark bird was described as slightly larger and loosely associating with them. So far it sounds like a fairly good fit for a Heermann's Gull.

***

Tripp Davenport's Flickr album - http://flic.kr/p/doyix9

Edit: as of 2 pm on Sunday, October 28, that particular dark gull (Herring/CA type) was not refound in spite of three people searching. Two sub-adult Herring Gulls, one darker than the other, were present but very un-Heermann's like. That said, I was cooped up at work, so the following list is via Cameron Carver -

**Edit by MWYork:  NO ALL DARK GULL present during our obs. Three people gave it a heck of an effort.  HOWEVER, an excellent consolation prize was the later-in-the-day presence of a 1st winter SURF SCOTER.**

Date and Effort - Sun Oct 28, 2012 9:10 AM
Protocol: Traveling
Party Size: 1
Duration: 4 hour(s)
Distance: 5.0 mile(s)
Observers: Cameron Carver

Species - 67 species (+2 other taxa) total
11 Snow Goose - Counted
50 Gadwall - Est Likely undercount
10 American Wigeon - Est
20 Northern Shoveler - Est
2 Northern Pintail
20 Green-winged Teal - Est
10 Redhead - Est
14 Lesser Scaup
1 Surf Scoter - 1st winter female. photos and video. Bird had white on the side of the head and at the base of the bill. Bill was large and "roman". Bird was seen diving a few times and later associated with diving ducks.
2 Hooded Merganser - Adult Male and female.
44 Ruddy Duck
5 Pied-billed Grebe - Est
15 Eared Grebe - Est
15 Western Grebe - Est
30 Clark's Grebe - Est
5 Double-crested Cormorant
19 American White Pelican
7 Great Blue Heron
2 Great Egret
3 Snowy Egret
1 Golden Eagle - Adult bird being harassed by Ravens on north side of lake.
4 Northern Harrier
1 Cooper's Hawk
1 Red-tailed Hawk
25 American Coot
10 Sandhill Crane - Est by sound
18 Killdeer
1 Spotted Sandpiper
4 Least Sandpiper
3 Wilson's Snipe
3 Bonaparte's Gull - At least 2 adults and 1 immature. Smudgy thumbprint on side of head and tern like behavior.
4 Franklin's Gull - Appeared to be either first winter birds, or just winter birds. Slightly bigger than BOGU with some black in head and big white crescents around eye.
30 Ring-billed Gull - est
2 Herring Gull - 2 large, mottled gulls. Much bigger than RBGU
2 Eurasian Collared-Dove
3 Mourning Dove
2 Belted Kingfisher
3 Northern Flicker
1 Prairie Falcon
1 Black Phoebe
3 Say's Phoebe
2 Vermilion Flycatcher
4 Common Raven
2 raven sp.
1 Tree Swallow
2 Barn Swallow
30 Cave Swallow - Est
2 Rock Wren
2 House Wren
5 Marsh Wren
1 Bewick's Wren
1 Northern Mockingbird
2 Curve-billed Thrasher
9 American Pipit
1 Common Yellowthroat
11 Yellow-rumped Warbler (Audubon's)
1 Green-tailed Towhee
3 Brewer's Sparrow
40 Lark Bunting
10 Savannah Sparrow
3 Song Sparrow
1 Lincoln's Sparrow
1 Swamp Sparrow
19 White-crowned Sparrow
1 Pyrrhuloxia
10 Red-winged Blackbird
1 Eastern Meadowlark
10 Eastern/Western Meadowlark
40 Great-tailed Grackle

Reeves County birding

This morning's challenge was to find a booby at our nearest large body of water. The commute to Canyon Lake to see a Brown Booby (that seems to have already left) just doesn't fit into our schedules. So we headed to Reeves County in search of water. We birded Co. Rd. 313 (noted on the list as 313) to the Sandia Springs Wetlands Project - unfortunately a total waste of time - and Lake Balmorhea (LB) before going to Balmorhea State Park (BSP).

Tricolored Heron, Lake Balmorhea

 A few 'first of season' birds were seen along with a few generally notable things - these herons were a nice surprise (at least two Tricoloreds have been around since early August), but the push of passerine migrants was what kept us on our toes. Admittedly, we did not cover every inch of the shoreline, so if there's a booby, it has evaded us until next time.

Young Yellow-crowned Night Heron at Balmorhea State Park.

Date: Sep 5, 2012
Species: 59

Locations:
Balmorhea State Park (FWTX 19) (BSP)
Lake Balmorhea (FWTX 20) (LB) <- most birds at LB, unless otherwise noted
Reeves Co - Co Rd 313 (313)

Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos)
Blue-winged Teal (Anas discors) 10
Northern Shoveler (Anas clypeata) 3
duck sp. (Anatinae sp.)
Western Grebe (Aechmophorus occidentalis) 4
Clark's Grebe (Aechmophorus clarkii) 30
Western/Clark's Grebe (Aechmophorus occidentalis/clarkii) 10
Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias)
Tricolored Heron (Egretta tricolor) 2
Yellow-crowned Night-Heron (Nyctanassa violacea) 1 (BSP)
Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura)
Osprey (Pandion haliaetus) 1
American Coot (Fulica americana)
Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus)
Black-necked Stilt (Himantopus mexicanus) 5
Spotted Sandpiper (Actitis macularius) 1
Greater Yellowlegs (Tringa melanoleuca) 14
Ring-billed Gull (Larus delawarensis) 1
Forster's Tern (Sterna forsteri) 2
Eurasian Collared-Dove (Streptopelia decaocto)
White-winged Dove (Zenaida asiatica)
Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura)
Inca Dove (Columbina inca) 1 (BSP)
Belted Kingfisher (Megaceryle alcyon) 2
Ladder-backed Woodpecker (Picoides scalaris) 1
Olive-sided Flycatcher (Contopus cooperi) 1
Western Wood-Pewee (Contopus sordidulus) 4 (BSP)
Least Flycatcher (Empidonax minimus) 1 (BSP)
Empidonax sp. (Empidonax sp.) 2 (BSP)
Black Phoebe (Sayornis nigricans) 1 (BSP)
Say's Phoebe (Sayornis saya)
Western Kingbird (Tyrannus verticalis) 4
Scissor-tailed Flycatcher (Tyrannus forficatus) 7
Loggerhead Shrike (Lanius ludovicianus) 2
Warbling Vireo (Vireo gilvus) 1 (BSP)
Common Raven (Corvus corax) 2 (BSP)
Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica) 40
Cave Swallow (Petrochelidon fulva) 3
Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos)
European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris)
Orange-crowned Warbler (Oreothlypis celata) 1 (BSP)
Yellow Warbler (Setophaga petechia) 2
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Setophaga coronata) 6
Townsend's Warbler (Setophaga townsendi) 3 (BSP)
Wilson's Warbler (Cardellina pusilla) 2 (BSP)
Lark Sparrow (Chondestes grammacus) 2
Lark Bunting (Calamospiza melanocorys) 1
sparrow sp. (Emberizidae sp. (sparrow sp.))
Western Tanager (Piranga ludoviciana) 1 (BSP)
Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) 2 (BSP)
Painted Bunting (Passerina ciris) 1
Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus)
Eastern/Western Meadowlark (Sturnella megna/neglecta)
Yellow-headed Blackbird (Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus) 300 (313)
Great-tailed Grackle (Quiscalus mexicanus)
Brown-headed Cowbird (Molothrus ater)
Bullock's Oriole (Icterus bullockii) 2 (BSP)
House Finch (Haemorhous mexicanus)
House Sparrow (Passer domesticus)

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

Post Park, 1 July 2012

Unless things were heard only, almost everything was carrying food or nesting material!

2 Wild Turkey Meleagris gallopavo heard only
15 Turkey Vulture Cathartes aura
2 American Coot Fulica americana
2 Eurasian Collared-Dove Streptopelia decaocto
10 White-winged Dove Zenaida asiatica
2 Mourning Dove Zenaida macroura
2 Yellow-billed Cuckoo Coccyzus americanus
1 Common Nighthawk Chordeiles minor
1 hummingbird sp. Trochilidae sp.
6 Golden-fronted Woodpecker Melanerpes aurifrons
2 Ladder-backed Woodpecker Picoides scalaris
8 Vermilion Flycatcher Pyrocephalus rubinus
1 Ash-throated Flycatcher Myiarchus cinerascens
12 Western Kingbird Tyrannus verticalis
4 Bell's Vireo Vireo bellii
12 Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica
4 Cave Swallow Petrochelidon fulva
6 Northern Mockingbird Mimus polyglottos
4 European Starling Sturnus vulgaris
3 Yellow-breasted Chat Icteria virens
2 Summer Tanager Piranga rubra
7 Blue Grosbeak Passerina caerulea
3 Painted Bunting Passerina ciris
6 Red-winged Blackbird Agelaius phoeniceus
6 Great-tailed Grackle Quiscalus mexicanus
4 Bronzed Cowbird Molothrus aeneus
2 Brown-headed Cowbird Molothrus ater
8 Orchard Oriole Icterus spurius
1 House Finch Carpodacus mexicanus

28 species

...very low diversity, but for the morning after a dance, not bad!

5 May 2012 sightings

I managed to make it out of the house with neither point-and-shoot nor 'real' camera with me, couldn't find a notebook so an envelope had to do... cell battery was half gone and the park was full of people and an off-leash dog. All things considered, six birders from Houston took it in stride and still managed to find some goodies. Butterflies for the day included most of the usual suspects (Monarch, Queen, Red Admiral, Checkered White, Variegated Fritillary) and First of Season American Lady as well as West Coast Lady. The latter two were puddling upstream of the fence in what was left of some vegetation after some feral hogs left their mark.

Post Park:

20 Turkey Vulture Cathartes aura
2 American Coot Fulica americana - heard only
2 Eurasian Collared-Dove Streptopelia decaocto
6 White-winged Dove Zenaida asiatica
2 Mourning Dove Zenaida macroura
2 Black-chinned Hummingbird Archilochus alexandri
4 Golden-fronted Woodpecker Melanerpes aurifrons
6 Vermilion Flycatcher Pyrocephalus rubinus
1 Ash-throated Flycatcher Myiarchus cinerascens
8 Western Kingbird Tyrannus verticalis
4 Bell's Vireo Vireo bellii
4 Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica
2 Cactus Wren Campylorhynchus brunneicapillus - heard only
1 Ruby-crowned Kinglet Regulus calendula
2 Northern Mockingbird Mimus polyglottos
1 Curve-billed Thrasher Toxostoma curvirostre
1 Cedar Waxwing Bombycilla cedrorum
2 Yellow Warbler Setophaga petechia - heard only
1 Canyon Towhee Melozone fusca
5 Summer Tanager Piranga rubra
1 Western Tanager Piranga ludoviciana
1 Northern Cardinal Cardinalis cardinalis
6 Red-winged Blackbird Agelaius phoeniceus
1 Yellow-headed Blackbird Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus
2 Bronzed Cowbird Molothrus aeneus - male displaying
5 Brown-headed Cowbird Molothrus ater
10 Orchard Oriole Icterus spurius
4 House Finch Carpodacus mexicanus

First of season Desert Ironclad Beetle also made an appearance - they are wrinkly looking creatures that tend to startle into a faux death pose fairly easily.

To make up for lack of photos from today, here are some relevant bits from a our other blog, SeeTrail, about desert ironclad beetles. (2010)



Desert Ironclad Beetle, Genus:  Zopherus Omorgus.




After Post, I headed a few miles west to the Hwy 90 tank:

2 Mallard Anas platyrhynchos
2 Mallard (Mexican) Anas platyrhynchos diazi
1 Cinnamon Teal Anas cyanoptera
2 Wilson's Phalarope Phalaropus tricolor
1 Mourning Dove Zenaida macroura
1 Blue Grosbeak Passerina caerulea
1 Indigo Bunting Passerina cyanea
1 Painted Bunting Passerina ciris
2 meadowlark sp. Sturnella sp.
1 Bullock's Oriole Icterus bullockii

Brewster Co. Golden-winged Warbler

1 Golden-winged Warbler Vermivora chrysoptera

I found a dead male in my backyard today (May 15, 2011). I'm fairly certain that it hit a window and died. I did not see that, however. This seems to be a rather unusual siting. I have the bird in my freezer. I am going to donate it to Sul Ross State University (here in Alpine) to be incorporated into their vertebrate collection....unless, there is a more important suggestion.

***

The above notes are from an eBird entry by a resident of Alpine, TX. May 15, 2011 is not a typo.

On Monday, April 30 (2012), I was visiting with a professor from Sul Ross and the topic of dead birds came up. Not unusual, perhaps, but the excitement with which the topic was introduced certainly was. A few lovely specimens, mostly roadkill, were discussed - American Kestrel, Say's Phoebe, female Painted Bunting. And one Golden-winged Warbler. By nature, it is required that Eastern warbler ID be treated with skepticism. But, pass the zip-loc, please:

Adult male Golden-winged Warbler. Indeed.

Wow. That is a very Golden-winged Warbler.  And it's really not supposed to be here:



(via allaboutbirds.org)

So with great curiosity, and recalling last year's MASSIVE wave of emaciated creatures, I flipped the bird over for further inspection. Window-kill, as it was introduced to me, quickly proved otherwise. Emaciated, the bird was not. In fact, it had so much breast muscle and fat that it qualified as the healthiest dead bird of the last calendar year for this region (from our freezer's perspective). Unfortunately, a broken wing and a mangled leg indicated that if the bird struck a window, it was then finished off by a cat. One indoor/outdoor pet cat was confirmed.

For last year's drought related bird posts, see also:
The drying, the drought
In the meantime, pictures 

One healthy bird that should have made it. Did not. I'm hoping it will go to TAMU, but it will ultimately be up to Sul Ross State University faculty and friends...

Migration in action

This week's list is brought to you by the letter "T" for "turnover" - daily fluctuations in local numbers indicate that some birds are on territory and many others are still just passing through. "First of season" birds are indicated in bold. First "red racer" (western coachwhip) of the season was on Post Road, as well.

Post Park 8:30-9:45 AM

28 Turkey Vulture Cathartes aura
2 American Coot Fulica americana
2 Eurasian Collared-Dove Streptopelia decaocto
15 White-winged Dove Zenaida asiatica
3 Mourning Dove Zenaida macroura
2 Black-chinned Hummingbird Archilochus alexandri
5 Golden-fronted Woodpecker Melanerpes aurifrons
2 Ladder-backed Woodpecker Picoides scalaris
1 Say's Phoebe Sayornis saya
10 Vermilion Flycatcher Pyrocephalus rubinus
2 Ash-throated Flycatcher Myiarchus cinerascens
4 Couch's Kingbird Tyrannus couchii 
6 Western Kingbird Tyrannus verticalis
5 Bell's Vireo Vireo bellii
1 Plumbeous Vireo Vireo plumbeus
1 Northern Rough-winged Swallow Stelgidopteryx serripennis
8 Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica
1 Cliff Swallow Petrochelidon pyrrhonota 
4 Cave Swallow Petrochelidon fulva
3 Cactus Wren Campylorhynchus brunneicapillus
1 Marsh Wren Cistothorus palustris - heard only
2 Northern Mockingbird Mimus polyglottos
2 Curve-billed Thrasher Toxostoma curvirostre
2 Common Yellowthroat Geothlypis trichas
2 Yellow Warbler Setophaga petechia
1 Hermit Warbler Setophaga occidentalis

5 Wilson's Warbler Cardellina pusilla
2 Green-tailed Towhee Pipilo chlorurus
6 Canyon Towhee Melozone fusca
1 Cassin's Sparrow Peucaea cassinii - heard only
3 Chipping Sparrow Spizella passerina
5 Brewer's Sparrow Spizella breweri
1 Lark Sparrow Chondestes grammacus
1 Black-throated Sparrow Amphispiza bilineata - heard only
1 Lincoln's Sparrow Melospiza lincolnii
3 Summer Tanager Piranga rubra
2 Northern Cardinal Cardinalis cardinalis
2 Blue Grosbeak Passerina caerulea
1 Indigo Bunting Passerina cyanea
4 Red-winged Blackbird Agelaius phoeniceus
10 Brown-headed Cowbird Molothrus ater
5 Orchard Oriole Icterus spurius
2 House Finch Carpodacus mexicanus

43 species total

Hermit Warbler

Gage Gardens 10:30-11:30 am (heat of the day and four people with an unleashed dog)

3 Turkey Vulture Cathartes aura
1 Spotted Sandpiper Actitis macularius
2 Rock Pigeon Columba livia
2 Eurasian Collared-Dove Streptopelia decaocto
6 White-winged Dove Zenaida asiatica
1 Mourning Dove Zenaida macroura
3 Black-chinned Hummingbird Archilochus alexandri
1 Say's Phoebe Sayornis saya
3 Vermilion Flycatcher Pyrocephalus rubinus
2 Cassin's Kingbird Tyrannus vociferans 
3 Western Kingbird Tyrannus verticalis
1 Bell's Vireo Vireo bellii
1 Bank Swallow Riparia riparia
10 Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica
4 Cave Swallow Petrochelidon fulva
1 Bewick's Wren Thryomanes bewickii
2 Northern Mockingbird Mimus polyglottos
6 European Starling Sturnus vulgaris
8 American Pipit Anthus rubescens
4 Wilson's Warbler Cardellina pusilla
1 Chipping Sparrow Spizella passerina
2 Savannah Sparrow Passerculus sandwichensis
3 White-crowned Sparrow Zonotrichia leucophrys
4 Great-tailed Grackle Quiscalus mexicanus
20 Brown-headed Cowbird Molothrus ater
5 House Finch Carpodacus mexicanus
20 House Sparrow Passer domesticus

27 species total


Compare to yesterday's highlights (incomplete list from the evening):

7 Blue-winged Teal Anas discors
1 Spotted Sandpiper Actitis macularius 
1 Upland Sandpiper Bartramia longicauda 
3 Black-chinned Hummingbird Archilochus alexandri
4 Western Kingbird Tyrannus verticalis
1 Bell's Vireo Vireo bellii
15 Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica
5 Cave Swallow Petrochelidon fulva
1 Ruby-crowned Kinglet Regulus calendula
2 Northern Waterthrush Parkesia noveboracensis - thinly striped/spotted throat. Narrow supercilium from front to back
1 Yellow Warbler Setophaga petechia
5 Wilson's Warbler Cardellina pusilla
3 White-crowned Sparrow Zonotrichia leucophrys
2 Orchard Oriole Icterus spurius
1 Lesser Goldfinch Spinus psaltria

15 species total


Just for future reference, a tank (stock pond) ~5 miles west of town has held water since the last rain and today was the first day that there were no birds on it at all. It is drying slightly, but that didn't stop it from intermittently holding, in chronological order: 8 American Avocents, 1 Wilson's Phalarope, 2 "real" Mallards, 2 Mexican Mallards, 7 Blue-winged Teal, 1 'peep' and a good variety of loitering passerines.

Post Park and dark morph Swainson's!

In most of our adventures, we see 'normal' birds. It does stand to reason, however, that the more you get out, the more strange stuff you see. Today was the day for a dark morph Swainson's Hawk, just a fraction of a mile outside of Post Park.



















Our first view of the bird, thanks to the overcast sky, was a dark lump. The yellow 'cere' around the beak, however, meant that it was either Common Black Hawk, Zone-tailed Hawk, or a dark morph of the Red-tailed, Rough-legged, Ferruginous or... nah, dark Swainson's Hawks don't exist. But it's not Ferruginous due to size - it's nowhere near the massive bulk of a Ferrug.
















There's the top of the tail - enough fine barring and uniform color to rule out Zone-tailed and Common Black. The bird is not dainty enough for Rough-legged and from this angle we can see that it is indeed, not Rough-legged.













Even a dark morph Red-tail should have a different tail color by now, at least more contrasty than this... but it's the next angle that won't win any awards, but at least adds a significant field mark to the list of things seen on a dark morph Swainson's...




















Yep. That view, right there.

According to Sibley (Western, oddly enough not mentioned in Big Sibley), "Dark morph uncommon; only about 10 percent of population." And a line later, "Even darkest birds have light under-tail coverts." Voila. Yet, for the sake of discussion, it would be fantastic to hear from those more fluent in dark morph raptors - especially Swainson's. This was a first for us, and quite an adventure!

Today's summary otherwise -

From the yard:
15 Yellow-headed Blackbird Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus

On Post Road:
1 Swainson's Hawk Buteo swainsoni - DARK MORPH
1 Cooper's Hawk Accipiter cooperi

Post Park species list:
1 Mallard (Mexican) Anas platyrhynchos diazi - fly by
1 Great Blue Heron Ardea herodias
1 Green Heron Butorides virescens - FOS
20 Turkey Vulture Cathartes aura
3 American Coot Fulica americana - one carrying veg
3 Eurasian Collared-Dove Streptopelia decaocto
10 White-winged Dove Zenaida asiatica
15 Mourning Dove Zenaida macroura
5 Black-chinned Hummingbird Archilochus alexandri - one female's nest is now complete
1 Belted Kingfisher Megaceryle alcyon
8 Golden-fronted Woodpecker Melanerpes aurifrons
2 Ladder-backed Woodpecker Picoides scalaris
10 Vermilion Flycatcher Pyrocephalus rubinus
2 Ash-throated Flycatcher Myiarchus cinerascens
1 Bell's Vireo Vireo bellii
8 Violet-green Swallow Tachycineta thalassina
8 Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica
4 Cave Swallow Petrochelidon fulva
1 Cactus Wren Campylorhynchus brunneicapillus
4 Marsh Wren Cistothorus palustris
1 European Starling Sturnus vulgaris
1 Spotted Towhee Pipilo maculatus
2 Canyon Towhee Melozone fusca
8 Chipping Sparrow Spizella passerina
3 Black-throated Sparrow Amphispiza bilineata
2 Lincoln's Sparrow Melospiza lincolnii
6 White-crowned Sparrow Zonotrichia leucophrys
2 Northern Cardinal Cardinalis cardinalis
3 Pyrrhuloxia Cardinalis sinuatus
10 Red-winged Blackbird Agelaius phoeniceus
8 House Finch Carpodacus mexicanus

31 species