The Texas Birding List

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Recent Postings from
The Texas Birding List

Updated on Thursday, September 2 at 11:12 AM ET
The most recently received Mail is at the top.

2 Sep Mississippi Kite, Bell Co. [Kenneth Williams ]
2 Sep Corpus Christi Hawkwatch [Patty Waits Beasley ]
2 Sep Temple Short-billed Dowitchers [David Pinkston ]
2 Sep Alaska 2011 trip--May 28 to June 12 [Jim Hailey ]
2 Sep 9-2-10 White-crowned Sparrow @ Warbler Woods with pictures [Warbler woods ]
2 Sep Migrants [Carolyn ]
2 Sep Uvalde County Field Trip Sunday AM Neal's []
1 Sep Hidalgo Co.: Llano Grande flood channel AND Progreso sod fields [Rex Stanford ]
1 Sep McKinney Banding Report [judy ]
1 Sep Request input on Empidonax Flycatcher [Sheridan Coffey ]
1 Sep Re: Pileated Woodpecker-Friendswood [Jack Coker ]
1 Sep Davy Crockett National Forest - Sept 2011 [Gary Hunter ]
1 Sep Crested Caracara in Collin County [Janice Lynn ]
1 Sep Re: Pileated Woodpecker-Friendswood []
1 Sep 9-1-10 Two Mourning Warblers @ WW [Warbler woods ]
1 Sep Llano Grande flood channel, 9/1/10 [Dan Jones ]
1 Sep Re: Dallas Blue-winged Warbler ["Cole, Lisa" ]
1 Sep Bell-Coryell-Lampasas counties August birding summary [Rich Kostecke ]
1 Sep Dallas Blue-winged Warbler [Chris Runk ]
1 Sep BioBlitz at Jones Park ["Abernathy, Sheena" ]
1 Sep Re: Pileated Woodpecker-Friendswood [Don Richardson ]
1 Sep Re: Pileated Woodpecker-Friendswood [David McDonald ]
31 Aug Laredo Birds August 2010 [Carlos Escamilla ]
31 Aug Odd Chimney Swifts []
31 Aug Re: Pileated Woodpecker-Friendswood ["Gerald W. Little" ]
31 Aug Tuesday morning birding group, Hagerman NWR [Jack Chiles ]
31 Aug Sonora Birds [Eaton Hill Wildlife ]
31 Aug 8-31-10 Nashville w pictures @ warbler woods [Warbler woods ]
31 Aug Re: Ruby-throats/Chimney Swifts/Barn Swallows 8/29/10 and an owlfly too [Dan Jones ]
31 Aug Ruby-throats/Chimney Swifts/Barn Swallows 8/29/10 and an owlfly too ["Raul Garza Jr." ]
31 Aug Need migration observers to sit in shade [Warbler woods ]
31 Aug Re: Orange-crowned Warblers [Warbler woods ]
31 Aug Re: Orange-crowned Warblers [Warbler woods ]
31 Aug Orange-crowned Warblers []
31 Aug Peregrine Falcon mlk blvd - Beaumont TX [Cody Conway ]
31 Aug 28 shorebird species in Corpus over weekend []
30 Aug Frontera Audubon Thicket, 8/30/10 [Dan Jones ]
30 Aug 8-30-10 >15 Bobwhite @ Warbler Woods [Susan Schaezler ]
30 Aug Smith Point Hawk Watch, 30 Aug. [John Arvin ]
30 Aug Re: Hummingbird- possible Allen's [John Arvin ]
30 Aug Rufous Hummingbird, adult male, stunning ["Collins, Fred (Commissioner Pct. 3)" ]
30 Aug Hummingbird- possible Allen's [Greg Page ]
30 Aug Pileated Woodpecker-Friendswood []
30 Aug Buff-breasted Sandpiper at Junction [Rhandy Helton ]
30 Aug Houston Hummingbirds (8/30) [James Hinson ]
30 Aug Estero Llano Grande SP WBC (Weslaco)(LTC 054) , 8/29/10 [Tim Brush ]
30 Aug Lark Sparrows [Carolyn ]
30 Aug Willowbrook Mall Purple Martins - More birds [Charmaine Ganson ]
29 Aug Falcon State Park - 8.29.2010 [James Wheat ]
29 Aug Re: Black-capped Vireo reported from Lubbock County [Cameron Carver ]
30 Aug Fwd: texasbirds.org: Ornithological Schools In Texas []
30 Aug FW: Nighthawk [Sandi Wheeler ]
30 Aug NW Austin birds [Mikael Behrens ]
29 Aug San Antonio Audubon phone message for August 29 2010 [Georgina Schwartz ]
29 Aug Black-capped Vireo reported from Lubbock County [Anthony Hewetson ]
29 Aug 8-29-10 Migrants @ Warbler Woods [Susan Schaezler ]
29 Aug Resaca de la Palma State Park 8/28/10 [Gilberto Hernandez ]
29 Aug Highlights from southwest of Lubbock today [Anthony Hewetson ]
29 Aug raptors, shorebirds and others in NE Texas this weekend [peter barnes ]
29 Aug Making it to 200 in Yoakum County [Anthony Hewetson ]
29 Aug SPHW, past week [John Arvin ]
29 Aug Swifts Over Houston - Bellaire Swift Night Out - 8/31/10 [Pam Smolen ]
29 Aug Re: Please check out this Oporornis [Susan Schaezler ]
29 Aug Polliwog Ponds []
29 Aug Re: Please check out this Oporornis [Brush Freeman ]
29 Aug Marathon area + owl notes [H T ]
28 Aug Re: Female First Winter Mourning Warbler ?? [Mitch ]
28 Aug Female First Winter Mourning Warbler ?? [Lee Pasquali ]
28 Aug 8-28-10 Nashville, Mourning, Wilsons, Am. Goldfinch @ Warbler Woods [Warbler woods ]
28 Aug Smith point migrant pictures from Wednesday [Joseph Kennedy ]
28 Aug Re: Please check out this Oporornis [Susan Schaezler ]
28 Aug Choke Canyon St Park [Sonny & Iris Bratz ]
28 Aug Re: Please check out this Oporornis [Arlie and Mel Cooksey ]
28 Aug Old Port Isabel Rd & SPI []
28 Aug High Island 8-28-10 [Greg Page ]
28 Aug Davis Mountains San Antonio Audubon Field Trip August 19-22 [Sheridan Coffey ]

Subject: Mississippi Kite, Bell Co.
From: Kenneth Williams <birder124247 AT YAHOO.COM>
Date: Thu, 2 Sep 2010 08:53:59 -0700

Hi, Had a single Mississippi Kite at the Old Maxdale bridge sitting on a snag this morning. The local Red-shouldered Hawk came nearby to tell the Kite this was his territory. This is off Maxdale Rd south of Killeen. Kenneth Williams Austin Sent from my iPhone TEXBIRDS help file and Texas birding links at: http://moonmountaingroup.com/texbirds
Subject: Corpus Christi Hawkwatch
From: Patty Waits Beasley <hawks AT CCBIRDING.COM>
Date: Thu, 2 Sep 2010 09:47:58 -0500

Just a reminder ... the fall hawkwatch season is in full swing and the raptors are winging overhead! This season, we're trying something new. Instead of posting daily reports to all listservs, daily reports for the Corpus Christi Hawkwatch are being posted only to the Texas Hawk Watches site, as we've done for many years. Reports for the current season and past seasons are available for review, any time. Cruise on over and see what's flying over our slice of Texas! Go to: www.ccbirding.com/thw and click on the broadwing to go to the current season section. Archives can be accessed by scrolling further down the page. Keep your eyes to the skies and come see us! The 2010 Celebration of Flight will be held September 24-26 and has tons of goodies for all ages, including field trips and live raptor presentations with our good friends from the Last Chance, Forever Raptor Conservancy. Brian Wheeler will be a special guest you won't want to miss, along with our traditional Native American Blessing Ceremony; the only watch in the country to combine Native honors with hawkwatchers passions. See you on the Hill! -- cheers, Patty TEXBIRDS help file and Texas birding links at: http://moonmountaingroup.com/texbirds
Subject: Temple Short-billed Dowitchers
From: David Pinkston <drpinkston AT SBCGLOBAL.NET>
Date: Thu, 2 Sep 2010 07:40:11 -0700

three bright juvenile short-bills this morning at the Slough property lake in Temple. both birds were very cooperative in allowing extended views from <50 feet, showing heavily marked bright cinnamon upperparts, including tertials. no camera...aaargh!! diagnostic calls were unmistakable when they ultimately flushed. All my Bell County records for juvenile Short-billed Dowitcher (grand total of three records over 16+ years) have been observed between 2 and 6 Sept. this week is obviously the window of opportunity for these birds in central TX. Randy Pinkston Temple, Bell County TEXBIRDS help file and Texas birding links at: http://moonmountaingroup.com/texbirds
Subject: Alaska 2011 trip--May 28 to June 12
From: Jim Hailey <irasciblej AT GMAIL.COM>
Date: Thu, 2 Sep 2010 09:16:27 -0500

I will be travelling to Australia and New Zealand on October 8 and will not return to the US until December 5. You will still be able to contact me via the internet but it may be more sporadic. Below are some of the particulars for the trip to Alaska next year. Since I will be away much of the fall I wanted to take this opportunity to allow people to get their place on this annual sell out TOS trip. Cost: same as the last two years $3350.00 which doesn't include transportation to/from Anchorage, meals, lodging and incidentals. It does include cost of all transportation within Alaska, pelagic trip, guide and admission fees. We will begin our Alaska adventure with a meeting on the 28th in the lobby of the Puffin Inn at 6 PM. The next two days will be spent in the Anchorage Basin checking out the hotspots before flying to Nome for four days of hard core birding. When we leave Nome this year we will travel directly to Barrow for two days of high arctic birding before returning to Anchorage. Upon our return we will spend another day in the Anchorage area and then travel to Seward for a day of pelagic birding, then spend the night and do some birding on the Kenai Peninsula. From here we will head back to Anchorage before leaving for our final leg and a 3 day excursion into the heart of Alaska and bird the breathtakingly beautiful Denali wilderness highway. This trip is limited to a maximum of 14 and must have a minimum of 8. To reserve your spot please send a $350.00 deposit made out to Jim Hailey at the address below. Your deposit is fully refundable up to December 15, 2010. Beginning January 1, 2011 the remaining $3000.00 can be paid in three installments of $1,000.00 over a three month period. Currently I am holding places for 7 people who have indicated they want to participate, so if you want to go on this great adventure I suggest you grab your spot quickly. This trip has usually been full by the end of October in all past years. On our trip you can expect to see birds, wildlife and magnificent scenery. Special birds include all four eider species, snowy owl, possibly all 5 loon species, bristle-thighed curlew, bar-tailed godwit, Smith's longspur, ruff, two phalaropes, Arctic warbler, swans, Bluethroat, goldeneyes, murrelets, auklets, puffins, falcons, hawks and owls, gulls and much more, all in their breeding dress and performing breeding displays. Mammals include, whales, dolphins, musk oxen, foxes, hares, caribou, reindeer, bear, moose, sea lions, sea otter, beaver, and more. And the breathtaking scenery of the Kenai Fjord National Wildlife Refuge, the magnificent Alaska range with Mt. Denali and the endless tundra and frozen arctic ocean in Barrow. To hold your spot please send your deposit to: Jim Hailey VP--Texas Ornithological Society Field Trip Chairman & Field Trip Leader 110 Lavaca Lane Georgetown, TX 78628 Home: 512-591-7616 Cell: 361-522-3522 mailto: irasciblej AT gmail.com TEXBIRDS help file and Texas birding links at: http://moonmountaingroup.com/texbirds
Subject: 9-2-10 White-crowned Sparrow @ Warbler Woods with pictures
From: Warbler woods <warblerwoods AT GMAIL.COM>
Date: Thu, 2 Sep 2010 09:06:28 -0500

9-2-10 White-crowned Sparrow AT Warbler Woods with pictures Truly amazing Susan Schaezler WarblerWoods.com Cibolo/Schertz Sent from my iPad TEXBIRDS help file and Texas birding links at: http://moonmountaingroup.com/texbirds
Subject: Migrants
From: Carolyn <cstallwitz AT WINDSTREAM.NET>
Date: Thu, 2 Sep 2010 08:59:47 -0500

Late yesterday I had at least 3 warblers, male & female Wilsons and probably a Yellow, at my water in and out several times just befrore dusk. Beautiful birds! Also had a possible Olive-sised Flycatcher...light was bad and I couldn't tell any color, etc. There has been, for at least 4 years, an area in town (Dumas) about a block in size on Normandy St., that is a nightly roost for our area vultures. Needless to say some of the residents are not happy about it....because of the mess they are making. There are anywhere from 10 to 25 TVs come in every night to sleep. In the mornings around 9 a.m. after their wings have dried from the dew, they take to the air and circle the area, joined by the Mississippi Kites in town...they just ride the thermals for 20 to 45 minutes and then drift off in all directions to take care of their business, the TVs to the countryside and MKs stay over town. Yesterday a.m. I happened to be in the area early (in the NE part of town and I rarely visit that area early) and counted 7 TVs and 13 MKs. This was not all the kites we have in town....my estimate of total kites is around 28 to 30. Sorry I not reported this before....since I'm not over dthere very much, I just don't think about it. Why the TVs have picked that area...???who knows. It's interesting to go in the late afternoon and watch them circle and come in to roost, at least some of the resident think it's neat! Carolyn Stallwitz On the farm 4 miles southwest of Dumas, Moore County, 50 Miles north of Amarillo TEXBIRDS help file and Texas birding links at: http://moonmountaingroup.com/texbirds in the Texas Panhandle.
Subject: Uvalde County Field Trip Sunday AM Neal's
From: bobolink AT STX.RR.COM
Date: Thu, 2 Sep 2010 13:05:28 +0000

I will be leading a field trip starting at Neal's Lodges store on Sunday morning...8am...River walk the Frio...Reagan Wells Hummingbird and Cook's Slough if time permits...County Birding and Bugging is great year-round. http://www.pbase.com/bobsnature/uvaldecountyfieldtrip&page=all Bob Rasa Uvalde (830) 279-4416 TEXBIRDS help file and Texas birding links at: http://moonmountaingroup.com/texbirds
Subject: Hidalgo Co.: Llano Grande flood channel AND Progreso sod fields
From: Rex Stanford <calidris AT MINDSPRING.COM>
Date: Wed, 1 Sep 2010 22:30:53 -0500

We, like Dan Jones, birded the Llano Grande flood channel today (09/01/10). Dan earlier today supplied information on where the entry point is located for the road along the flood channel and information on the conditions of the road, so we will not repeat that here.) Our visit to the Llano was in the early afternoon, but later in the afternoon we birded the Progreso sod fields (from the dirt road east of the irrigation canal that is on the east side of the major sod fields and that begins on the north side of US-281 a short distance west of the paved Sky Soldiers road). (Unauthorized vehicles and individuals should not enter the "no trespassing" sod field roads to the west of there.). We were pleased to be joined today by two very sharp-eyed visiting birders from California, Linda LeRoy and Al Moreno. LLANO GRANDE: Our personal highlights (plus a few others) were SOLITARY SANDPIPER (3 visiting, but arriving separately, at a very small shallow-water area with some spare vegetation along side the road and above the major flood channel); LEAST SANDPIPER (1, same wet area), SPOTTED SANDPIPER (1, same wet area); SANDERLING (1, same area, still showing some faint traces of breeding rusty color on the head and in the dense dark markings on the breast ); KILLDEER (3, at least, not considered "highlights," but listed for completeness relative to this useful little watery spot); BLACK-NECKED STILT (3, near west end); BLACK-BELLIED WHISTLING DUCK (dozens, widely spread, but, near the western end of our trip on the Llano, 2 parents were seen accompanying several tiny, very downy, strongly marked youngsters); YELLOW-CROWNED NIGHT HERON (6, 2 of which were juveniles, seen on the Llano not far from the western end of the road); and WHITE PELICAN (1, western end). PROGRESO SOD FIELDS: The unquestioned highlight of this visit, for us, was a total of 19 UPLAND SANDPIPERS. They were widely dispersed on the west side of the north-south dirt road with the exception of a single individual, who wandered alone on its east side. These birds could not, by any stretch of the imagination be said to be "flocking" together, at least as they fed, for only a handful wandered in reasonably close proximity to each other, but all seemed to wander about contentedly gobbling up food items. We carefully scanned all the areas, and all four of us verified each of these birds, with special attention to those on the distant western areas of the fields, to ensure correct identification. In the field on the west side at the north end of the dirt road--just before it ascended the levee--we found, in addition to a final "uppie," at least 3 LONG-BILLED CURLEWS. In the first major field on the right (east) side of the road after we had entered it, Al spotted a LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE, a nice surprise. Most of us also saw a WHITE-TAILED KITE that seemed bent on harassment of a PURPLE MARTIN (several of which patrolled the area). A single LARK SPARROW was seen by some of us, and EASTERN MEADOWLARK was present at many locales, sometimes seeming to pose as "uppies" when they faced away from us--and we were facing the sun--and had their necks outstretched. Their short-legged waddling ambulation through the grass quickly, though, gave them away, even when they did not turn about to face us, as did, sooner or later, their small size. We would have enjoyed, but did not hear, their lovely song. We were very intent on finding Buff-breasted Sandpiper in the sod fields, but we had no luck with that species today. Hey, Dan, we wish you could have persuaded some of those "upper-crust buffies" who prefer to hang out at golf courses to share at least some of their avian wealth with the more proletarian sod fields. Even one or two could have made it a very special day for our birding friends from California, who seldom get to see these baby-faced, high-stepping, golden-legged, little cuties. But congratulations on your very nice find! Best wishes to all for great September birding, Rex & Birgit Stanford McAllen, TX TEXBIRDS help file and Texas birding links at: http://moonmountaingroup.com/texbirds
Subject: McKinney Banding Report
From: judy <judy AT WORD-WORKS.COM>
Date: Wed, 1 Sep 2010 20:51:00 -0500

The Heard Natural Science Museum and Wildlife Sanctuary, McKinney, TX Bird Banding & Census Report Wednesday, Sept 1, 2010 Banding Team: Bob, Craig, Denise, Judy, Karen & Tom Total species banded - 6 Total birds banded - 10 Traill's Flycatcher - 5 Least Flycatcher - 1 Black-and-white Warbler - 1 Wilson's Warbler - 1 Northern Mockingbird - 1 Carolina Wren - 1 --------------------------- Total species recaptured - 1 Total birds recaptured - 1 Carolina Wren - 1 ( Banded 5/5/2010, nest box baby! ) Tom Heath ************************ Judy Woods 3216 Washington St., Greenville, TX 75401 903-455-7232 Fax: 903-454-8707 www.word-works.com TEXBIRDS help file and Texas birding links at: http://moonmountaingroup.com/texbirds
Subject: Request input on Empidonax Flycatcher
From: Sheridan Coffey <sngcanary AT YAHOO.COM>
Date: Wed, 1 Sep 2010 18:35:23 -0700

Dear all, I was at Dog Canyon in Guadalupe National Park last week. I photographed this empid and would welcome some input on it. I have an idea of what I think it is, but, as you all know empids are tough. Please do not feel obligated to comment if you are not experienced with empids. This shot shows the size and color of the bill fairly well http://www.flickr.com/photos/sngcanary/4950168612/in/photostream/ This shot illustrates the eye ring well http://www.flickr.com/photos/sngcanary/4949575813/in/photostream/ Unfortunately I do not have a picture showing the primary extension. I also wanted to mention that I had a Juniper Titmouse near the headquarters at Dog Canyon. I was very happy to get this species for Texas, finally. I have checked at Frijole Ranch, the traditional place for this species without luck in the past. Sheridan Coffey San Antonio, Tx http://sngcanary1.blogspot.com/ www.flickr.com/sngcanary TEXBIRDS help file and Texas birding links at: http://moonmountaingroup.com/texbirds
Subject: Re: Pileated Woodpecker-Friendswood
From: Jack Coker <lorellpeace AT GMAIL.COM>
Date: Wed, 1 Sep 2010 18:59:32 -0500

I haven't had them in the yard, but I see them at Cullinan Park over on Hwy 6 by the airport. Jack Coker Sugar Land On Wed, Sep 1, 2010 at 1:00 PM, wrote: > I see and/or hear them on every visit, at least twice a week, to my > daughter's home on Mary's Creek in Friendswood . I am always thrilled and > comforted to know they are still thriving in the area! > > Stennie Meadours > San Leon, Tx. > > > In a message dated 9/1/2010 11:02:46 A.M. Central Daylight Time, > donrich514 AT SBCGLOBAL.NET writes: > > And I've seen them in Pearland (West of Friendswood) and in Franco Lee > Park > (North). Looks like we've gothca surrounded. > Don Richardson > Pearland Texas > > > > > ________________________________ > From: Gerald W. Little > To: texbirds AT LISTS.TEXBIRDS.ORG > Sent: Tue, August 31, 2010 9:29:52 PM > Subject: Re: [texbirds] Pileated Woodpecker-Friendswood > > I have seen Pileated Woodpeckers in Dickinson, League City, and Alvin. > Friendswood is not that far away so it sounds reasonable for them to be > there. > > TEXBIRDS help file and Texas birding links > TEXBIRDS help file and Texas birding links at: > http://moonmountaingroup.com/texbirds > at: > http://moonmountaingroup.com/texbirds > > TEXBIRDS help file and Texas birding links at: > http://moonmountaingroup.com/texbirds > > TEXBIRDS help file and Texas birding links at: http://moonmountaingroup.com/texbirds
Subject: Davy Crockett National Forest - Sept 2011
From: Gary Hunter <gdhunter AT GMAIL.COM>
Date: Wed, 1 Sep 2010 11:04:42 -0500

I am considering a trip to Ratcliff Recreation Area near Crockett during mid- September. Three species are at the top of my wish list for the trip, and I would appreciate any guidance regarding likely locations for each. I realize that the timing is less than ideal for Worm-eating Warbler, but perhaps a straggler (or migrant) is possible. Hopefully the prospects are better for Wood Thrush and Bachman's Sparrow. My first preference would be sites near Ratcliff, but I can travel to locations in the nearby Angelina National Forest. Thanks. Gary Hunter Abilene, TX TEXBIRDS help file and Texas birding links at: http://moonmountaingroup.com/texbirds
Subject: Crested Caracara in Collin County
From: Janice Lynn <jl92798 AT HOTMAIL.COM>
Date: Wed, 1 Sep 2010 17:56:47 -0500

Today's excitement was a Crested Caracara. Although I had heard of them around Lake Tawakoni, this was the first seen at our house. We did manage to grab a few poor pictures through the windows, but on trying to get a picture outdoors, we spooked the bird. A first for our property. Janice Lynn, Collin County just north of the Rockwall County line TEXBIRDS help file and Texas birding links at: http://moonmountaingroup.com/texbirds
Subject: Re: Pileated Woodpecker-Friendswood
From: Stenmead AT AOL.COM
Date: Wed, 1 Sep 2010 14:00:51 EDT

I see and/or hear them on every visit, at least twice a week, to my daughter's home on Mary's Creek in Friendswood . I am always thrilled and comforted to know they are still thriving in the area! Stennie Meadours San Leon, Tx. In a message dated 9/1/2010 11:02:46 A.M. Central Daylight Time, donrich514 AT SBCGLOBAL.NET writes: And I've seen them in Pearland (West of Friendswood) and in Franco Lee Park (North). Looks like we've gothca surrounded. Don Richardson Pearland Texas ________________________________ From: Gerald W. Little To: texbirds AT LISTS.TEXBIRDS.ORG Sent: Tue, August 31, 2010 9:29:52 PM Subject: Re: [texbirds] Pileated Woodpecker-Friendswood I have seen Pileated Woodpeckers in Dickinson, League City, and Alvin. Friendswood is not that far away so it sounds reasonable for them to be there. TEXBIRDS help file and Texas birding links TEXBIRDS help file and Texas birding links at: http://moonmountaingroup.com/texbirds at: http://moonmountaingroup.com/texbirds TEXBIRDS help file and Texas birding links at: http://moonmountaingroup.com/texbirds
Subject: 9-1-10 Two Mourning Warblers @ WW
From: Warbler woods <warblerwoods AT GMAIL.COM>
Date: Wed, 1 Sep 2010 17:06:24 -0500

9-1-10 Two Mourning Warblers AT WW Wish you had been here! Pat and Glenda continued birding after I left early this morning--thanks for coming. All these birds are from the backyard Warbler Pond If you can visit, please email me for permission Susan Schaezler Warblerwoods.com Cibolo/Schertz Location: Warbler Woods Observation date: 9/1/10 Notes: Pat Bowen, Glenda, Ss, DJS Number of species: 21 Turkey Vulture 1 White-winged Dove 18 Mourning Dove 2 Ruby-throated Hummingbird 2 Black-chinned Hummingbird 2 White-eyed Vireo 2 Carolina Chickadee 3 Black-crested Titmouse 5 Carolina Wren 2 Yellow Warbler 1 Black-throated Green Warbler 1 Mourning Warbler 2 Wilson's Warbler 3 Summer Tanager 1 Northern Cardinal 22 Blue Grosbeak 2 Dickcissel 3 Baltimore Oriole 3 House Finch 11 Lesser Goldfinch 13 House Sparrow 25 This report was generated automatically by eBird v2(http://ebird.org) Sent from my iPad TEXBIRDS help file and Texas birding links at: http://moonmountaingroup.com/texbirds
Subject: Llano Grande flood channel, 9/1/10
From: Dan Jones <antshrike1 AT AOL.COM>
Date: Wed, 1 Sep 2010 13:40:07 -0500

The road off FM 1015 along the Llano Grande flood channel south of Estero Llano Grande State Park was open this morning so I checked it out. The ag fields had been under about 6 feet of water but are all dry now. Most of the vegetation is dead except for grass burs popping up everywhere. The cattails and carriso along the channel are dead. Not too many birds. There was a single Upland Sandpiper along the south levee. The gate by the Short-eared Owl field was unlocked so I drove through along the golf course and found 20 Buff-breasted Sandpipers. Black-bellied Whistling-Duck 95 Blue-winged Teal 1 American White Pelican 1 Great Blue Heron 2 Snowy Egret 1 Little Blue Heron 1 Green Heron 3 Yellow-crowned Night-Heron 4 Roseate Spoonbill 2 Killdeer 10 Black-necked Stilt 20 American Avocet 1 Spotted Sandpiper 2 Solitary Sandpiper 1 Upland Sandpiper 1 Least Sandpiper 7 Buff-breasted Sandpiper 20 Eurasian Collared-Dove 2 Mourning Dove 5 Common Ground-Dove 3 Bank Swallow 1 Barn Swallow 40 Yellow Warbler 2 Red-winged Blackbird 5 Great-tailed Grackle 100 Dan Jones in Weslaco http://antshrike.blogspot.com/ TEXBIRDS help file and Texas birding links at: http://moonmountaingroup.com/texbirds
Subject: Re: Dallas Blue-winged Warbler
From: "Cole, Lisa" <lisacole AT UNT.EDU>
Date: Wed, 1 Sep 2010 12:39:12 -0500

One of our volunteers here at LLELA is a Master Naturalist who lives in Flower Mound. He emailed us a photo of a bird he could not identify from his yard yesterday. It was a Blue-winged Warbler. So, you can add that to the list of sightings in the area. Lisa Cole Education Coordinator, Lewisville Lake Environmental Learning Area 1801 N. Mill St., Suite A, Lewisville, TX 75057 972-219-3930 www.ias.unt.edu/llela May your trails be crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous, leading to the most amazing view. May your mountains rise into and above the clouds. --Edward Abbey TEXBIRDS help file and Texas birding links at: http://moonmountaingroup.com/texbirds
Subject: Bell-Coryell-Lampasas counties August birding summary
From: Rich Kostecke <rkost73 AT YAHOO.COM>
Date: Wed, 1 Sep 2010 10:33:10 -0700

August was hot and dry in Bell-Coryell-Lampasas counties.Â At least half the month, if not more, was characterized by triple-digit highs.Â Overall, the lack of significant precipitation continued.Â The few showers/storms that occurred were brief, localized, and had little effect on restoring water levels or vegetation.Â Vegetation remains parched and water levels continue to drop.Â Many ponds and tanks have dried down now.Â At 3.5â€™ below normal pool elevation, Belton Lake is probably the best bet for shorebird habitat in the region right now.Â Pool elevations for Lometa Reservoir and Stillhouse Hollow Lake continue to be near normal.Â A fairly impressive list of bird sightings was compiled for the month, but these birds came in dribs and drabs.Â Overall, while the birding has certainly picked up during the month with the onset of fall migration, it was still pretty sporadic.Â On any given day, you may or may not have come across anything of interest.Â While shorebird diversity was fair, overall numbers were pretty low and were confined to just a handful of sites.Â This is undoubtedly a reflection of the overall lack of suitable habitat in the tri-county area.Â Again, likely a reflection of habitat conditions, overall wader numbers also appear to be somewhat low.Â With perhaps the exception of Least Flycatchers, contopid and empidonax numbers seemed to be unusually low.Â Most of the expected songbird migrants were observed during the month, though, with Yellow Warblers being the most widespread and abundant. Â BLACK-BELLIED WHISTLING-DUCK 4 circling over Iron Bridge Park, Belton Lake (Bell) 8 Aug [RKo] Â GADWALL 1 hen Slough Pond, Shallowford Rd, Temple (Bell) 24 Aug [RPi] â€“ Present since late July. Â BLUE-WINGED TEAL â€“ Although a few lingered in the area throughout the summer, these reports represent southbound migrants. 2 Fort Hood (Bell) 13 Aug [GEc] 9, 28, & 43 Lometa Reservoir (Lampasas) 15 Aug [RKo] and 25 & 26 Aug [DHo], respectively. 18 Cowhouse Creek Arm, Belton Lake, Fort Hood (Bell) 17 Aug [RKo, GEc] 6 Slough Pond, Shallowford Rd, Temple (Bell) 23 Aug [RPi] Â NORTHERN SHOVELER 2 Cowhouse Creek Arm, Belton Lake, Fort Hood (Bell) 17 Aug [RKo, GEc] â€“ 1st report for the fall. REDHEAD 1 drake Slough Pond, Shallowford Rd, Temple (Bell) 24 Aug [RPi] â€“ 1st report for the fall. Â PIED-BILLED GREBE â€“ Only a few summering/breeding individuals have been reported this summer. 1-2 Fort Hood (Coryell) 16 & 20 Aug [GEc] Â NEOTROPIC CORMORANT 8 Slough Pond, Shallowford Rd, Temple (Bell) 24 Aug [RPi] Â WHITE-FACED IBIS 11 Slough Pond, Shallowford Rd, Temple (Bell) 24 Aug [RPi] 2 & 1 Lometa Reservoir (Lampasas) 21 & 26 Aug [DHo], respectively. Â TRICOLORED HERON 1 Iron Bridge Park, Belton Lake (Bell) 8 Aug [RKo] 4-5 Cowhouse Creek arm Belton Lake, Fort Hood (Bell) 9-17 Aug [GEc, RKo] 2 Lake Rogers (Bell) 10 & 23 Aug [RPi] Â REDDISH EGRET 1 dark morph juvenile Iron Bridge Park, Belton Lake (Bell) 29 Aug [RPi] â€“ Possibly the same bird observed along the Cowhouse Creek Arm of Belton Lake in June. Â CATTLE EGRET â€“ Post-breeding dispersal and southbound migration into the tri-county remains limited so far. 6 & 20+ Lake Rogers (Bell) 23 & 31 Aug [RPi], respectively Â BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON 1 juvenile Lake Rogers (Bell) 23 Aug [RPi] Â OSPREY 1 Cowhouse Creek arm Belton Lake, Fort Hood (Bell) 9Aug [GEc]Â Â Â Â Â Â Â BALD EAGLE 1 4th yr Cowhouse Creek arm of Belton Lake, Fort Hood (Bell) 27 July [KCa] and 17 Aug [GEc, RKo] 1 3rd yr Cowhouse Creek arm of Belton Lake, Fort Hood (Bell) 13 Aug [GEc] 2 (the 4th and 3rd yr) exhibiting possible pair behavior Cowhouse Creek arm of Belton Lake, Fort Hood (Bell) 20 Aug [GEc] Â WHITE-TAILED KITE 2 valley below Henson Lake, Fort Hood (Coryell) 29 Aug [GEc] â€“ Apparently summered this is this area; their breeding status remains unknown. Â MISSISSIPPIKITE 1 hanging around Salado Creek nest site, Salado (Bell) through 20 Aug [RPi] 10+ Iron Bridge Park, Belton Lake (Bell) 29 Aug [RPi] â€“ Migrants. Â AMERICAN KESTREL â€“ Probably more migrants than post-breeding dispersers, the latter of which began to show up in July. 1 female Slough Pond, Shallowford Rd, Temple (Bell) 23 Aug [RPi] 1 Iron Bridge Park, Belton Lake (Bell) 29 Aug [RPi] 1 ~2.5 NW of Lampasas on Hwy 183 (Lampasas) 25 Aug [DHo] Â MERLIN 1 north shore Cowhouse Creek arm of Belton Lake, Fort Hood (Bell) 23 Aug [GEc] â€“ 1st report for the fall. Â COMMON MOORHEN 1 Lake Rogers (Bell) 29 Aug [TFe] Â AMERICAN COOT â€“ Usually there are a few more reports of summering coots, but they were particularly sparse this year. 1 Lake Rogers (Bell) 10 Aug [RPi] Â BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER 1 alternate plumage Cowhouse Creek Arm, Belton Lake, Fort Hood (Bell) 17 Aug [RKo, GEc] Â KILLDEER 100+ Iron Bridge Park, Belton Lake (Bell) 29 Aug [RPi] â€“ High count.Â Â Â Â Â Â Â AMERICAN AVOCET 2 Lometa Reservoir (Lampasas) 21 Aug [DHo] Â SPOTTED SANDPIPER 3 & 1 Iron Bridge Park, Belton Lake (Bell) 8 Aug [RKo] & 29 Aug [RPi], respectively 1-12 Cowhouse Creek Arm, Belton Lake, Fort Hood (Bell) 9-17 Aug [GEc, RKo] 4-5 Temple Lake Park, Belton Lake (Bell) 19 Aug [RPi] Â SOLITARY SANDPIPER 7 & 1 Iron Bridge Park, Belton Lake (Bell) 8 Aug [RKo] & 29 Aug [RPi], respectively 3 Cowhouse Creek arm of Belton Lake, Fort Hood (Bell) 20 Aug [GEc] Â GREATER YELLOWLEGS â€“ Sparse so far this fall. 1 near Elijah Rd-Georgtown Rd jct, Fort Hood (Coryell) 9 Aug [GEc] 1Cowhouse Creek Arm, Belton Lake, Fort Hood (Bell) 9 Aug [GEc] 2 Lake Rogers (Bell) 10 & 31Aug [RPi] Â LESSER YELLOWLEGS â€“ Sparse so far this fall. 1 near Elijah Rd-Georgtown Rd jct, Fort Hood (Coryell) 9 Aug [GEc] 1 Lake Rogers (Bell) 10 Aug [RPi] Â UPLAND SANDPIPER â€“ Fairly strong showing, continuing what has been a good year for migrant Uplands. 2 Iron Bridge Park, Belton Lake (Bell) 8 Aug [RKo] 2-7/day near Elijah Rd-Georgtown Rd jct, Fort Hood (Coryell) 9-17 Aug [GEc, KWi] 3-5/day Fort Hood (Bell) 17-20 Aug [RKo, GEc] 5+ Lake Rogers (Bell) 23 Aug [RPi] Â LONG-BILLED CURLEW 1 heard over Iron Bridge Park, Belton Lake (Bell) 8 Aug [RKo] 1 Lake Rogers (Bell) 10 Aug [RPi] Â SANDERLING 1 Temple Lake Park, Belton Lake (Bell) 19-20 Aug [RPi] Â SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPER - Sparse 1 Cowhouse Creek arm of Fort Hood (Bell) 17 Aug [RKo] Â LEAST SANDPIPER 10 & 50 Iron Bridge Park, Belton Lake (Bell) 8 Aug [RKo] & 29 Aug [RPi], respectively 1-34 various Fort Hood locations (Bell/Coryell) 9-20 Aug [GEc, RKo] 5 & 8 Lake Rogers (Bell) 10 & 23 Aug, respectively [RPi] 4 Temple Lake Park, Belton Lake (Bell) 19 Aug [RPi] Â WESTERN SANDPIPER â€“ Sparse so far this fall. 2 Temple Lake Park, Belton Lake (Bell) 19 Aug [RPi] Â BAIRDâ€™S SANDPIPER â€“ Sparse so far this fall.Â Â Â 1 Iron Bridge Park, Belton Lake (Bell) 8 Aug [RKo] Â PECTORAL SANDPIPER â€“ Sparse so far this fall. 2 Iron Bridge Park, Belton Lake (Bell) 8 Aug [RKo] 2 Fort Hood (Coryell) 9 Aug [GEc] 1 Lake Rogers (Bell) 10 Aug [RPi] Â BLACK TERN 2 Cowhouse Creek Arm, Belton Lake, Fort Hood (Bell) 17 Aug [RKo] 1 Temple Lake Park, Belton Lake (Bell) 19 Aug [RPi] Â FORSTERâ€™S TERN 4 Slough Pond, Shallowford Rd, Temple (Bell) 26 Aug [RPi] Â CHUCK-WILLâ€™S-WIDOW 1 â€œbelting it out just like springtimeâ€ Temple (Bell) 15 Aug [RPi] â€“ Last report for the season? Â RUBY-THROATED HUMMINGBIRD â€“ Typically, by the end of the month, Ruby-throateds are likely to be the numerically dominant Archilochus species in the area as Black-chinneds tend to vacate the area a bit earlier. 1 adult male, 2 juvenile males, & 1 female Simmons Rd, Belton (Bell) consistently throughout the month [GEc] 2 Lampasas (Lampasas) 14 Aug [DHo] â€“ Small numbers throughout the rest of the month. 1 adult male Temple (Bell) 31 Aug [RPi] Â OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHER â€“ Perhaps a bit sparse still, but a much better showing than during the spring when almost none were observed. 1 Fort Hood (Bell) 10 Aug [RKo, GEc] 4 Iron Bridge Park, Belton Lake (Bell) 29 Aug [RPi] Â LEAST FLYCATCHER 1 Fort Hood (Bell) 2 Aug [DCi] 1 Fort Hood (Bell) 2 Aug [GEc] 4 Iron Bridge Park, Belton Lake (Bell) 8 Aug [RKo] 1 Fort Hood (Bell) 10 Aug [RKo, GEc] Â WESTERN KINGBIRD â€“ Last birds of the season? 1 juvenile Fort Hood (Coryell) 17 Aug [GEc] 1 Slough Pond, Shallowford Rd, Temple (Bell) 31 Aug [RPi] Â EASTERN KINGBIRD â€“ The 1st of the fall migrants. 1 Slough Pond, Shallowford Rd, Temple (Bell) 23 Aug [RPi] 1 Fort Hood (Bell) 27 Aug [GEc] 1 Slough Pond, Shallowford Rd, Temple (Bell) 28 & 31 Aug [RPi] Â WARBLING VIREO 1 Iron Bridge Park, Belton Lake (Bell) 29 Aug [RPi] Â PURPLE MARTIN 2 Slough Pond, Shallowford Rd, Temple (Bell) 31 Aug [RPi] â€“ Last report for the season? Â TREE SWALLOW 1 juvenile Slough Pond, Shallowford Rd, Temple (Bell) 28 Aug [RPi] Â NORTHERN ROUGH-WINGED SWALLOW 3 & 1 Slough Pond, Shallowford Rd, Temple (Bell) 23 & 26 Aug [RPi], respectively. Â BANK SWALLOW 1 Slough Pond, Shallowford Rd, Temple (Bell) 26 and 31 Aug [RPi] Â WHITE-BREASTED NUTHATCH 1 Mother Neff State Park (Coryell) 10 Aug [DHo] Â YELLOW WARBLER 3 & 2 Iron Bridge Park, Belton Lake (Bell) 8 Aug [RKo] & 29 Aug [RPi], respectively. 1 Fort Hood (Coryell) 13 Aug [DCi] 5 Fort Hood (Bell) 17 Aug [RKo, GEc] 2 Lampasas (Lampasas) 23 Aug [DHo] 3 Old Maxdale Bridge (Bell) 26 Aug [KWi] Â GOLDEN-CHEEKED WARBLER 3 and 1 Simmons Rd, Belton (Bell) 14 and 15 Aug [GEc], respectively â€“ Last reports for the season. Â BLACK-THROATED GREEN WARBLER 1 Fort Hood (Bell) 10 Aug [RKo] Â PRAIRIE WARBLER 1 immature male Iron Bridge Park, Belton Lake (Bell) 8 Aug [RKo] Â PROTHONOTARY WARBLER 3 Iron Bridge Park, Belton Lake (Bell) 8 Aug [RKo] Â WILSONâ€™S WARBLER â€“ 1st of the fall migrants. 1 female Old Maxdale Bridge (Bell) 26 Aug [KWi] 1-2 Fort Hood (Coryell) 26-27 Aug [DCi] 1 Iron Bridge Park, Belton Lake (Bell) 29 Aug [RPi] Â DICKCISSEL 3 Old Maxdale Bridge (Bell) 26 Aug [KWi] â€“ Last report for the season? Â BALTIMORE ORIOLE 1 Iron Bridge Park, Belton Lake (Bell) 29 Aug [RPi] â€“ 1st report for the fall. Â Observers: DCi = David Cimprich, DHo = Daniel Hodges, GEc= Gil Eckrich, KWi = Ken Williams, RKo = Rich Kostecke, RPi = Randy Pinkston, TFe = Tim Fennell Â Richard Kostecke, Ph.D. The Nature Conservancy P.O. Box 5190, Fort Hood, Texas 76544-0190 Phone: Â 254-288-2088Â Fax: 254-288-5039 E-mail: rkost73 AT yahoo.com or rkostecke AT tnc.org TEXBIRDS help file and Texas birding links at: http://moonmountaingroup.com/texbirds
Subject: Dallas Blue-winged Warbler
From: Chris Runk <c_runk AT SBCGLOBAL.NET>
Date: Wed, 1 Sep 2010 11:15:47 -0500

The second Blue-winged Warbler in the Dallas area this week ('tis the season!) was present just west of the dog park on the NW corner of White Rock Lake at 8:30 this morning. I parked in the lot off W. Lawther Dr. just S of Mockingbird, walked less than 50 yards toward the dog park on the jogging trail, then veered left where a wide path enters the woods. The bird was still present at 9:30, about 50 yards past the intersection near the large willows. Chris Runk, Dallas TEXBIRDS help file and Texas birding links at: http://moonmountaingroup.com/texbirds
Subject: BioBlitz at Jones Park
From: "Abernathy, Sheena" <SAbernathy AT HCP4.NET>
Date: Wed, 1 Sep 2010 09:31:15 -0500

Jesse H. Jones Park in Humble, TX will be having a BioBlitz on October 2 and we are seeking interested individuals to help count birds, reptiles and amphibians, and invertebrates. If you would like more information, please email me and I can put you in touch with the different group leaders. Sheena Abernathy Naturalist & Education Programmer Jesse H. Jones Park & Nature Center 20634 Kenswick Dr Humble, TX 77338 sabernathy AT hcp4.net (281)446-8588 TEXBIRDS help file and Texas birding links at: http://moonmountaingroup.com/texbirds
Subject: Re: Pileated Woodpecker-Friendswood
From: Don Richardson <donrich514 AT SBCGLOBAL.NET>
Date: Wed, 1 Sep 2010 05:30:58 -0700

And I've seen them in Pearland (West of Friendswood) and in Franco Lee Park (North). Looks like we've gothca surrounded. Don Richardson Pearland Texas ________________________________ From: Gerald W. Little To: texbirds AT LISTS.TEXBIRDS.ORG Sent: Tue, August 31, 2010 9:29:52 PM Subject: Re: [texbirds] Pileated Woodpecker-Friendswood I have seen Pileated Woodpeckers in Dickinson, League City, and Alvin. Friendswood is not that far away so it sounds reasonable for them to be there. TEXBIRDS help file and Texas birding links TEXBIRDS help file and Texas birding links at: http://moonmountaingroup.com/texbirds at: http://moonmountaingroup.com/texbirds
Subject: Re: Pileated Woodpecker-Friendswood
From: David McDonald <davidkmcd AT COMCAST.NET>
Date: Wed, 1 Sep 2010 07:18:41 -0500

I have lived in Friendswood for 13 years and have Pileateds in my yard once or twice a year. I live fairly close to heavily wooded Clear Creek so have good habitat. David McDonald Friendswood TX TEXBIRDS help file and Texas birding links at: http://moonmountaingroup.com/texbirds
Subject: Laredo Birds August 2010
From: Carlos Escamilla <cmescamilla AT YAHOO.COM>
Date: Tue, 31 Aug 2010 20:59:38 -0700

Hello Texbirders Birding in Laredo during August was slow for me due to unforeseen circumstances. Nonetheless I was able to get some birding early in August and capture some good photos of mostly resident birds. A family of Crested caracaras continues visible on the Del Mar Rd., Roadrunners, Quails, Green Jays, Black-throated sparrows & also a family of Black-bellied whistling ducks were seen at the ranch. Most noteable bird for me was a Black Phoebe having a meal. Photos are available on flickr at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/carlosmescamilla/sets/72157624728710251/ Enjoy & good birding in September Carlos Escamilla Webb County/Laredo Texas TEXBIRDS help file and Texas birding links at: http://moonmountaingroup.com/texbirds
Subject: Odd Chimney Swifts
From: dalybar AT AOL.COM
Date: Tue, 31 Aug 2010 22:42:18 -0400

Texbirders, As I was driving out to do errands about 1/3 block from our house, I saw a sight this afternoon at 3:15 that I've never seen. A tight swirling, hunting group of Chimney Swifts, probably about 30, was circling over the road, about 15-40 feet off the ground, mostly quite low. I nearly ran into the curb as I drove under them. I'm assuming that there was a yummy insect hatch there, but I did not see anything obvious. The swifts were gone when I returned an hour later. This evening there was just one swift up in the sky at our house. Lynn Barber Fort Worth TEXBIRDS help file and Texas birding links at: http://moonmountaingroup.com/texbirds
Subject: Re: Pileated Woodpecker-Friendswood
From: "Gerald W. Little" <ibwo.gwl_birder AT YAHOO.COM>
Date: Tue, 31 Aug 2010 21:29:52 -0500

I have seen Pileated Woodpeckers in Dickinson, League City, and Alvin. Friendswood is not that far away so it sounds reasonable for them to be there. TEXBIRDS help file and Texas birding links at: http://moonmountaingroup.com/texbirds
Subject: Tuesday morning birding group, Hagerman NWR
From: Jack Chiles <chilesjack AT SBCGLOBAL.NET>
Date: Tue, 31 Aug 2010 18:04:24 -0700

Our group Karl, Michael, Grace, Monty, Jerry and myself tallied 60 species today. Of note: 18 Buff-breasted Sandpiper 2 Long-billed Dowitcher 3 Stilt Sandpiper 5 Pectoral Sandpiper 75 Least Sandpiper 1 Western Sandpiper 3 Lesser Yellowlegs 3 Solitary Sandpiper 2 Willet 3 Spotted Sandpiper 7 Semipalmated Plover 60 Killdeer 35 Neotropic Cormorant 12 Wood Duck 3 Wild Turkey 50 Little Blue Heron 2 Tricolored Heron 20 Great Blue Heron 35 Great Egret 35 Snowy Egret 1 White-faced Ibis 1 Cooper's Hawk 1 Red-shouldered Hawk 1 Red-tailed Hawk 9 Least Tern 3 Black Tern 4 Forster's Tern 4 Ruby-throated Hummingbird 2 Inca Dove 3 Red-headed Woodpecker 1 Downy Woodpecker 1 Northern Flicker 1 Loggerhead Shrike 1 White-eyed Vireo 3 Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 4 Blue Grosbeak 1 Indigo Bunting 1 Painted Bunting(Green) Van leaves headquarters every Tuesday at 8am. Visitors always welcome Jack Ch TEXBIRDS help file and Texas birding links at: http://moonmountaingroup.com/texbirds iles Volunteer Hagerman NWR
Subject: Sonora Birds
From: Eaton Hill Wildlife <eatonhill AT SONORATX.NET>
Date: Tue, 31 Aug 2010 19:47:13 -0500

August 23 - Cooper's Hawk August 27 following a welcome cool front with rain (!!!) we had about 15 robins show up on Eaton Hill. The same day I saw three large light colored crane type birds fly over headed south...I glanced up and went back in immediately to retreive a camera but missed the birds and so also missed a good look. Any ideas? Scissor-tailed flycatchers north of Sonora Eaton Hill last Thursday, yesterday & today: Hummingbirds - black-chinned and ruby-throat FOS Ruby-crowned kinglet many Bell's vireo noticibly more cardindals scrub jays Zone-tailed hawk today & 7/21 canyon towhee - 3 cactus wren -2 ladder-backed woodpecker - 2 hooded orioles - several females summer tananger - female Bewick's wren black-crested titmouse - 6 Delyse Jaeger Eaton Hill Wildlife Sanctuary Sonora, Texas 325-387-2615 eatonhill AT sonoratx.net sonoratx-chamber.com TEXBIRDS help file and Texas birding links at: http://moonmountaingroup.com/texbirds
Subject: 8-31-10 Nashville w pictures @ warbler woods
From: Warbler woods <warblerwoods AT GMAIL.COM>
Date: Tue, 31 Aug 2010 19:49:23 -0500

8-31-10 Nashville w pictures AT warbler woods Fun day--need more observers. I have pictures of the Nashville Warbler Susan Schaezler Warblerwoods.com Cibolo/Schertz Location: Warbler Woods Observation date: 8/31/10 Notes: Have pictures of NAWA the last several days Number of species: 17 Killdeer 2 White-winged Dove 55 Ruby-throated Hummingbird 2 Black-chinned Hummingbird 1 White-eyed Vireo 2 Carolina Chickadee 3 Black-crested Titmouse 5 Carolina Wren 4 Nashville Warbler 1 Yellow Warbler 1 Wilson's Warbler 1 Yellow-breasted Chat 1 Northern Cardinal 23 Painted Bunting 2 House Finch 8 Lesser Goldfinch 22 House Sparrow 15 This report was generated automatically by eBird v2(http://ebird.org) TEXBIRDS help file and Texas birding links at: http://moonmountaingroup.com/texbirds Sent from my iPad
Subject: Re: Ruby-throats/Chimney Swifts/Barn Swallows 8/29/10 and an owlfly too
From: Dan Jones <antshrike1 AT AOL.COM>
Date: Tue, 31 Aug 2010 19:23:53 -0500

Hey Raul, Try this listserve. http://www.texasento.net/TX-ENTO.htm Dan Jones TEXBIRDS help file and Texas birding links at: http://moonmountaingroup.com/texbirds
Subject: Ruby-throats/Chimney Swifts/Barn Swallows 8/29/10 and an owlfly too
From: "Raul Garza Jr." <nunieoi AT HOTMAIL.COM>
Date: Tue, 31 Aug 2010 14:11:25 -0500

Hello everyone! Had an influx of Ruby-throated Hummingbirds at my residence this past weekend. They were battling it out w/ the Buff-bellies I usually see hanging about. Always entertaining to watch! a few other species I saw were Chimney Swifts and Barn Swallows throughout the day. Later in the evening a couple of Common Nighthawk showed up. And had a Killdeer in the middle of the street. I apologize, as for this is non bird related; but I had an Owlfly in my front yard as well. It was pretty neat looking! Had never seen one before, and was stumped as to what it was until this morning 08/31/10. Apparently Dan Jones got a few photos of one over at Frontera the other day as well. it was his photos that helped me identify it. Can someone tell me where I can post these types of findings for future reference. I would very much appreciate it! thanks Good Birding! Raul Garza Jr. Asst. Park Technician Valley Nature Center 301 S. Border Weslaco, TX 78596 Hidalgo County TEXBIRDS help file and Texas birding links at: http://moonmountaingroup.com/texbirds
Subject: Need migration observers to sit in shade
From: Warbler woods <warblerwoods AT GMAIL.COM>
Date: Tue, 31 Aug 2010 10:47:35 -0500

Need migration observers to sit in shade It is Fall Migration and I especially need some observers to account for t he birds the next few days. You can just sit in the shade in a comfortable chair that is provided and/or hike the property. If you can help cover for me, please email me! I hate to miss out on migration data. Friday will especially be a productive day weather wise We are only an hour from Austin The Orchard Orioles are spectacular this year Susan Schaezler Warblerwoods.com Cibolo/Schertz Sent from my iPad TEXBIRDS help file and Texas birding links at: http://moonmountaingroup.com/texbirds
Subject: Re: Orange-crowned Warblers
From: Warbler woods <warblerwoods AT GMAIL.COM>
Date: Tue, 31 Aug 2010 10:10:34 -0500

Make that Cibolo/Schertz Haven't created a signature from my iPad Susan Schaezler Sent from my iPad On Aug 31, 2010, at 10:05 AM, Warbler woods wrote: > Thank you Matt! We get birds that push the dates all the time and it is most frustrating > How it is received. > > We are an island of vegetation and forests along the migration path > And we get great birds. There are also few sites that are birded daily through summer > And year round. I'm out here every day. Look at Warbler Woods from an aerial map. > > Today, we have had Painted Bunting, Yellow-breasted Chat, Wilson's Warbler, > Yellow Warbler and Nashville Warbler, which triggers the filters. I have pictures-- > He has been around a week. > > Come and visit when u can--just email for permission. I only manage to observe one > Location and need observers to help elsewhere. > > Susan Schaezler > Warblerwoods.com > > > > Sent from my iPad > > On Aug 31, 2010, at 9:34 AM, mtheindel AT aol.com wrote: > >> I want to share some thoughts on the recent Orange-crowned Warbler reports (and I clip Susan's post of her sighting and one she references of the Comal group). In early May, long after migrant OCWA should be gone, some were still at Warbler Woods. I was sufficiently interested that I went there and photographed 2 birds then. I know Susan, like many birders, gets frustrated when people express any doubt about a sighting (more on this below), but there is nothing like a photograph to shift the conversation from "was it really?" to a discussion of our ever-broadening understanding. >> >> Ignoring the small breeding population out west, we get the dull nominate celata, and they are notoriously late migrants. I was surprised that Mel Cooksey, in his post on that matter, said he had a mid-September record, as I would think any OCWA before the end of the month would be worth a mention. I recently exchanged with Alan Wormington, Ontario's (Canada) birder extraordinairre. When I used to do an annual fall birding trip in late August and early Sept to Pt. Pelee- AND NOT ONCE SEEING OCWA on these trips- I asked about their passage. He recently updated me on their status and nothing has changed since my trips ni the 90s. Alan notes first arrivals are in late September, with kinglets, White-throated Sparrows, etc, with a good cold front. The earliest records are from mid-Sep. Pt. Pelee is at the 42nd parallel!! >> >> Of course, this does not mean an OCWA cannot occur here before then as there is so much we do not know about the movements of different populations. But, I think it is fair to increase the burden of proof for outlier records. Back to the point of the frustration many people feel when something they report is questioned- and fully recognizing this topic has been covered 100 times in a 100 venues. Birding is unique among the sciences in allowing sight records to be seriously considered, and indeed, often, accepted in the literature. For those of us who dabble in other fields- odonates, butterflies, herps, etc., you can report all you want, but without a picture or voucher specimen, there is nothing more than discussion. For birding, I think it is great that the masses can report whatever they want. There are filters in terms of record committees, North American Bird editors, etc. I will omit the slippery slope of eBird but in general, when items are posted to internet forums, like TexBirds, filters are sporadic and only come about with the occasional question. I believe one reason for this lack of "honest dialogue" is the typical Texan hospitality that makes this a wonderful place to live, where people do not want to seem unkind, etc. While it makes for great neighbors, I am not sure it is helpful from a database perspective. >> >> We know so much about birds now compared to 100 years ago, but there is more to learn. One challenge, however, is to ensure the data stay as clean as possible. If we use OCWA as an example, it might be that every report before mid-Sept is really correct. But, if birders do not realize how rare they are, they might have just a little less of a threshold to claim one. As they read of not one, but two OCWA, it will be less surprising if they think they have one, too. Before we know it, there are a few reports and the significance is buried. But, as of now, the literature says any record before mid-September is really significant. If this were any other science than birding, the reports would not make it to the literature without more information, and I think when we re-write the record on a species, we ought to be similarly conservative. >> >> BTW, Susan's description of how OCWA differ from Yellow Warbler is very good, particularly the eye line, broken eye ring, and longer tail. I would ignore color as im female Yellows actually span the spectrum from gray to yellow to green and would also throw in the pale bend of the wing of OCWA, but her description is good. It is up to NAB and eBird editors whether they decide a description is enough, but I encourage all birders to photograph any early OCWA to help build our knowledge of this common winter visitor. >> >> Matt Heindel >> Fair Oaks Ranch TX >> Btw-the Comal group had an Orange-crowned Warbler yesterday-the one I had >> last week was an Orange-crowned Warbler and not a pale Fall Yellow Warbler. >> Yellow have pinkish/flesh colored legs-OC have darker legs. Fall OC still >> have a slight line through their eye-Yellow don't-they have a slight ring >> around their eyes. Yellow undertails are yellow till the end, with slight >> darker color on the outside-OC have tail extension of a darker color and >> seriously, they aren't the right shade of yellow. >> >> >> >> TEXBIRDS help file and Texas birding links at: http://moonmountaingroup.com/texbirds
Subject: Re: Orange-crowned Warblers
From: Warbler woods <warblerwoods AT GMAIL.COM>
Date: Tue, 31 Aug 2010 10:05:27 -0500

Thank you Matt! We get birds that push the dates all the time and it is most frustrating How it is received. We are an island of vegetation and forests along the migration path And we get great birds. There are also few sites that are birded daily through summer And year round. I'm out here every day. Look at Warbler Woods from an aerial map. Today, we have had Painted Bunting, Yellow-breasted Chat, Wilson's Warbler, Yellow Warbler and Nashville Warbler, which triggers the filters. I have pictures-- He has been around a week. Come and visit when u can--just email for permission. I only manage to observe one Location and need observers to help elsewhere. Susan Schaezler Warblerwoods.com Sent from my iPad On Aug 31, 2010, at 9:34 AM, mtheindel AT aol.com wrote: > I want to share some thoughts on the recent Orange-crowned Warbler reports (and I clip Susan's post of her sighting and one she references of the Comal group). In early May, long after migrant OCWA should be gone, some were still at Warbler Woods. I was sufficiently interested that I went there and photographed 2 birds then. I know Susan, like many birders, gets frustrated when people express any doubt about a sighting (more on this below), but there is nothing like a photograph to shift the conversation from "was it really?" to a discussion of our ever-broadening understanding. > > Ignoring the small breeding population out west, we get the dull nominate celata, and they are notoriously late migrants. I was surprised that Mel Cooksey, in his post on that matter, said he had a mid-September record, as I would think any OCWA before the end of the month would be worth a mention. I recently exchanged with Alan Wormington, Ontario's (Canada) birder extraordinairre. When I used to do an annual fall birding trip in late August and early Sept to Pt. Pelee- AND NOT ONCE SEEING OCWA on these trips- I asked about their passage. He recently updated me on their status and nothing has changed since my trips ni the 90s. Alan notes first arrivals are in late September, with kinglets, White-throated Sparrows, etc, with a good cold front. The earliest records are from mid-Sep. Pt. Pelee is at the 42nd parallel!! > > Of course, this does not mean an OCWA cannot occur here before then as there is so much we do not know about the movements of different populations. But, I think it is fair to increase the burden of proof for outlier records. Back to the point of the frustration many people feel when something they report is questioned- and fully recognizing this topic has been covered 100 times in a 100 venues. Birding is unique among the sciences in allowing sight records to be seriously considered, and indeed, often, accepted in the literature. For those of us who dabble in other fields- odonates, butterflies, herps, etc., you can report all you want, but without a picture or voucher specimen, there is nothing more than discussion. For birding, I think it is great that the masses can report whatever they want. There are filters in terms of record committees, North American Bird editors, etc. I will omit the slippery slope of eBird but in general, when items are posted to internet forums, like TexBirds, filters are sporadic and only come about with the occasional question. I believe one reason for this lack of "honest dialogue" is the typical Texan hospitality that makes this a wonderful place to live, where people do not want to seem unkind, etc. While it makes for great neighbors, I am not sure it is helpful from a database perspective. > > We know so much about birds now compared to 100 years ago, but there is more to learn. One challenge, however, is to ensure the data stay as clean as possible. If we use OCWA as an example, it might be that every report before mid-Sept is really correct. But, if birders do not realize how rare they are, they might have just a little less of a threshold to claim one. As they read of not one, but two OCWA, it will be less surprising if they think they have one, too. Before we know it, there are a few reports and the significance is buried. But, as of now, the literature says any record before mid-September is really significant. If this were any other science than birding, the reports would not make it to the literature without more information, and I think when we re-write the record on a species, we ought to be similarly conservative. > > BTW, Susan's description of how OCWA differ from Yellow Warbler is very good, particularly the eye line, broken eye ring, and longer tail. I would ignore color as im female Yellows actually span the spectrum from gray to yellow to green and would also throw in the pale bend of the wing of OCWA, but her description is good. It is up to NAB and eBird editors whether they decide a description is enough, but I encourage all birders to photograph any early OCWA to help build our knowledge of this common winter visitor. > > Matt Heindel > Fair Oaks Ranch TX > Btw-the Comal group had an Orange-crowned Warbler yesterday-the one I had > last week was an Orange-crowned Warbler and not a pale Fall Yellow Warbler. > Yellow have pinkish/flesh colored legs-OC have darker legs. Fall OC still > have a slight line through their eye-Yellow don't-they have a slight ring > around their eyes. Yellow undertails are yellow till the end, with slight > darker color on the outside-OC have tail extension of a darker color and > seriously, they aren't the right shade of yellow. > > > > TEXBIRDS help file and Texas birding links at: http://moonmountaingroup.com/texbirds
Subject: Orange-crowned Warblers
From: mtheindel AT AOL.COM
Date: Tue, 31 Aug 2010 10:34:34 -0400

I want to share some thoughts on the recent Orange-crowned Warbler reports (and I clip Susan's post of her sighting and one she references of the Comal group). In early May, long after migrant OCWA should be gone, some were still at Warbler Woods. I was sufficiently interested that I went there and photographed 2 birds then. I know Susan, like many birders, gets frustrated when people express any doubt about a sighting (more on this below), but there is nothing like a photograph to shift the conversation from "was it really?" to a discussion of our ever-broadening understanding. Ignoring the small breeding population out west, we get the dull nominate celata, and they are notoriously late migrants. I was surprised that Mel Cooksey, in his post on that matter, said he had a mid-September record, as I would think any OCWA before the end of the month would be worth a mention. I recently exchanged with Alan Wormington, Ontario's (Canada) birder extraordinairre. When I used to do an annual fall birding trip in late August and early Sept to Pt. Pelee- AND NOT ONCE SEEING OCWA on these trips- I asked about their passage. He recently updated me on their status and nothing has changed since my trips ni the 90s. Alan notes first arrivals are in late September, with kinglets, White-throated Sparrows, etc, with a good cold front. The earliest records are from mid-Sep. Pt. Pelee is at the 42nd parallel!! Of course, this does not mean an OCWA cannot occur here before then as there is so much we do not know about the movements of different populations. But, I think it is fair to increase the burden of proof for outlier records. Back to the point of the frustration many people feel when something they report is questioned- and fully recognizing this topic has been covered 100 times in a 100 venues. Birding is unique among the sciences in allowing sight records to be seriously considered, and indeed, often, accepted in the literature. For those of us who dabble in other fields- odonates, butterflies, herps, etc., you can report all you want, but without a picture or voucher specimen, there is nothing more than discussion. For birding, I think it is great that the masses can report whatever they want. There are filters in terms of record committees, North American Bird editors, etc. I will omit the slippery slope of eBird but in general, when items are posted to internet forums, like TexBirds, filters are sporadic and only come about with the occasional question. I believe one reason for this lack of "honest dialogue" is the typical Texan hospitality that makes this a wonderful place to live, where people do not want to seem unkind, etc. While it makes for great neighbors, I am not sure it is helpful from a database perspective. We know so much about birds now compared to 100 years ago, but there is more to learn. One challenge, however, is to ensure the data stay as clean as possible. If we use OCWA as an example, it might be that every report before mid-Sept is really correct. But, if birders do not realize how rare they are, they might have just a little less of a threshold to claim one. As they read of not one, but two OCWA, it will be less surprising if they think they have one, too. Before we know it, there are a few reports and the significance is buried. But, as of now, the literature says any record before mid-September is really significant. If this were any other science than birding, the reports would not make it to the literature without more information, and I think when we re-write the record on a species, we ought to be similarly conservative. BTW, Susan's description of how OCWA differ from Yellow Warbler is very good, particularly the eye line, broken eye ring, and longer tail. I would ignore color as im female Yellows actually span the spectrum from gray to yellow to green and would also throw in the pale bend of the wing of OCWA, but her description is good. It is up to NAB and eBird editors whether they decide a description is enough, but I encourage all birders to photograph any early OCWA to help build our knowledge of this common winter visitor. Matt Heindel Fair Oaks Ranch TX Btw-the Comal group had an Orange-crowned Warbler yesterday-the one I had ast week was an Orange-crowned Warbler and not a pale Fall Yellow Warbler. ellow have pinkish/flesh colored legs-OC have darker legs. Fall OC still ave a slight line through their eye-Yellow don't-they have a slight ring round their eyes. Yellow undertails are yellow till the end, with slight arker color on the outside-OC have tail extension of a darker color and eriously, they aren't the right shade of yellow. TEXBIRDS help file and Texas birding links at: http://moonmountaingroup.com/texbirds
Subject: Peregrine Falcon mlk blvd - Beaumont TX
From: Cody Conway <reptileexperts AT YAHOO.COM>
Date: Tue, 31 Aug 2010 09:26:40 -0500

Hello texbirders Seems to be the season for Peregrines in south east TX. On my way to the university this morning a peregrine falcon was perched on a light poll and quickly flew off. The falcon was seen a mile before the college street exit on mlk heading away from I10 toward hwy 69. If the falcon stays in the area I will post further information later this evening. Cody Conway Kelley Sampeck Sent from my iPhone TEXBIRDS help file and Texas birding links at: http://moonmountaingroup.com/texbirds
Subject: 28 shorebird species in Corpus over weekend
From: drbirdie AT AOL.COM
Date: Tue, 31 Aug 2010 00:56:23 -0400

Hi Texbirders, The Travis Audubon Society Shorebird ID Class had a great trip to Corpus Christi over the weekend. We saw 28 shorebirdspecies, 27 of them on Saturday. For the weekend, we missed only 3 species thatregularly occur at this time of year - American Golden Plover, PectoralSandpiper and Long-billed Dowitcher, but we had great looks at almosteverything else. I recorded 128 species for the weekend. Most tripparticipants probably saw between 110 and 125 species for the weekend.Highlights are almost too numerous to mention, but I'll try. TheWhimbrel at Mollie Beattie was an outstanding surprise, as they arequite scarce in the fall, probably occurring primarily as a result ofsmall numbers of oversummering birds. The Red Knots on the gulf beachSaturday were special. Everyone had great looks at that increasinglyrare bird, and one knot was banded on one leg and sported atransmitter on the other. Piping Plovers are always a treat, and wefound two banded ones. I'll report back to the class when I learn whenand where our birds were banded. Having the chance to ID Short-billedDowitchers two ways - by flight call and by examining the tertials of ascope-filling juvenile bird was also a treat. Finding the singleBuff-breasted Sandpiper plying the sod farm the morning of our visitand having it stay put and provide scope views for all was very nice.Charlie Davis spotting the only two Solitary Sandpipers we wouldencounter on the whole trip in the irrigation canal near the sod farm.The friendly and instructive hawk-watchers at Hazel Bazemore during abrief break from shorebirding, rewarded with Mississippi Kites andseveral other raptor species. Long-billed Curlews in multiplelocations. Thousands of gulls, terns and shorebirds that were feedingor roosting in the mudflats on the backside of Charlie's Pasture onSaturday evening. The feeding frenzy of Greater Yellowlegs as the tide was running off ofthat mudflat Saturday evening. Finding two Baird's Sandpipers, the onlyones of the trip just before dusk Saturday on the Charlie's Pasturemudflat with just enough light to show one of them to everyone whowanted a look. The splendid juvenile Horned Lark that Kathy McAleesefound in her scope just before dark as we trudged back to the cars atCharlie's Pasture. Oystercatchers and more at old reliable Indian Point was agreat way to officially end our trip. Great seafood both nights. The 12 Groove-billed Anis that Craig and I had almost at arms length out the car window Sunday afternoon at Choke Canyon. And finally, a call on the way home fromLaura Leggett to report that driver Judith Bailey had alertly spottedan Upland Sandpiper perched on a telephone line on Hwy 359 north ofMathis. When they turned around to see that bird, they found aBuff-breasted Sandpiper on the ground nearby. It appears that my studentsare now self-sufficient, which is all I could ask! Thanks to Mel Cooksie of Corpus for help with locationsuggestions. Thanks to Randy Pinkston for sharing a number of his shorebird photos. Many thanks to Scott Carpenter, whose marvelous shorebird images greatly enhanced the class experience. Thanks to CT Lee for reviewing several confusing dowitcher photos. Thanks also to my buddy Tim Fennell for his guidance andsupport, and for all he has taught me about shorebirds over the years.Hopefully Tim will soon be able to resume teaching this class forTravis Audubon. A birdlist and some comments follow: Itinerary: Trip was Friday August 27 evening, Saturday August 28 all day, and Sunday morning August 29. Craig Rasmussen and I visited Choke Canyon, Calliham and South Units briefly Sunday afternoon en route back to Austin. Tule Lake was visited Friday evening and both Saturday and Sunday mornings Craig and I visited Hazel Bazemore Friday afternoon, but the entire group was there Saturday morning Oso Bay was Friday evening Saturday we visited Tule Lake, the sod farm, Hazel Bazemore, Laguna Shores, Packery Channel for lunch, Mustang Island State Park, and all locations in Port Aransas (the Birding Center and Charlie's Pasture or CP) Sunday we visited Tule Lake at dawn and Indian Point, and were back at the motel in time for"brunch." : ) Birdlist for Aug 27 - 29, 2010: Black-bellied Whistling-Duck - 4+ - sod farm, Port A, Calliham Fulvous Whistling-Duck - 3 Tule Lake, Sunday Mottled Duck - several, Port A Blue-winged Teal - 6 - Tule Lake, Port A Ruddy Duck - 6 - 2 adults and 4 young, Port A Birding Center Wild Turkey - 2 - Calliham Unit, Choke Canyon Pied-billed Grebe - 2- Port A, Calliham American White Pelican - 13 - Oso Bay Brown Pelican - scores, multiple locations Neotropic Cormorant - many locations, including 180+ at 75 Acre Lake, Calliham Unit, large rookery south end lake Anhinga - 1 - Bazemore; 40+ Calliham rookery Great Blue Heron - couple dozen, multiple locations Great Egret - several dozen, multiple locations Snowy Egret - scores, multiple locations, esp. Charlie's Pasture Little Blue Heron - 1 - Laguna Shores Tricolored Heron - couple dozen, multiple locations Reddish Egret - couple dozen, multiple locations Cattle Egret - couple dozen, multiple locations Green Heron - several, Tule Lake, Port A Birding Center & Choke Cnyon Black-crowned Night-Heron - 2 - Tule Lk; 1 - Calliham Yellow-crowned Night-Heron - 1 - Tule Lk; 1 - Indian Point White Ibis - couple dozen, multiple locations White-faced Ibis - small number - Tule Lk Roseate Spoonbill - several dozen, multiple locations, esp Port A Black Vulture - en route Turkey Vulture - several, multiple locations Osprey - 1 Bazemore; 1 Calliham Mississippi Kite - 12+ Hazel Bazemore Cooper's Hawk - 1 - H Bazemore Harris's Hawk - 1 - McMullen Co. Red-shouldered Hawk - 1 - H Bazemore Swainson's Hawk - 1 - H Bazemore White-tailed Hawk - 3 - H Bazemore Red-tailed Hawk - 1 - sod farm, 2 - H Bazemore Crested Caracara - 1 - sod farm Clapper Rail - 4+ - Tule Lake (incl. 2 juvies) and Port A Birding Center Common Moorhen - 1 - Port A; 15 Calliham Black-bellied Plover - scores, multiple locations, including 8 at Indian Point Snowy Plover - 1 - Laguna Shores, 2 - Charlie's Pasture Wilson's Plover - 25+ Oso Bay (Fri), Mollie Beattie & Indian Pt. Semipalmated Plover - 30+ Tule Lake, Oso Bay, Laguna Shores & Indian Point Piping Plover - 11+ on gulf beach, Mustang Island (including 2 banded birds); 1 Indian Point Killdeer - several - Tule Lake, Bazemore, sod farm, Port A, Indian Pt American Oystercatcher - 7 birds in three groups, Indian Point Black-necked Stilt - 20+, multiple locations American Avocet - 26 - Port A Greater Yellowlegs - 20+, Tule Lake and Charlie's Pasture Lesser Yellowlegs - 5 in two locations Solitary Sandpiper - 2 cooperative birds in irrigation canal by sod farm Willet - scores in almost all locations; both Eastern & Western Spotted Sandpiper - 1 juvie at Tule Lake Friday evening; the only one of our 28 species missed Saturday Upland Sandpiper - 4 at sod farm; 1 heard only at H Bazemore Whimbrel - 1 - a nice surprise at Mollie Beattie Long-billed Curlew - couple dozen, multiple locations - Oso Bay, Mollie Beattie & Charlie's Pasture Ruddy Turnstone - scores, multiple loc'ns Red Knot - 3 or 4 birds, Mustang Beach. One banded bird with transmitter taped to right leg Sanderling - scores, many locations Semipalmated Sandpiper - 2 birds seen well by entire group, Laguna Shores Western Sandpiper - 100+ birds, many locations Least Sandpiper - several dozen, multiple locations Baird's Sandpiper - 2 birds provided scope views just before dusk at Charlie's Pasture Stilt Sandpiper - 1 bird seen well by entire group at close range at Indian Point Buff-breasted Sandpiper - 1 cooperative bird provided scope views for all at Calallen sod farm Short-billed Dowitcher - one group ID'd by call Friday at Oso Bay; one juvie at close range Sunday at Indian Point Dowitcher sp. - 1 or 2 at Tule Lake, several small groups at Oso Bay Wilson's Phalarope - 13 Port A Laughing Gull - 1,000's, especially roosting on mud flat at far end of Charlie's Pasture Ring-billed Gull - 1 adult, Mollie Beattie Gull-billed Tern - 1 Mollie Beattie, 30+ Charlie's Pasture Caspian Tern - several at multiple locn's, but many in gull / tern flock at CP Royal Tern - scores, many locn's Sandwich Tern - 1 Mollie Beattie Forster's Tern - small numbers on coast; 40+ Calliham Unit Choke Canyon Least Tern - 22, Mollie Beattie & CP; 1 Indian Point Black Tern - 100's, several locations Black Skimmer - couple dozen, Oso Bay, Mollie Beattie, CP Rock Pigeon - a few Eurasian Collared-Dove - several White-winged Dove - many Mourning Dove - many Inca Dove - several Common Ground-Dove - 1 H Bazemore; 2 Live Oak Co. Yellow-billed Cuckoo - 2 - Choke Greater Roadrunner - 2 - McMullen, Live Oak Co's. Lesser Nighthawk - 1 Charlie's Pasture Common Nighthawk Chimney Swift - a few, Tule Lake & H Bazemore Ruby-throated Hummingbird - 8+ H Bazemore Black-chinned Hummingbird - 1 female, Choke South Unit Belted Kingfisher - 1 female, Choke South Unit Golden-fronted Woodpecker - several at Bazemore Ladder-backed Woodpecker - 2 - 1 each unite, Choke Canyon Vermilion Flycatcher - 1 juv. Calliham Brown-crested Flycatcher - 1 - h.o. Choke South Unit Great Kiskadee - 2 - Bazemore Couch's Kingbird - a few, Bazemore & Choke Canyon Western Kingbird - 1 imm. Live Oak Co. Eastern Kingbird - 1 Port A Scissor-tailed Flycatcher Loggerhead Shrike White-eyed Vireo Green Jay - 2+ Bazemore; 2+ Choke Cnyon Horned Lark - 2 - sod farm; 3, incl one juvenile - Charlie's Pasture Northern Rough-winged Swallow - 2 - Tule Lake Bank Swallow - 2 - Calliham Cliff Swallow - several, Tule Lk & Bazemore Cave Swallow - several, Tule Lk Barn Swallow - 100's in multiple locations Verdin - 2 - Choke South Unit and Calliham Cactus Wren - 1 Quail Ridge, Live Oak Co. Carolina Wren - 1 - H Bazemore Bewick's Wren - 2 Calliham Blue-gray Gnatcatcher - 3 Bazemore; 4 Calliham Northern Mockingbird - several - Tule Lk, Bazemore, Port A, Choke Long-billed Thrasher - 1 - Choke, McMullen Co. European Starling - yes - several score Yellow Warbler - 2 - Port A, 14 - Calliham Northern Cardinal - a few - Bazemore, Choke Indigo Bunting - 1 h.o. Bazemore Dickcissel - 3 - sod farm Red-winged Blackbird - several score, Port A & Choke Common Grackle - several along I-37 en route Great-tailed Grackle - 100's Bronzed Cowbird - 50+ Brown-headed Cowbird - 100's Orchard Oriole - 1 female or imm., Packery Channel (lunch Saturday) Baltimore Oriole - 3 - Bazemore House Sparrow - 20+, several locations Number of Species: 128 TEXBIRDS help file and Texas birding links at: http://moonmountaingroup.com/texbirds
Subject: Frontera Audubon Thicket, 8/30/10
From: Dan Jones <antshrike1 AT AOL.COM>
Date: Mon, 30 Aug 2010 21:30:38 -0500

It was hot and muggy this morning at Frontera Audubon Thicket in Weslaco. Birds are picking up a bit. The lonely Northern Beardless-Tyrannulet was hanging around the water feature. Nothing else too great. Red-bordered Pixies (butterfly) are by the entrance gate to the thicket and a rare Claret Pondhawk (dragonfly) was just inside the gate. Black-bellied Whistling-Duck 8 Plain Chachalaca 10 Green Heron 1 Yellow-crowned Night-Heron 4 White-winged Dove 50 Mourning Dove 3 Inca Dove 2 White-tipped Dove 4 Chimney Swift 5 Buff-bellied Hummingbird 4 Ruby-throated Hummingbird 2 Golden-fronted Woodpecker 6 Ladder-backed Woodpecker 1 Northern Beardless-Tyrannulet 1 Alder Flycatcher 1 Brown-crested Flycatcher 3 Great Kiskadee 3 Couch's Kingbird 1 White-eyed Vireo 3 Bank Swallow 5 Barn Swallow 5 Cliff Swallow 1 Black-crested Titmouse 3 Carolina Wren 4 Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 1 Long-billed Thrasher 1 European Starling 1 Yellow Warbler 3 Mourning Warbler 1 Canada Warbler 1 Yellow-breasted Chat 4 Olive Sparrow 1 Northern Cardinal 1 Dickcissel 1 Orchard Oriole 5 Baltimore Oriole 1 House Sparrow 1 Dan Jones in Weslaco http://antshrike.blogspot.com TEXBIRDS help file and Texas birding links at: http://moonmountaingroup.com/texbirds
Subject: 8-30-10 >15 Bobwhite @ Warbler Woods
From: Susan Schaezler <warblerwoods AT GMAIL.COM>
Date: Mon, 30 Aug 2010 19:26:49 -0500

8-30-10 >15 Bobwhite AT Warbler Woods I haven't shared about our Prairie Restoration that we are working on lately. We have put in for a grant, which we will hear on in the next month, doing prairie restoration on our fields over a 3 year period. We have also received $1000. from San Antonio Audubon Society towards this project-thank you so much! We have a "test" plot(1/2 of the 2nd field) that we have already started on and have applied herbicide twice and spot sprayed several times. Jeremiah McKinney and his company have been extremely helpful by donating their services on the writing of the grant and a lot of labor. Jeremiah was out spot spraying in this area today and called about the largest covey he's seen in a long time(Texas)-we went out to see them too and there was >15 quail in this area!! Here's today's birds: Location: Warbler Woods Observation date: 8/30/10 Number of species: 20 BOBWHITE QUAIL 15 Black Vulture 1 White-winged Dove 44 Ruby-throated Hummingbird 2 Black-chinned Hummingbird 1 Least Flycatcher 1 White-eyed Vireo 5 Carolina Chickadee 4 Black-crested Titmouse 7 Carolina Wren 3 Northern Mockingbird 1 Wilson's Warbler 3 Yellow-breasted Chat 2 Northern Cardinal 43 Indigo Bunting 1 Painted Bunting 3 Orchard Oriole 4 House Finch 17 Lesser Goldfinch 23 House Sparrow 15 This report was generated automatically by eBird v2(http://ebird.org) Susan Schaezler...twitter.com/susanwarbler Warbler Woods Bird Sanctuary, 501 ( c )(3) www.warblerwoods.com San Antonio/New Braunfels GCBO Site Partner TEXBIRDS help file and Texas birding links at: http://moonmountaingroup.com/texbirds
Subject: Smith Point Hawk Watch, 30 Aug.
From: John Arvin <jarvin AT GCBO.ORG>
Date: Mon, 30 Aug 2010 18:57:16 -0500

Well, my last visit to the hawktower at Smith Point was quite enjoyable with plenty of species diversity and continuous raptors but not overwhelmingly so -my favorite kind of day there. Today was quite different. In the 7 hours I spent on the tower I saw only 4 local raptors - an adult Red-tailed Hawk, a Crested Caracara hunting low over Candy Abshier, and two local Turkey Vultures. Zero migrating raptors, in fact, few migrating birds at all. The impressive gnatcatcher flight of a week ago was at a complete standstill and even the river of swallows was down to a trickle. As usual weather was the deciding factor. There was a brisk SE wind all day (stronger when any of the numerous thunder showers passed close to the area). And the overcast held through the day. I never once saw the sun. It takes the sun's energy to heat the ground which in turn heats the air above it causing it to rise, giving lift to the migrating raptors which literally fuels a migration path that make extend 4000 miles. It never did rain even though at one point I could see an opaque wall of rain no more than half a mile away. So what was there to keep me from jumping? An early Wilson's Snipe dropped into Alligator Pond (aka Alligator Puddle) and one gnatcatcher came and ran all over the tower gleaning insects off the structure (it doesn't take much to make me happy). John C. Arvin Research Coordinator Gulf Coast Bird Observatory 103 West Hwy 332 Lake Jackson, TX 77566 jarvin AT gcbo.org www.gcbo.org TEXBIRDS help file and Texas birding links at: http://moonmountaingroup.com/texbirds
Subject: Re: Hummingbird- possible Allen's
From: John Arvin <jarvin AT GCBO.ORG>
Date: Mon, 30 Aug 2010 18:28:21 -0500

Greg, I feel quite secure in calling your Selasphorus a Rufous, probably a HY male. Both species have considerable amounts of green in the back until they molt into alternate plumage (next summer). The outer rectrices are quite broad and rounded on the ends, unlike the stiletto shape of the same feathers of Allen's. Male because of the spotted throat. Females of both species have a patch or two of iridescent gorget feathers like immature males. Nice shots. Not often can you judge the tail feather shape in a photo. John C. Arvin Research Coordinator Gulf Coast Bird Observatory 103 West Hwy 332 Lake Jackson, TX 77566 jarvin AT gcbo.org www.gcbo.org ---------------------------------------- From: "Greg Page" Sent: Monday, August 30, 2010 3:09 PM To: texbirds AT LISTS.TEXBIRDS.ORG Subject: [texbirds] Hummingbird- possible Allen's Here are photos of the Selasphorus Hummingbird that Jim Hinson posted about earlier. It could be an immature male Allen's. I would appreciate it if people would reply with thier ideas on what species and age the bird is. I took several photos of the tail and different angles of the bird. Side shot & tail view: http://www.flickr.com/photos/gregpage/4942887640/ Side shot: http://www.flickr.com/photos/gregpage/4942298079/ Side shot with good throat view: http://www.flickr.com/photos/gregpage/4942881804/ Back view: http://www.flickr.com/photos/gregpage/4942290693/ Tail shot: http://www.flickr.com/photos/gregpage/4942287759/ Tail shot: http://www.flickr.com/photos/gregpage/4942284533/ Greg Page http://www.flickr.com/photos/gregpage/ TEXBIRDS help file and Texas birding links at: http://moonmountaingroup.com/texbirds Houston TEXBIRDS help file and Texas birding links at: http://moonmountaingroup.com/texbirds
Subject: Rufous Hummingbird, adult male, stunning
From: "Collins, Fred (Commissioner Pct. 3)" <Fred_Collins AT HCTX.NET>
Date: Mon, 30 Aug 2010 15:38:08 -0500

The Kleb Woods Nature Center annual hummingbird festival is not until September 25 but today put us all in the mood. The place is abuzz with 20 or more hummers that include a full adult plumaged male as pretty as I have ever seen. This bird is defending a feeder next to a small water oak in the center of the hummingbird and butterfly garden on the south side of the nature center building. Also present is an adult female Rufous to compliment the squadron of ruby-throats that put on a continuous aerial show one dog-fight after another throughout the day. Come and enjoy. The park is open daily from 7:00 AM to dusk. Fred Collins (281) 357-5324 Director: Kleb Woods Nature Center 20303 Draper Road, Tomball, TX 77377 Commissioner Steve Radack Harris County Precinct 3 www.pct3.hctx.net TEXBIRDS help file and Texas birding links at: http://moonmountaingroup.com/texbirds
Subject: Hummingbird- possible Allen's
From: Greg Page <gregpage1465 AT YAHOO.COM>
Date: Mon, 30 Aug 2010 12:56:55 -0700

Here are photos of the Selasphorus Hummingbird that Jim Hinson posted about earlier. It could be an immature male Allen's. I would appreciate it if people would reply with thier ideas on what species and age the bird is. I took several photos of the tail and different angles of the bird. Side shot & tail view: http://www.flickr.com/photos/gregpage/4942887640/ Side shot: http://www.flickr.com/photos/gregpage/4942298079/ Side shot with good throat view: http://www.flickr.com/photos/gregpage/4942881804/ Back view: http://www.flickr.com/photos/gregpage/4942290693/ Tail shot: http://www.flickr.com/photos/gregpage/4942287759/ Tail shot: http://www.flickr.com/photos/gregpage/4942284533/ Greg Page http://www.flickr.com/photos/gregpage/ TEXBIRDS help file and Texas birding links at: http://moonmountaingroup.com/texbirds Houston
Subject: Pileated Woodpecker-Friendswood
From: janiceyhoughton AT PEOPLEPC.COM
Date: Mon, 30 Aug 2010 13:57:36 -0500

Last week my cousin who lives in Friendswood had a Pileated Woodpecker in his backyard. He has lived there a number of years and has never seen one there before. Are these birds seen often in the Friendswood area? I live near Cummins Creek in Colorado County and hear them in the creek bottomlands (a tributary also runs through our property). Sometimes the birds come up to my house to drum on my power pole. Janice Houghton east of Fayetteville, TX TEXBIRDS help file and Texas birding links at: http://moonmountaingroup.com/texbirds
Subject: Buff-breasted Sandpiper at Junction
From: Rhandy Helton <rjhelton AT VERIZON.NET>
Date: Mon, 30 Aug 2010 12:52:46 -0500

This morning (8:15-8:45) at the Junction Wastewater Facility I had: Least Sandpiper 5 Semipalmated Sandpiper 3 Western Sandpiper 2 Wilson's Phalarope 2 Baird's Sandpiper 1, possibly 2 Buff-breasted Sandpiper 1 All the shorebirds were in the furtherest pond from the entrance to the facility. This pond has a lot of floating sludge and the shorebirds are loving it right now. Myself and Ann Lemon went back just before lunch and took numerous photographs of the Buff-breasted Sandpiper, which is my first record for the county and is a probable county record. The Zone-tailed Hawk was soaring over H377 between town and the state park at 9:15 a.m. Rhandy J. Helton TEXBIRDS help file and Texas birding links at: http://moonmountaingroup.com/texbirds Junction, Tx.
Subject: Houston Hummingbirds (8/30)
From: James Hinson <jmhinson AT ATT.NET>
Date: Mon, 30 Aug 2010 10:25:16 -0700

Made a quick trip over to Steven and Ann Williams yard in far west Houston this morning with Greg Page, to check out their hummers, and was pleased to find numerous goodies. The William's presently have 4 selasphorus in their yard that Steven said had just arrived in the last few days. Hummers present include 1 adult male Rufous, 2 female Rufous, and another which could be an immature male Allen's. Greg took numerous photos, and said he would post them later this afternoon. Any comments on the possible Allen's photos would be welcomed. As always, birders are welcome to visit their yard anytime. You can contact the Williams at 281-463-362 TEXBIRDS help file and Texas birding links at: http://moonmountaingroup.com/texbirds 0. Jim Hinson Houston, Tx. jmhinson AT att.net
Subject: Estero Llano Grande SP WBC (Weslaco)(LTC 054) , 8/29/10
From: Tim Brush <txbrush AT SBCGLOBAL.NET>
Date: Mon, 30 Aug 2010 08:45:28 -0700

John Brush, Gabe DeJong, and I visited Estero Llano Grande State Park in Weslaco late yesterday afternoon (copy of eBird report below). It was nice to see the water levels back to normal, the pauraque in its usual spot, and the Least Bittern fledgling. Regards and good birding, Tim Brush Edinburg, TX Location: Estero Llano Grande SP WBC (Weslaco)(LTC 054) Observation date: 8/29/10 Notes: with Gabe and John. Water down in floodway and in park Number of species: 40 Black-bellied Whistling-Duck 25 Plain Chachalaca 2 Pied-billed Grebe 1 Least Bittern 2 adult male attends full-grown fledgling at Alligator Pond--latter still has some downy fuzz on top of head and stays close to edge of cattails Snowy Egret 1 Little Blue Heron 1 Green Heron 3 Yellow-crowned Night-Heron 1 White-tailed Kite 1 Cooper's Hawk 1 Common Moorhen 8 family group American Coot 1 Killdeer 3 Solitary Sandpiper 4 together on Grebe Marsh Rock Pigeon 8 White-winged Dove 65 Mourning Dove 6 Inca Dove 1 Common Ground-Dove 3 White-tipped Dove 1 Groove-billed Ani 1 Common Pauraque 1 in usual roosting spot on trail to Alligator Pond Buff-bellied Hummingbird 1 Ruby-throated Hummingbird 1 Belted Kingfisher 1 Golden-fronted Woodpecker 4 Great Kiskadee 5 Tropical/Couch's Kingbird 2 Bank Swallow 3 Barn Swallow 50 Cave Swallow 2 Northern Mockingbird 11 Long-billed Thrasher 1 Curve-billed Thrasher 1 European Starling 15 Yellow Warbler (Northern) 2 Northern Waterthrush 1 Red-winged Blackbird 25 Great-tailed Grackle 35 Bronzed Cowbird 5 House Sparrow 7 This report was g TEXBIRDS help file and Texas birding links at: http://moonmountaingroup.com/texbirds enerated automatically by eBird v2(http://ebird.org)
Subject: Lark Sparrows
From: Carolyn <cstallwitz AT WINDSTREAM.NET>
Date: Mon, 30 Aug 2010 08:58:11 -0500

Late yesterday,29th, I had a juvie Cooper's Hawk on top of my feeder pole. He was beautiful and just sat for several minutes looking for prey. This am, in the front yard a flock of at least 26-28 Lark Sparrows flew in to get gravel and grass seeds....one small clump of buffalo grass had seed heads that had been missed by the mower and they were in a frenzy when they found it. Must have been a goog crop of young. Carolyn Stallwitz On the farm 4 miles southwest of Dumas, Moore County, 50 Miles north of Amarillo TEXBIRDS help file and Texas birding links at: http://moonmountaingroup.com/texbirds in the Texas Panhandle.
Subject: Willowbrook Mall Purple Martins - More birds
From: Charmaine Ganson <cgtimes2 AT IX.NETCOM.COM>
Date: Mon, 30 Aug 2010 08:29:00 -0500

We decided to check out the roost at Willowbrook one more time Friday evening and were quite surprised to find roughly 2,000 - 3,000 birds. These may be new birds, I don't know. There are more males in the group and they are not roosting in the Oak trees by Starbucks. They are in the original Oak trees in front of the Room Store maybe a 75 yards away from the Hwy.6. Charmaine Ganson Katy, TX TEXBIRDS help file and Texas birding links at: http://moonmountaingroup.com/texbirds
Subject: Falcon State Park - 8.29.2010
From: James Wheat <james.a.wheat AT GMAIL.COM>
Date: Sun, 29 Aug 2010 20:54:57 -0500

I finally got out birding, though only for a couple of hours. I am listing what I saw today at Falcon, and am not quite versed on what's to be expected just yet, so the list includes all the usual suspects. I was happy to see three Vermilion Flycatchers today; perhaps these are noteworthy. Thanks! James A. Wheat McAllen, TX Great Egret - 2 Turkey Vulture - 25 Black Vulture - 4 Harris's Hawk - 2 Osprey - 3 Plain Chachalaca - 3 Northern Bobwhite - 15 White-winged Dove - 13 Greater Roadrunner - 6 Golden-fronted Woodpecker - 2 Vermilion Flycatcher - 3 Couch's Kingbird - 3 Scissor-tailed Flycatcher - 9 Great Kiskadee - 2 White-eyed Vireo - 1 Barn Swallow - 18 Bewick's Wren - 2 Cactus Wren - 3 Blue-gray Gnatcatcher - 14 Northern Mockingbird - 11 Curve-billed Thrasher - 2 Yellow Warbler - 3 Northern Cardinal - 2 Olive Sparrow - 3 Red-winged Blackbird - 50 Great-tailed Grackle - 33 Hooded Oriole - 1 TEXBIRDS help file and Texas birding links at: http://moonmountaingroup.com/texbirds
Subject: Re: Black-capped Vireo reported from Lubbock County
From: Cameron Carver <c.o.carver AT GMAIL.COM>
Date: Sun, 29 Aug 2010 22:02:53 -0500

Just to clear any confusion, the bird was seen Saturday morning the 28th and it was seen by 3 other in my group. Here are some photos that my father took of the bird - his are better because he had a lot bigger lens. http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4115/4940283542_50e27c9393_z.jpg http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4094/4939697183_24000bf1ce_z.jpg Thanks, Cameron Carver On Sun, Aug 29, 2010 at 9:48 PM, Anthony Hewetson wrote: > Greetings All: > > Cameron Carver located a male Black-capped Vireo at Ransom Lake on Friday > morning - 27 August 2010 - and captured at least one acceptable shot of the > bird. This is the first confirmed record of this species for the Llano > Estacado > Audubon Society's region - and kudos to Cameron for moving it from the > hypothetical list to the confirmed list for the region. > > Anthony Hewetson; Lubbock > > TEXBIRDS help file and Texas birding links at: > http://moonmountaingroup.com/texbirds > TEXBIRDS help file and Texas birding links at: http://moonmountaingroup.com/texbirds
Subject: Fwd: texasbirds.org: Ornithological Schools In Texas
From: dalybar AT AOL.COM
Date: Mon, 30 Aug 2010 08:33:49 -0400

Texbirders, I have received permission from the listowner to post this forwarded messages. Please respond directly to the person requesting information. Thanks. Lynn Barber] Fort Worth -----Original Message----- From: Jordan B. To: dalybar AT aol.com Sent: Sun, Aug 29, 2010 9:51 am Subject: Re: texasbirds.org: Ornithological Schools In Texas That would be wonderful. Thank you. It doesn't have to specifically be an ornithological institute but maybe a school with a good ornithology class and multiple studies going on? ~Jordan B. -----Original Message----- From: Jordan B. To: dalybar AT aol.com Sent: Fri, Jul 9, 2010 9:39 pm Subject: Re: texasbirds.org: Ornithological Schools In Texas I really appreciate the swift reply. I will be in the El Paso area. By the time I transfer, I will be in either my second or third year of college. Thank you. Sincerely, Jordan Budnik --- On Sat, 7/3/10, dalybar AT aol.com wrote: From: dalybar AT aol.com Subject: Re: texasbirds.org: Ornithological Schools In Texas To: ospreylover AT yahoo.com Date: Saturday, July 3, 2010, 11:10 PM Do you have an idea where you will be in Texas? I can contact people in various areas to ask them, but it would narrow it a bit if I knew whether you are going to be in the Valley or El Paso, or north Texas or Austin, etc. I know there are some ornithological research programs around but it's a huge state and it would take a lot of inquiries of many different people to cover the whole place and get some information for you. Lynn Barber, President Texas Ornithological Society -----Original Message----- From: Jordan B. To: DALYBAR AT aol.com Sent: Sat, Jul 3, 2010 5:20 pm Subject: texasbirds.org: Ornithological Schools In Texas This is an enquiry e-mail via http://texasbirds.org/ from: ordan B. Hello. I am most likely moving to Texas in the next year but I will be in my econd year of college and really want to pursue Ornithology. When I researched niversities in Texas, nothing Ornithological came up. Could you please send ome suggestions my way? My move is not exactly optional and it would mean a lot f I could at least find a solid university with the background in Ornithology hat I want. hanks, Jordan B. I really appreciate the swift reply. I will be in the El Paso area. By the time I transfer, I will be in either my second or third year of college. Thank you. Sincerely, Jordan Budnik --- On Sat, 7/3/10, dalybar AT aol.com wrote: From: dalybar AT aol.com Subject: Re: texasbirds.org: Ornithological Schools In Texas To: ospreylover AT yahoo.com Date: Saturday, July 3, 2010, 11:10 PM Do you have an idea where you will be in Texas? I can contact people in various areas to ask them, but it would narrow it a bit if I knew whether you are going to be in the Valley or El Paso, or north Texas or Austin, etc. I know there are some ornithological research programs around but it's a huge state and it would take a lot of inquiries of many different people to cover the whole place and get some information for you. Lynn Barber, President Texas Ornithological Society -----Original Message----- From: Jordan B. To: DALYBAR AT aol.com Sent: Sat, Jul 3, 2010 5:20 pm Subject: texasbirds.org: Ornithological Schools In Texas This is an enquiry e-mail via http://texasbirds.org/ from: ordan B. Hello. I am most likely moving to Texas in the next year but I will be in my econd year of college and really want to pursue Ornithology. When I researched niversities in Texas, nothing Ornithological came up. Could you please send ome suggestions my way? My move is not exactly optional and it would mean a lot f I could at least find a solid university with the background in Ornithology hat I want. hanks, Jordan B. TEXBIRDS help file and Texas birding links at: http://moonmountaingroup.com/texbirds
Subject: FW: Nighthawk
From: Sandi Wheeler <wheels5683 AT SATX.RR.COM>
Date: Mon, 30 Aug 2010 07:06:19 -0500

Yesterday our San Antonio Audubon Group came across a sleeping nighthawk. The group is divided on its identity, common or lesser, so we're throwing it out to a larger audience. Thoughts? Photographs were taken by Ann Mallard. Here's the links to the nighthawk. http://camallard.zenfolio.com/p794251157/h2415ff56#h2415ff56 http://camallard.zenfolio.com/p794251157/h2415ff56#h23e37336 http://camallard.zenfolio.com/p794251157/h2415ff56#h352a38d5 Thanks, Sandi Wheeler Schertz TEXBIRDS help file and Texas birding links at: http://moonmountaingroup.com/texbirds
Subject: NW Austin birds
From: Mikael Behrens <mikaelb+texbirds AT GMAIL.COM>
Date: Mon, 30 Aug 2010 06:36:41 -0500

Howdy, I spent a fun 3.5 hours birding my far northwest Austin neighborhood yesterday morning. Highlights were 1 Bell's Vireo and 4 warbler species. I found 45 species and here's a partial list. Great Blue Heron 1 Snowy Egret 5 Green Heron 1 Killdeer 18 Solitary Sandpiper 3 Least Sandpiper 51 Inca Dove 1 Chimney Swift 12 hummingbird sp. 3 Eastern Phoebe 1 White-eyed Vireo 2 Bell's Vireo 1 Barn Swallow 40 Cave Swallow 2 Cliff/Cave Swallow 2 swallow sp. 2 Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 1 American Robin 11 Yellow Warbler 3 Black-throated Green Warbler 2 Mourning Warbler 2 both first year birds Wilson's Warbler 1 Summer Tanager 1 Painted Bunting 1 green bird Lesser Goldfinch 1 Mikael Behrens Austin Williamson County http://birdingonbroadmeade.blogspot.com/ TEXBIRDS help file and Texas birding links at: http://moonmountaingroup.com/texbirds
Subject: San Antonio Audubon phone message for August 29 2010
From: Georgina Schwartz <gbird AT ATT.NET>
Date: Sun, 29 Aug 2010 22:17:39 -0500

San Antonio Audubon Phone Message August 29, 2010 Telephone number: 210-308-6788 Georgina Schwartz recording. Hello, this is the San Antonio Audubon Society with our August 29 recording of recent bird sightings and an update on coming activities. If you just want to leave a message or report a bird sighting, you may do so at any time by pressing 5 on your Touch-Tone Phone and recording after the beep. Just be sure to add your name and repeat your phone number please. You may also access our website at www.saaudubon.org for more Information about the club, a membership form, directions to the birding places, a complete list of the birds of Bexar County, our newsletters, and some photos of interest. Birding is always good at Warbler Woods, the Schaezlers' property near Cibolo. Call 210-602-8621 for access. They are reporting some fall warblers. Today's outing at the Crescent Bend Nature Park in Schertz found a sleeping nighthawk, lots of Scissortailed Flycatchers, woodpeckers to include a Downy, and some Yellow Warblers. This park has lots of promise as it has creek access, open fields, and lots of woods, and a great hiking path that wanders through it all. And thank you for reporting your birds to this tape so others can find them. The San Antonio Audubon Society has been a birding, education, and conservation club since 1954. The next meeting is Thursday, September 2, at the Lions Field Center on Broadway just south of Mulberry at 7 PM. The program is a film about the search for the Ivory-billed Woodpecker. The "Ghost Bird" tickets are on sale in advance for $5 by emailing Patsy Inglet at tpingletATsatx.rr.com There is a limit on the capacity of the room, so advance ticket purchase is prudent. On Saturday, September 4, at 8 AM we are meeting at the Hornsby Bend sewage ponds and environmental research center in Austin to bird with Dana Green. Her phone number is 830.964.4329. Directions: Take I-35 to Austin and take the exit to Hwy 71 east towards the Bergstrom airport. Go past the airport to FM973 on the left towards Manor. Go over the Colorado River and look for the next driveway on the left. Meet at the Center. Bring water and bugspray. Lunch at a local restaurant. Driving time about 1 ½ hours. On September 11 we are meeting at the Nature trails in Alamo Heights next to the swimming pool on Viesca Street at 8:00 AM for our Beginner's Birdwalk. Directions: from Broadway in Alamo Heights at the 5900 block, turn west on Ogden and go to the stop sign at Greely Street. Turn left one block and turn right on Viesca and go to the first parking lot on the left before the swimming pool. Binoculars are available to lend out. Info at 210-342-2073 All are welcome. You don't have to be a beginner to bird with us. On Sunday, September 12, at 8 AM, meet Don and Susan Schaezler (602-8621) at their Warbler Woods. Take I-35 towards Austin and exit at #76, Wiederstein Rd Turn right on Wiederstein Rd and take the next left on Old Wiederstein Rd After you pass Dean Rd on the right, go to the green mailbox at 19349 Old Wiederstein Rd. You can walk the property or just sit at the pond. You can even bring your lunch. On Tuesday, September 21, at 8 AM meet leaders Sandi Wheeler (659-8168) and Dana Green at the Live Oak City Park. From I-35 toward Austin, take the Judson Rd exit and turn right at the first stop sign. Judson Rd becomes Toepperwein headed for Randolph AFB. At the traffic light at Leafy Hollow, turn left and go to the end of the street which turns into the park. Wednesday, Sept 22, join Georgina Schwartz and all the other hawkwatchers at the Hazel Bazemore Park hawkwatching platform anytime after 8 AM. Take I-37 towards Corpus Christ and exit to US77, exit #14. Take the next right onto FM624 and go past the Calallen High School to a traffic light and a small sign for the county park on the right. Turn right and follow the road to an entrance on the left. Bring your lunch, your chair, drinking water, and sunglasses. The peak of the migration is expected on the 23rd, but there is hawkwatching going on all month until November 15. The Celebration of Flight is Sept 24-26 with all kinds of festivities. You can check their website at www.ccbirding.org for more details. Join us for the day. On Sunday, September26, at 8 AM, we will meet leader Tim Katafias to bird at Avenue A to be followed by the San Antonio Botanical Garden. Meet him at the parking lots on Red Oak in Brackenridge Park north of Mulberry. There is a fee at the gardens. Tim's phone number is 557-9915 There will be bird outings at Mitchell Lake Audubon Center beginning at 8 AM on the 2nd Sunday, the 2nd Tuesday, the 3rd Sunday. and the 4th Saturday. The Mitchell Lake Audubon Center is open each Saturday and Sunday from 8 to 4. A small fee is charged since this place is now an Audubon Center. Just ring the buzzer and they will open the gate. Other hours available by appointment. Just call the Center at 210-628-1639.The gate is on the left 0.7 mile south of loop 410 at Moursund Blvd, exit #46. Every one is welcome at our activities and you don't have to be a member to participate. If you would like more information or membership in our group, just leave your name and phone number after the beep and someone will return your call. Happy Birding! TEXBIRDS help file and Texas birding links at: http://moonmountaingroup.com/texbirds
Subject: Black-capped Vireo reported from Lubbock County
From: Anthony Hewetson <terrverts AT YAHOO.COM>
Date: Sun, 29 Aug 2010 19:48:13 -0700

Greetings All: Cameron Carver located a male Black-capped Vireo at Ransom Lake on Friday morning - 27 August 2010 - and captured at least one acceptable shot of the bird. This is the first confirmed record of this species for the Llano Estacado Audubon Society's region - and kudos to Cameron for moving it from the hypothetical list to the confirmed list for the region. Anthony Hewetson; Lubbock TEXBIRDS help file and Texas birding links at: http://moonmountaingroup.com/texbirds
Subject: 8-29-10 Migrants @ Warbler Woods
From: Susan Schaezler <warblerwoods AT GMAIL.COM>
Date: Sun, 29 Aug 2010 20:16:35 -0500

8-29-10 Migrants AT Warbler Woods Today started with my heading out the garage, to the blind-as I opened the garage door, I heard/saw a bird fluttering by the window-ended up being a FOS Yellow-breasted Chat! Lot's of visitors today-thanks for coming! I have also provided the ebird monitors with pictures of the Nashville and American Goldfinch-both of these birds trigger the ebird RBA, although they aren't that rare. Btw-the Comal group had an Orange-crowned Warbler yesterday-the one I had last week was an Orange-crowned Warbler and not a pale Fall Yellow Warbler. Yellow have pinkish/flesh colored legs-OC have darker legs. Fall OC still have a slight line through their eye-Yellow don't-they have a slight ring around their eyes. Yellow undertails are yellow till the end, with slight darker color on the outside-OC have tail extension of a darker color and seriously, they aren't the right shade of yellow. New arrivals today: Summer Tanager, Yellow-breasted Chat, Indigo Bunting We were honored to have Dr. and Mrs. Keith Arnold visit today-I showed him the pictures of yesterday's Mourning and he said that the bird was molting and that is why it had a gray chest. I knew that the eye and undertail looked like a Mourning, but the chest was of concern. I tend to dissect birds on my computer screen. Hope you can visit soon-just email to get permission. Location: Warbler Woods Observation date: 8/29/10 Number of species: 31 Black-bellied Whistling-Duck 1 Black Vulture 4 White-winged Dove 20 Mourning Dove 10 Common Ground-Dove 5 Common Nighthawk 1 Chimney Swift 3 Ruby-throated Hummingbird 2 Black-chinned Hummingbird 3 Ladder-backed Woodpecker 3 Eastern Wood-Pewee 1 White-eyed Vireo 5 American Crow 1 Carolina Chickadee 7 Black-crested Titmouse 20 Carolina Wren 3 Bewick's Wren 5 Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 1 Northern Mockingbird 5 Nashville Warbler 1 Wilson's Warbler 1 Yellow-breasted Chat 3 Summer Tanager 1 Northern Cardinal 25 Indigo Bunting 1 Great-tailed Grackle 2 Orchard Oriole 3 House Finch 40 Lesser Goldfinch 15 American Goldfinch 1 House Sparrow 35 This report was generated automatically by eBird v2(http://ebird.org) Susan Schaezler...twitter.com/susanwarbler Warbler Woods Bird Sanctuary, 501 ( c )(3) www.warblerwoods.com San Antonio/New Braunfels GCBO Site Partner TEXBIRDS help file and Texas birding links at: http://moonmountaingroup.com/texbirds
Subject: Resaca de la Palma State Park 8/28/10
From: Gilberto Hernandez <professorgigs AT YAHOO.COM>
Date: Sun, 29 Aug 2010 16:34:59 -0700

Yesterday's trip to Resaca de la Palma was fun, but not very birdy. Best bird of the day was a Solitary Sandpiper. More details on my blog at http://www.zambullidore.blogspot.com/. Black-bellied Whistling Duck-15 Plain Chachalaca-1 Least Grebe-1 Pied-billed Grebe-2 Anhinga-1 Yellow-crowned Night Heron-6 Green Heron-2 White-tailed Kite-3 Turkey Vulture-5 Crested Caracara-1 Common Moorhen-3 Solitary Sandpiper-1 Mourning Dove-2 White-winged Dove-3 White-tipped Dove-1 Groove-billed Ani-40 Buff-bellied Hummingbird-1 Green Kingfisher-1 Golden-fronted Woodpecker-3 Brown-crested Flycatcher-1 Western Kingbird-1 Couch's Kingbird-1 Tropical Kingbird-1 Great Kiskadee-3 Green Jay-2 Red-winged Blackbird-100 Great-tailed Grackle-3 House Sparrow-2 TEXBIRDS help file and Texas birding links at: http://moonmountaingroup.com/texbirds
Subject: Highlights from southwest of Lubbock today
From: Anthony Hewetson <terrverts AT YAHOO.COM>
Date: Sun, 29 Aug 2010 14:48:35 -0700

Greetings All: I spent the bulk of the day chasing critters in Lubbock, Hockley, Cochran, and Yoakum Counties. Lubbock County highlight: 1 Ring-billed Gull at the park in Wolfforth. Hockley County highlights: 4 Western Sandpipers, 2 Least Sandpipers, and 11 Stilt Sandpipers at the playa near FM 1585 and Hard Hat Road. Cochran County highlight: 12 Lark Buntings south of Whiteface. Yoakum County highlights: 1 Solitary Sandpiper at the pond at CR 2196 and CR 365, 1 Spotted Sandpiper at Yoakum County Park, 2 Baird's Sandpipers at a playa along CR 365 just south of CR 2196, 1 Upland Sandpiper near CR 1780 and CR 130, 2 Upland Sandpipers near CR 1780 and CR 2196, 2 Upland Sandpipers near CR 1780 and Highway 380, 14 Long-billed Dowitchers above the wetland along CR 150 just west of Highway 214, 6 Wilson's Phalaropes and 4 Black Terns at the pond at CR 2196 and CR 365, 1 female Broad-tailed Hummingbird at Denver City Recreational Trail, 1 subadult male Rufous Hummingbird at the Denver City Rest Area, 1 Olive-sided Flycatcher near the intersection of CR 1585 and CR 150, 1 Olive-sided Flycatcher at Plains City Park, 1 Western Wood Pewee at Yoakum County Park, 1 Willow Flycatcher near the CR 1780 and CR 270, 1 Willow Flycatcher near Highway 214 and CR 150, 1 Least Flycatcher at the Denver City Recreational Trail, 2 Tree Swallows near CR 2196 and CR 1780, 2 Bank Swallows at Yoakum County Park, 14 Cave Swallows near CR 1780 and Highway 213, 1 VIRGINIA'S WARBLER at the Denver City Rest Area, 2 Yellow Warbler at the Denver City Recreational Trail, 2 Yellow Warblers at Plains City Park, and 1 Black-and-white Warbler at Plains County Park. Anthony Hewetson; Lubbock TEXBIRDS help file and Texas birding links at: http://moonmountaingroup.com/texbirds
Subject: raptors, shorebirds and others in NE Texas this weekend
From: peter barnes <pbarnes123 AT GMAIL.COM>
Date: Sun, 29 Aug 2010 16:05:06 -0500

Had a few interesting sightings in Red River County yesterday: a Swainson's Hawk and 2 American Kestrels on FM 410 south of Detroit, 41 Upland Sandpipers on the ground on FM410 south of Detroit and Hwy 82 and CR2104, east of Detroit. At the latter location was a Yellow-crowned Night Heron feeding in a field with Cattle Egrets, which seemed odd. In a pond on FM1397 on the northern outskirts of Texarkana, I had 2 Black-bellied Whistling Ducks yesterday. This morning, at the boat ramp near the dam at Lake Bob Sandlin, Titus County, I had a Buff-breasted, Pectoral, Spotted, Semipalmated and 6 Least Sandpipers on the dry shoreline near the dam. Thanks to Dave Brotherton for pointing out this spot last weekend. There were also 4 Black-bellied Whistling Ducks (2 adults and 2 large ducklings) and an Osprey there. Peter Barnes, Tyler TEXBIRDS help file and Texas birding links at: http://moonmountaingroup.com/texbirds
Subject: Making it to 200 in Yoakum County
From: Anthony Hewetson <terrverts AT YAHOO.COM>
Date: Sun, 29 Aug 2010 13:43:28 -0700

Greetings All: I spent five hours in Yoakum County (southwest of Lubbock) today with the goal of pushing my bird list for the county from 190 to 200 species. I had made a list of thirty species which I had not yet seen in the county but which are reasonable for the region during the latter half of August. The list was depressingly laden down with water birds (23 of the species could be said to be water-dependent or water-favoring) and the success (or lack thereof) would depend almost entirely on my ability to find water in this notoriously dry county. I entered the county from the north crossing into Yoakum County from Cochran County on CR 1780 and quickly picked up species 191 - with an Upland Sandpiper sitting atop a fence post north of the intersection of CR 1780 and CR 130. We have had an unusually large supply of this species in the region this year; I had anticipated adding this one without difficulty. I continued southward on CR 1780 all the way to CR 1939 with no species added to the county list - an excursion eastward on CR 300 was both a challenging drive (deep sand and ruts) and a failure in terms of finding surface water: the playa was dry! I headed westward on CR 1939 to Denver City where my luck picked up. A short stop at the Denver City Recreation Trail kicked out a beautiful female Broad-tailed Hummingbird (#192) and a stop at the Denver City Rest Area yielded an even more beautiful male Rufous Hummingbird (#193). It has been a great fall for hummingbirds - away from feeders, thanks to abundant rain and resultant flowers - and I had expected to pick up at least one of these. Finding both was a treat! I stopped at Yoakum County Park and very carefully scrutinized the swallows working the ponds at the adjacent golf course. Amidst the hordes of Barn Swallows I noted 2 Bank Swallows, an expected species at this time of year and one that should have already been on my list (#194). I continued northward on Highway 214 all the way past Plains and then turned westward on CR 150 to check out a potential playa. The playa was there, there was water, and the vegetation was so thick that absolutely no birds could be seen. I did hear Long-billed Dowitchers, however, so I hung out a bit in hopes that something would flush them. A pair of dueling Swainson's Hawks showed up as I was chasing butterflies and I was rewarded with the sight of 14 Long-billed Dowitchers popping up, swirling about, and dropping down (#195). I headed back down Highway 214 and turned eastward on CR 2196, quickly making my way to the generally unrewarding pond at the intersection of CR 2196 and CR 365. This time the pond was useful: 4 Black Terns flying over the pond (#196), 6 Wilson's Phalaropes swirling on the pond's surface (#197), and 1 Solitary Sandpiper working a log that sloped down into the pond (#198). There is a good stand of willows just south of CR 2196 viewable, to the east, from CR 365 and I decided to see if this usually dry 'playa' had any juice this exceptionally wet year. It was down to a puddle but the puddle held two peeps; Baird's Sandpipers to be precise and I was happy to tally #199 for the county. One left to go and no idea at all about where to go and find more water. I continued eastward along CR 2196 and, just short of its intersection with CR 1780 I passed a couple of strongly contrasting swallows atop a power line over a damp area that could charitably be called a 'marsh'. I hit the brakes, turned around, and drove back down the road to my 200th species for Yoakum County - Tree Swallow. This is another expected species in the region during fall migration: the only surprise here is that I had not added it to my county list before. This is, by the way, the dampest I have ever seen Yoakum County ... and it was none too damp! I will post a complete list of highlights from the trip later today. Anthony Hewetson; Lubbock TEXBIRDS help file and Texas birding links at: http://moonmountaingroup.com/texbirds
Subject: SPHW, past week
From: John Arvin <jarvin AT GCBO.ORG>
Date: Sun, 29 Aug 2010 13:14:36 -0500

I have been remiss on posting the raptor count from Smith Point. Here it is for the past several days: August 24: Osprey 1 Mississippi Kite 263 Swallow-tailed Kite 4 Cooper's Hawk 5 Broad-winged Hawk 39 Swainson's Hawk 13 White-tailed Hawk 1 August 25: Mississippi Kite 277 Swallow-tailed Kite 1 Broad-winged Hawk 82 Swainson's Hawk 7 American Kestrel 1 August 26: Osprey 1 Mississippi Kite 32 Swallow-tailed Kite 1 Cooper's Hawk 5 Broad-winged Hawk 43 Swainson's Hawk 3 American Kestrel 1 August 27: Mississippi Kite 18 Swallow-tailed Kite 1 White-tailed Kite 2 Broad-winged Hawk 22 American Kestrel 1 Merlin 1 August 28: Mississippi Kite 8 Swallow-tailed Kite 1 White-tailed Kite 1 Cooper's Hawk 3 Broad-winged Hawk 7 Broad-winged Hawk 22 Crested Caracara 1 John C. Arvin Research Coordinator Gulf Coast Bird Observatory 103 West Hwy 332 Lake Jackson, TX 77566 jarvin AT gcbo.org www.gcbo.org TEXBIRDS help file and Texas birding links at: http://moonmountaingroup.com/texbirds
Subject: Swifts Over Houston - Bellaire Swift Night Out - 8/31/10
From: Pam Smolen <pjsmolen AT ATT.NET>
Date: Sun, 29 Aug 2010 10:42:53 -0700

Our exciting Houston Area Swift Night Out Events continue this Tuesday evening in the Bellaire area. We will meet at the Whole Foods Market (4004 Bellaire Blvd, 77025) parking lot about 7:15 pm. Whole Foods Market will be providing snacks. A group will also meet at Pershing Middle School (3838 Bluebonnet Blvd, 77025) parking lot about 7:15 pm. We will watch as the swifts gather at their roost site prior to sunset. We will then count them as they enter their chimney for the evening. Sunset on Tuesday evening is 7:44 pm. Last Tuesday evening we counted 310 swifts at Whole Foods and 457 swifts at Pershing. The event is sponsored by Houston Audubon Society, Nature Discovery Center, and Whol TEXBIRDS help file and Texas birding links at: http://moonmountaingroup.com/texbirds e Foods Market. Pam Smolen Houston
Subject: Re: Please check out this Oporornis
From: Susan Schaezler <susan AT SCHAEZLER.NET>
Date: Sun, 29 Aug 2010 12:32:27 -0500

Keith just left here Looked at Mourning and said the dark chest was due to molting Susan Schaezler Sent from my iPhone On Aug 29, 2010, at 11:45 AM, Brush Freeman wrote: > Mourning Warbler...I am in truck waiting for Keith who is to meet me > at noon......B > > On 8/28/10, Susan Schaezler wrote: >> Hi Mel, I didn't recall posting this to Texbirds, thanks for sharing. >> >> >> >> We ID'd this bird as a Mourning Warbler in the field, in fact I twittered >> about it this morning, but when I looked at the pictures, some questions >> came up. The eye ring didn't "pop" out to me as far as a MacGillivray's, >> but it seemed more than your typical Fall Mourning. The gray on the chest >> was what surprised me in the pictures, in how far it went down the chest. >> The undertail seemed to be intermediate between the Mourning and >> MacGillivray's, but it was also off-center. This area was still in the >> shadows, so lighting wasn't ideal. >> >> >> >> Dr. Arnold is coming to pick up specimums in the morning and I'll show him >> the images-as I was reading, I learned that there is an intermediate >> undertail MacGillivray's pattern for interior birds, which is closer to the >> undertail of a Mourning-curious about that. Fall Warblers are so much fun! >> >> >> >> The MacGillivray's that I had a few days ago had very obvious arcs that >> "popped" out at you! >> >> >> >> Susan Schaezler...twitter.com/susanwarbler >> >> Warbler Woods Bird Sanctuary, 501 ( c )(3) >> >> www.warblerwoods.com >> >> San Antonio/New Braunfels >> >> GCBO Site Partner >> >> >> >> From: Arlie and Mel Cooksey [mailto:cooksey AT stx.rr.com] >> Sent: Saturday, August 28, 2010 7:24 PM >> To: Susan Schaezler >> Cc: texbirds AT LISTS.TEXBIRDS.ORG >> Subject: Re: Please check out this Oporornis >> >> >> >> I believe this is an immature male Mourning Warbler. The throat appears >> yellowish, >> >> which is a character that is applied to MOWA, but is not 100% consistent. I >> see a few >> >> imm. MOWAs here in fall that appear to be whitish-throated, but perhaps >> that is a >> >> condition of light. The eye ring looks fairly typical of what I see on MOWA, >> although >> >> this one is maybe a little more crescent-shaped, sort of like >> MacGillivray's. The >> >> eyering on this bird seems to be tapered at the break, typical for MOWA and >> >> unlike MGWA. The bird appears to be wet, making it difficult to determine >> the >> >> extent or pattern of the breast band, but it looks likely for imm. male >> MOWA. >> >> Some young MGWAs have dusky olive flanks, hard to determine on this bird. >> >> >> >> Mourning Warblers are fogging through South Texas. I had 12-15 today around >> Corpus. >> >> >> >> Mel Cooksey >> >> Corpus Christi >> >> ----- Original Message ----- >> >> From: Susan Schaezler >> >> To: susan AT schaezler.net >> >> Sent: Saturday, August 28, 2010 1:48 PM >> >> Subject: Please check out this Oporornis >> >> >> >> Please check out today's bird-I just love pictures-poor light for this bird >> >> >> >> Susan Schaezler...twitter.com/susanwarbler >> >> Warbler Woods Bird Sanctuary, 501 ( c )(3) >> >> www.warblerwoods.com >> >> San Antonio/New Braunfels >> >> GCBO Site Partner >> >> >> >> >> TEXBIRDS help file and Texas birding links at: >> http://moonmountaingroup.com/texbirds >> > > > -- > Brush Freeman > Field Biologist > Texas Environmental Studies and Analysis > C 361-655-7641 > TXESA.Com > Blog: http://texasnaturenotes.blogspot.com/ > Life Member of TOS > > TEXBIRDS help file and Texas birding links at: http://moonmountaingroup.com/texbirds TEXBIRDS help file and Texas birding links at: http://moonmountaingroup.com/texbirds
Subject: Polliwog Ponds
From: lmj6464 AT AIM.COM
Date: Sun, 29 Aug 2010 13:19:02 -0400

Dear Texbirders, This morning I went out to Polliwog Ponds which turned out to be fairly birdy. The White-tipped Doves were quite vocal early, but shut down by 8:30 or so. A few Blue-winged Teal have arrived. As is usual at Polliwog this time of year, the place was full of night-herons, predominantly immature Yellow-crowns. I missed the pair of Green Kingfishers that have been regular on the North Pond. Other noteworthy birds in addition to the regulars include: Eastern Wood-Pewee - several Yellow-bellied Flycatcher unidentified empids - 2 Great-creasted Flycatcher - several Purple Martin Bank Swallow Cave Swallow Yellow Warbler - several Mourning Warbler Common Yellowthroat Wilson's Warbler - several Canada Warbler Yellow-breasted Chat - 2 Orchard Oriole - numerous Larry Jordan Corpus Christi TEXBIRDS help file and Texas birding links at: http://moonmountaingroup.com/texbirds
Subject: Re: Please check out this Oporornis
From: Brush Freeman <brushfreeman AT GMAIL.COM>
Date: Sun, 29 Aug 2010 11:45:33 -0500

Mourning Warbler...I am in truck waiting for Keith who is to meet me at noon......B On 8/28/10, Susan Schaezler wrote: > Hi Mel, I didn't recall posting this to Texbirds, thanks for sharing. > > > > We ID'd this bird as a Mourning Warbler in the field, in fact I twittered > about it this morning, but when I looked at the pictures, some questions > came up. The eye ring didn't "pop" out to me as far as a MacGillivray's, > but it seemed more than your typical Fall Mourning. The gray on the chest > was what surprised me in the pictures, in how far it went down the chest. > The undertail seemed to be intermediate between the Mourning and > MacGillivray's, but it was also off-center. This area was still in the > shadows, so lighting wasn't ideal. > > > > Dr. Arnold is coming to pick up specimums in the morning and I'll show him > the images-as I was reading, I learned that there is an intermediate > undertail MacGillivray's pattern for interior birds, which is closer to the > undertail of a Mourning-curious about that. Fall Warblers are so much fun! > > > > The MacGillivray's that I had a few days ago had very obvious arcs that > "popped" out at you! > > > > Susan Schaezler...twitter.com/susanwarbler > > Warbler Woods Bird Sanctuary, 501 ( c )(3) > > www.warblerwoods.com > > San Antonio/New Braunfels > > GCBO Site Partner > > > > From: Arlie and Mel Cooksey [mailto:cooksey AT stx.rr.com] > Sent: Saturday, August 28, 2010 7:24 PM > To: Susan Schaezler > Cc: texbirds AT LISTS.TEXBIRDS.ORG > Subject: Re: Please check out this Oporornis > > > > I believe this is an immature male Mourning Warbler. The throat appears > yellowish, > > which is a character that is applied to MOWA, but is not 100% consistent. I > see a few > > imm. MOWAs here in fall that appear to be whitish-throated, but perhaps > that is a > > condition of light. The eye ring looks fairly typical of what I see on MOWA, > although > > this one is maybe a little more crescent-shaped, sort of like > MacGillivray's. The > > eyering on this bird seems to be tapered at the break, typical for MOWA and > > unlike MGWA. The bird appears to be wet, making it difficult to determine > the > > extent or pattern of the breast band, but it looks likely for imm. male > MOWA. > > Some young MGWAs have dusky olive flanks, hard to determine on this bird. > > > > Mourning Warblers are fogging through South Texas. I had 12-15 today around > Corpus. > > > > Mel Cooksey > > Corpus Christi > > ----- Original Message ----- > > From: Susan Schaezler > > To: susan AT schaezler.net > > Sent: Saturday, August 28, 2010 1:48 PM > > Subject: Please check out this Oporornis > > > > Please check out today's bird-I just love pictures-poor light for this bird > > > > Susan Schaezler...twitter.com/susanwarbler > > Warbler Woods Bird Sanctuary, 501 ( c )(3) > > www.warblerwoods.com > > San Antonio/New Braunfels > > GCBO Site Partner > > > > > TEXBIRDS help file and Texas birding links at: > http://moonmountaingroup.com/texbirds > -- Brush Freeman Field Biologist Texas Environmental Studies and Analysis C 361-655-7641 TXESA.Com Blog: http://texasnaturenotes.blogspot.com/ Life Member of TOS TEXBIRDS help file and Texas birding links at: http://moonmountaingroup.com/texbirds
Subject: Marathon area + owl notes
From: H T <txbirdergirl AT YAHOO.COM>
Date: Sun, 29 Aug 2010 09:37:55 -0700

I've been relishing my time away from the internet, but of course things have been piling up without the opportunity to post! Thursday 26 - Osprey along Hwy 90 heading E just outside of Marathon Friday 27 - Burrowing Owl roadkill ~4 miles E of Marathon on Hwy 90 Why is the Burrowing Owl far too exciting for me? I've now brought Eastern Screech, Barn, Barred, Long-eared and... oddly I think the Great Horned was not mine, but if we include transport... this would be the last of the somewhat-normal owls for me to bring to the TAMU freezer! Now if only I could find Short-eared in good condition... (not to mention Elf or Ferruginous Pygmy!) Perhaps I need some less morbid goals in life. Anyway, a juv. Northern Harrier has been around for about a week now, Upland Sandpipers continue to stick though we now hear them at night as well as during the day. Lark Bunting numbers are now two digits on a regular basis with increasing numbers of females. Kestrel numbers are now up from 1 to 3 along the road into work, and Rufous Hummers are up to at least two or three, though they've now displaced most of the Ruby-throats at the house. We hear a Barn Owl down the street on a more regular basis now, as well as see more bats in the evening. Matt and I haven't been able to get to Post Park as much as we'd hoped, but there's good news. The adult Summer Tanagers are now feeding baby Summer Tanagers. Our previous trip had adult SUTA feeding a young Brown-headed Cowbird. There's also a young coot afloat and somehow a giant koi is thriving in the pond - it's easily a foot long. Happy trails, -h Heidi Trudell Marathon, TX TEXBIRDS help file and Texas birding links at: http://moonmountaingroup.com/texbirds
Subject: Re: Female First Winter Mourning Warbler ??
From: Mitch <mitch AT UTOPIANATURE.COM>
Date: Sat, 28 Aug 2010 21:40:24 -0500

Hi ya, The eye-ring looks good for Mourning, in shape, crisp, thin, neat, not bushy outwardly. The long undertail coverts, about half way out it looks, yellow throat, big bill, all say Mourning Warbler. Though all Mourning may not have yellow throats, I do not think any immature MacGillivray's can have more than a pale pale wash or barely detectable yellow tone in the freshest plumage. They are usually white to ashy white or dirty white to light gray in the throat, never staurated yellow as this bird. Mitch Mitch Heindel Utopia, Texas www.utopianature.com ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Subject: [texbirds] Female First Winter Mourning Warbler ?? The eye-ring does not look correct, but it does have yellow all the way to the beak. http://www.flickr.com/photos/25073316 AT N06/4936010221/ Your comments will be appreciated. Good Birding, Lee Pasquali TEXBIRDS help file and Texas birding links at: http://moonmountaingroup.com/texbirds
Subject: Female First Winter Mourning Warbler ??
From: Lee Pasquali <l.pasquali AT HOTMAIL.COM>
Date: Sat, 28 Aug 2010 21:07:34 -0500

Hi Texas Birders, At the link below is what I believe to be a female first winter Mourning Warbler found yesterday at Guadalupe River State Park just north of San Antonio. The eye-ring does not look correct, but it does have yellow all the way to the beak. http://www.flickr.com/photos/25073316 AT N06/4936010221/ Your comments will be appreciated. Good Birding, Lee Pasquali TEXBIRDS help file and Texas birding links at: http://moonmountaingroup.com/texbirds
Subject: 8-28-10 Nashville, Mourning, Wilsons, Am. Goldfinch @ Warbler Woods
From: Warbler woods <warblerwoods AT GMAIL.COM>
Date: Sat, 28 Aug 2010 20:46:27 -0500

8-28-10 Nashville, Mourning, Wilsons, Am. Goldfinch AT Warbler Woods Very fun day today--lots of friends and visitors and only a few got out on the trails, so most of the birds were in the backyard Warbler Pond area. I posted 3 of our birds to ebird earlier, so they aren't on this list. I actually didn't add to the list after everyone left, other than the Orchard Orioles. We are approaching Sept. 1st, so some birds hit the rare category--Nashville Warbler was back for a 2nd day and seen by 4 of us. American Goldfinch was seen by 5, along with the Mourning Warbler, which showed up in dim light today and was ID'd at that time as a Mourning. When I saw the pictures, I wondered about a few markings and asked for clarification from Birdsperts. The sun doesn't hit the Warbler Pond until noon at this time of year. I had something funny happen this evening--my son called from the gate and asked if I had ordered some Cedar Waxwings--I asked for clarification and he told me the birds were in a bag on the gate--I learned later that they had been delivered for Dr. Arnold, who is picking up specimums tomorrow--not what I "normally" expect--they weren't current birds. Susan Schaezler WarblerWoods.com Cibolo/Schertz Location: Warbler Woods Observation date: 8/28/10 Number of species: 30 Black Vulture 4 Red-shouldered Hawk 1 Killdeer 1 White-winged Dove 40 Mourning Dove 25 Common Ground-Dove 3 Yellow-billed Cuckoo 1 Greater Roadrunner 1 Ruby-throated Hummingbird 3 Black-chinned Hummingbird 1 Ladder-backed Woodpecker 2 Loggerhead Shrike 1 White-eyed Vireo 3 Barn Swallow 4 Carolina Chickadee 3 Black-crested Titmouse 5 Carolina Wren 3 Northern Mockingbird 5 Yellow Warbler 1 Mourning Warbler 1 Wilson's Warbler 1 Lark Sparrow 2 Northern Cardinal 22 Blue Grosbeak 1 Painted Bunting 3 Orchard Oriole 3 Baltimore Oriole 1 House Finch 6 Lesser Goldfinch 12 House Sparrow 9 This report was generated automatically by eBird v2(http://ebird.org) Sent from my iPad TEXBIRDS help file and Texas birding links at: http://moonmountaingroup.com/texbirds
Subject: Smith point migrant pictures from Wednesday
From: Joseph Kennedy <josephkennedy36 AT GMAIL.COM>
Date: Sat, 28 Aug 2010 20:06:49 -0500

Lots of migrants moving through Smith point now. They seem to go whether or not the wind is right. The best numbers of birds keep on moving during the morning and cross by bay by mid morning. Some like empidonax and deep wood birds also stay. Gnatcatchers, flycatchers, doves, swallows and some others migrate all day. Land birds also reverse course up the peninsula so places like Gau road can be better later in the day as birds move back north. I had my first wave of great crested flycatchers Wednesday morning with birds in the trees and on the ground. More like a big kingbird flock http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/127893445 A good chance to count the bristles around the bill http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/127893444 And perched http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/127893430 Migration can be dangerous as evidenced by this chuck-will's-widow http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/127893415 Blue-gray gnatcatchers are the dominant migrant on Smith point passing in hundreds and thousands and are found in any and all habitats http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/127893404 Some have crests http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/127893405 Need to check their feet http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/127893413 In other parts of the state you need to check the undertail to verify the species of gnatcatcher http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/127893411 It helps when they give a good look http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/127893412 The vast stream of swallows can make a dull hawk day great. Several years ago one of the counters counted more than 1000 rough-winged swallows a minute going by just over the tower and that was only a tiny part of the river. Bank swallows go by in spurts rather than a long stream on many days http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/127893353 They do a lot of preening when they stop http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/127893357 Some birds are molting fairly heavily while moving as shown by the pin-feathers http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/127893361 I still have lots of problems with very young cliff/cave swallows. I think that this is a cliff swallow judging by the breast band. http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/127893342 It looks more cliffy from the top http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/127893347 Purple martins tend to linger at the point after they are gone from many other areas http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/127893338 A buff-breasted sandpiper had joined the turnstones and sanderlings at the shell dump near the park. Eventually I was able to call it in for better pictures http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/127893252 http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/127893255 It did not run straight in but fed along the way http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/127893256 http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/127893257 Eventually it got very close http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/127893260 And finally noticed that the squeak was not what it was supposed to be http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/127893262 It did very well with the foraging and needed a lot of scratching http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/127893241 And of course the vast numbers of dragonflies migrating at the point provide food for many sorts of birds even though they confuse the watchers when vast numbers fill the sky http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/127892987 You can browse all the pictures at http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/inbox -- Joseph C. Kennedy on Buffalo Bayou in West Houston Josephkennedy36 AT gmail.com TEXBIRDS help file and Texas birding links at: http://moonmountaingroup.com/texbirds
Subject: Re: Please check out this Oporornis
From: Susan Schaezler <warblerwoods AT GMAIL.COM>
Date: Sat, 28 Aug 2010 20:08:11 -0500

Hi Mel, I didn't recall posting this to Texbirds, thanks for sharing. We ID'd this bird as a Mourning Warbler in the field, in fact I twittered about it this morning, but when I looked at the pictures, some questions came up. The eye ring didn't "pop" out to me as far as a MacGillivray's, but it seemed more than your typical Fall Mourning. The gray on the chest was what surprised me in the pictures, in how far it went down the chest. The undertail seemed to be intermediate between the Mourning and MacGillivray's, but it was also off-center. This area was still in the shadows, so lighting wasn't ideal. Dr. Arnold is coming to pick up specimums in the morning and I'll show him the images-as I was reading, I learned that there is an intermediate undertail MacGillivray's pattern for interior birds, which is closer to the undertail of a Mourning-curious about that. Fall Warblers are so much fun! The MacGillivray's that I had a few days ago had very obvious arcs that "popped" out at you! Susan Schaezler...twitter.com/susanwarbler Warbler Woods Bird Sanctuary, 501 ( c )(3) www.warblerwoods.com San Antonio/New Braunfels GCBO Site Partner From: Arlie and Mel Cooksey [mailto:cooksey AT stx.rr.com] Sent: Saturday, August 28, 2010 7:24 PM To: Susan Schaezler Cc: texbirds AT LISTS.TEXBIRDS.ORG Subject: Re: Please check out this Oporornis I believe this is an immature male Mourning Warbler. The throat appears yellowish, which is a character that is applied to MOWA, but is not 100% consistent. I see a few imm. MOWAs here in fall that appear to be whitish-throated, but perhaps that is a condition of light. The eye ring looks fairly typical of what I see on MOWA, although this one is maybe a little more crescent-shaped, sort of like MacGillivray's. The eyering on this bird seems to be tapered at the break, typical for MOWA and unlike MGWA. The bird appears to be wet, making it difficult to determine the extent or pattern of the breast band, but it looks likely for imm. male MOWA. Some young MGWAs have dusky olive flanks, hard to determine on this bird. Mourning Warblers are fogging through South Texas. I had 12-15 today around Corpus. Mel Cooksey Corpus Christi ----- Original Message ----- From: Susan Schaezler To: susan AT schaezler.net Sent: Saturday, August 28, 2010 1:48 PM Subject: Please check out this Oporornis Please check out today's bird-I just love pictures-poor light for this bird Susan Schaezler...twitter.com/susanwarbler Warbler Woods Bird Sanctuary, 501 ( c )(3) www.warblerwoods.com San Antonio/New Braunfels GCBO Site Partner TEXBIRDS help file and Texas birding links at: http://moonmountaingroup.com/texbirds
Subject: Choke Canyon St Park
From: Sonny & Iris Bratz <ibratz AT SBCGLOBAL.NET>
Date: Sat, 28 Aug 2010 17:51:17 -0700

I made my first trip to Choke Canyon State Park, birding the Calliham Unit, primarily the 75-acre lake area. Highlights were 8 Yellow Warblers, 4 or 5 Blue Gray Gnatcatchers, a Green Kingfisher, a couple of Anhingas, and a Yellow-billed Cuckoo. I also saw a Harris's Hawk on Hwy 281, just before its intersection with hwy 72. Seems like a great blace to bird. Sonny Bratz Victoria TEXBIRDS help file and Texas birding links at: http://moonmountaingroup.com/texbirds
Subject: Re: Please check out this Oporornis
From: Arlie and Mel Cooksey <cooksey AT STX.RR.COM>
Date: Sat, 28 Aug 2010 19:23:46 -0500

I believe this is an immature male Mourning Warbler. The throat appears yellowish, which is a character that is applied to MOWA, but is not 100% consistent. I see a few imm. MOWAs here in fall that appear to be whitish-throated, but perhaps that is a condition of light. The eye ring looks fairly typical of what I see on MOWA, although this one is maybe a little more crescent-shaped, sort of like MacGillivray's. The eyering on this bird seems to be tapered at the break, typical for MOWA and unlike MGWA. The bird appears to be wet, making it difficult to determine the extent or pattern of the breast band, but it looks likely for imm. male MOWA. Some young MGWAs have dusky olive flanks, hard to determine on this bird. Mourning Warblers are fogging through South Texas. I had 12-15 today around Corpus. Mel Cooksey Corpus Christi ----- Original Message ----- From: Susan Schaezler To: susan AT schaezler.net Sent: Saturday, August 28, 2010 1:48 PM Subject: Please check out this Oporornis Please check out today's bird-I just love pictures-poor light for this bird Susan Schaezler...twitter.com/susanwarbler Warbler Woods Bird Sanctuary, 501 ( c )(3) www.warblerwoods.com San Antonio/New Braunfels GCBO Site Partner TEXBIRDS help file and Texas birding links at: http://moonmountaingroup.com/texbirds
Subject: Old Port Isabel Rd & SPI
From: MiriamEagl AT AOL.COM
Date: Sat, 28 Aug 2010 19:27:34 EDT

Hi, all! Had a lovely morning birding up Old Port Isabel Road and then over to the island this morning; every time I go down SR 511 they've added another lane! :-) They've actually opened up the access to OPIR now, but I missed it and had to use the "Uie"... For the record, right now the road is dry and passable, but there are some BIIIIIG ruts along the northern half of the road; I'd still recommend high clearance! As per usual I stopped every half mile, and hadn't gone far when a ruckus turned out to be two young Aplomado Falcons harassing an adult! That was a show! Cactus and Bewick's Wrens were near the skeet club, and the pond beyond that had both flavors of whistling duck, as well as a Mottled Duck family with tiny babies! (Someone mentioned lately that they were surprised at how late some thing are still breeding...) A little further up the road I stopped for a field full of Long-billed Curlews when I noticed two more Aplomado Falcons on the power structure closer to the road who posed for pictures (one was definitely banded, but I couldn't tell about the other one...)! Thanks to Pat Heirs, Joyce Davidson, and the crew who came with us the last time I was out here, I discovered that the REASON the "dicey spot" IS the "dicey spot" is because the whole area is one big wetland, and I had just been too focused on staying on the road before to see it! This time the area had tons of White Ibis along with some egrets and a single Wood Stork, who obligingly spread his wings to prove he wasn't a Jabiru! :-) A young Roseate Spoonbill flew by just before I headed on. Near the north end both Cassin's and Botteri's Sparrows sang, and logged a Belted Kingfisher at the canal. Headed over to the island after that, where I first drove onto the bayside access and enjoyed Royal and Black Terns among the Laughing Gulls, a single Reddish Egret, and the usual contingent of shorebirds (although lacking in little plovers). The Convention Center did have a few migrants, best of which was a Prairie Warbler, although a Great Crested Flycatcher with what looked like a Common Green Darner was entertaining! The boardwalk was again open, so I headed out and added the obligatory Clapper Rail along with a waterthrush that I couldn't get an ID on. Scared up a couple of Least Bitterns, and a pair of oystercatchers out in the wetland was a nice addition! Swinging around the loop added Semipalmated Plover and both species of yellowlegs (always nice when they're side by side)! Paid my four bucks at the Birding Center and took a look at their butterfly garden, which looked promising; it was a little overcast this morning and threatening to rain, so just had a few things, the best of which was an Ailanthius Webworm Moth. Circling up from the parking lot (guess I was going the wrong way :-/) I ran into Tim Bradshaw and Patricia (the "official photographer"), who said he had been seeing a Louisiana Waterthrush, so that probably was what I had as well. We wandered back to the Convention Center where several Least Flycatchers had us guessing until they said something, plus an Eastern Wood Pewee and Eastern Kingbird (Eric spotted a Western which I missed). Another waterthrush showed up at the water feature, but the [lousy] photos proved this one to be a Northern. Headed home after that with 85 species for the day. Pics are posted here: _http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/inbox_ (http://www.pbase.com/miriameaglemon/inbox) Two bird lists follow: Location: Old Port Isabel Rd (Cameron Co.) Observation date: 8/28/10 Number of species: 51 Black-bellied Whistling-Duck 20 Fulvous Whistling-Duck 8 Mottled Duck 4 Northern Bobwhite 3 Pied-billed Grebe 2 Neotropic Cormorant 3 Least Bittern 1 Great Egret 5 Snowy Egret 3 Tricolored Heron 1 White Ibis 50 Roseate Spoonbill 1 Wood Stork 1 White-tailed Kite 1 Harris's Hawk 3 White-tailed Hawk 2 Crested Caracara 5 Aplomado Falcon 5 Black-bellied Plover 4 Killdeer 3 Black-necked Stilt 2 Solitary Sandpiper 1 Lesser Yellowlegs 1 Long-billed Curlew 12 Least Sandpiper 1 Rock Pigeon 3 Eurasian Collared-Dove 3 Mourning Dove 5 White-tipped Dove 1 Belted Kingfisher 1 Golden-fronted Woodpecker 4 Ladder-backed Woodpecker 2 Brown-crested Flycatcher 1 Loggerhead Shrike 6 White-eyed Vireo 3 Northern Rough-winged Swallow 1 Purple Martin 1 Bank Swallow 2 Barn Swallow 8 Cactus Wren 2 Bewick's Wren 2 Northern Mockingbird 2 Curve-billed Thrasher 1 Cassin's Sparrow 1 Botteri's Sparrow 2 Lark Sparrow 4 Blue Grosbeak 1 Dickcissel 3 Red-winged Blackbird 3 Eastern Meadowlark 6 Great-tailed Grackle 2 Location: South Padre Is.--WBC/Conv. Center/Laguna Madre Trail (LTC 035) Observation date: 8/28/10 Number of species: 46 Mallard (Domestic type) 1 Brown Pelican 15 Least Bittern 2 Great Blue Heron 2 Snowy Egret 1 Little Blue Heron 3 Tricolored Heron 4 Reddish Egret 1 Green Heron 1 Osprey 1 Clapper Rail 3 Common Moorhen 3 Black-bellied Plover 4 Semipalmated Plover 3 Killdeer 1 American Oystercatcher 2 Spotted Sandpiper 1 Greater Yellowlegs 1 Willet 10 Lesser Yellowlegs 2 Long-billed Curlew 2 Ruddy Turnstone 3 Sanderling 9 Least Sandpiper 20 Short-billed Dowitcher 15 Laughing Gull 100 Least Tern 15 Black Tern 6 Forster's Tern 1 Royal Tern 30 Sandwich Tern 1 Eurasian Collared-Dove 7 Inca Dove 3 Eastern Wood-Pewee 1 Least Flycatcher 3 Great Crested Flycatcher 1 Eastern Kingbird 1 Barn Swallow 6 Northern Mockingbird 2 Yellow Warbler 3 Prairie Warbler 1 Louisiana Waterthrush 1 Northern Waterthrush 1 Dickcissel 4 Red-winged Blackbird 2 Great-tailed Grackle 15 Orchard Oriole 1 Baltimore Oriole 1 Mary Beth Stowe McAllen, TX _www.miriameaglemon.com_ (http://www.miriameaglemon.com/) TEXBIRDS help file and Texas birding links at: http://moonmountaingroup.com/texbirds
Subject: High Island 8-28-10
From: Greg Page <gregpage1465 AT YAHOO.COM>
Date: Sat, 28 Aug 2010 16:05:03 -0700

At High Island Boy Scout Woods today I saw 1 Mourning Warbler. I think it is a 1st year female. It had a large eye ring, much larger than it shows in the field guides. PHOTO http://www.flickr.com/photos/gregpage/4936128054/ HIGHLIGHTS BOY SCOUT WOODS Mouring Warbler 1 Yellow-breasted Chat 1 Inca Dove 1 Eastern Kingbird 1 Ruby-throated Hummingbird 2 Bank Swallow Barn Swallow SMITH OAKS Cattle Egrets- many with young ones at the nest Roseate Spoonbill Wood Stork 120- they were in many trees, I just counted the ones I could see but I know there were many more. Red-shouldered Hawk 1 Red-tailed Hawk 3 Greg Page TEXBIRDS help file and Texas birding links at: http://moonmountaingroup.com/texbirds Houston
Subject: Davis Mountains San Antonio Audubon Field Trip August 19-22
From: Sheridan Coffey <sngcanary AT YAHOO.COM>
Date: Sat, 28 Aug 2010 15:31:25 -0700

Dear all, Last week Martin and I led a field trip to the Davis Mountains and Lake Balmorhea for San Antonio Audubon Society. We were joined by 8 other birders and one non-birding spouse. (She was a real trooper. I don't know how many non-birders would have put up with us!) We started at Lake Balmorhea, where we had a good number of both Western and Clark's Grebes. There are quite a few juvenile grebes and we observed at least one pair doing their display run. There was a flock of Lark Buntings, some in close to breeding plumage, a large group of Long-billed Curlews, a Willet, five or six Black Terns and a few Forster's Terns. Martin spotted a small flock of Wilson's Phalaropes. The water level is still very high, with limited shorebird habitat. We visited both Balmorhea State Park and the Davis Mountains State Park, where we had most of the normally found summer birds. Montezuma Quail are not visiting the feeders at the Davis Mountains State Park, but we were fortunate to see at least 3 different groups on the road between Fort Davis and the Nature Conservancy Preserve. I think the best strategy for seeing these birds is driving the road early in the morning. The Chihuahuan Desert Nature Center was a gold mine of hummingbirds. We had six species: Black-chinned, Broad-tailed, Rufous, Calliope, Ruby-throated and a female Lucifers. We had good numbers at the Nature Conservancy feeders also. We were surprised at how many Ruby-throateds we saw. All of the feeders were swarming with birds. Other highlights were a large number of Phainopeplas along the same road as the quail, Gray Flycatcher, Graces Warbler and Virginias Warbler at the Nature Conservancy Cat Tank area, Hepatic Tanager at the Lawrence E. Woods Picnic area and a few nice "herps" and insects. One the way back to San Antonio Martin and several trip members stopped at the picnic area on the Sheffield Scenic Loop on I-10 where they had two Gray Vireos. I apologize for the lateness of this post, as I headed west for a few days of birding in New Mexico and Colorado. Here are a few photos from the Audubon trip http://www.flickr.com/photos/sngcanary/sets/72157624703330821/ Sheridan Coffey San Antonio, Tx http://sngcanary1.blogspot.com/ www.flickr.com/sngcanary TEXBIRDS help file and Texas birding links at: http://moonmountaingroup.com/texbirds

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