Adam's bird was a new county bird for me.
Thursday, July 24, 2003
Snowy Egret at Green Pond ~ July 23, 2003
Adam Miller reported a Snowy Egret at Green Pond on the 22nd. The bird was still there when I got there and allowed me to get this photo.
Snowy Egret at Green Pond in Northampton County. Note the yellow lores and the black beak. Unfortunately, the yellow feet are submerged. This coastal bird is pretty unusual for our area. Most are 'one-day wonders'.
Adam's bird was a new county bird for me.
Adam's bird was a new county bird for me.
Wednesday, February 19, 2003
Texas - Arizona - New Mexico Trip ~ February 7-9, 2003
February 7, 2003
Seven other PA birders and I rented a van and took a 10-day, 6300-mile whirlwind trip to south Texas and southeastern Arizona that included a stop at Sandia Crest, New Mexico on the way back home. The other seven were Jason Horn, Rick Wiltraut, Steve and Devich Farbotnik, Bob Scheibner, Dave Wilton, and Ben Coulter. We had planned on leaving around 9 AM, but several inches of snow fell that morning and delayed our departure until almost noon. We headed for south Texas, driving through the night and switching drivers as needed. The “Red-eyed Birding Tour” was under way.
February 8, 2003
It was getting light as we reached Louisiana. Along I-10, we got some ‘highway-speed’ looks at Brown and American White Pelicans, Great, Snowy, and Cattle Egrets, Greater White-fronted and Snow Geese with a few of the smaller Ross’s mixed in, Osprey, Northern Harrier, Loggerhead Shrike, and Great-tailed Grackle.
Our first planned stop in Texas was at Aransas National Wildlife Refuge to look for Whooping Crane. Several miles before we reached the refuge, we saw Sandhill Cranes, a Bald Eagle, Crested Caracaras, and Long-billed Curlews. At the refuge‘s observation tower, we found the 40-degree temperature and 20-mph wind to be way too familiar to what we left at home, but we also found both pelicans, Great and Snowy Egrets, Little Blue and Tricolored Herons, Blue-winged Teal, Gadwall, Lesser Scaup, Common Goldeneye, Bufflehead, Red-breasted Merganser, Crested Caracara, American Avocet, Willet, Caspian and Forster’s Terns, and 2 Whooping Cranes, which were a 'lifer' for several in our group. Another stop north of the tower to check out the bay produced White Ibis, Roseate Spoonbill, Short-billed Dowitcher, Eastern Phoebe, Loggerhead Shrike, and a really nice look at a Bobcat that sat for a while in the middle of the road ahead of our parked van before heading off into the brush.
From there, we drove straight through to McAllen where a car threw a stone and cracked the bottom right corner of the van's windshield. We stayed at a Microtel motel in McAllen.
February 9, 2003
Our first stop of the morning was at the University of Texas – Pan American campus to look for the Golden-crowned Warbler that had been there for over three months. After searching for close to an hour, Rick found the bird near the sundial not far from where the van was parked. We all got great looks at it as it methodically went from tree to tree along the walkway.
Golden-crowned Warbler at the University of Texas - Pan American campus in Edinburg, Texas. Note the yellow stripe on the crown bordered by black and the all-yellow breast on this tropical warbler. It fed in the trees near the sundial by the Health & Physical Education Building.
Golden-crowned Warbler at the University of Texas - Pan American campus in Edinburg, Texas. This profile view shows the broken eye-ring, unmarked wings, and the yellow stripe on the crown.
We also saw Blue-headed Vireo and Orange-crowned and Yellow-rumped Warblers there.
Next, it was off to Bentsen-Rio Grande State Park. Birds found around the picnic area included Golden-fronted and Ladder-backed Woodpecker, a Northern Beardless-Tyrannulet, and Black-crested Titmouse. The nearby resaca produced Least and Pied-billed Grebe, Blue-winged Teal, Sora, Common Moorhen, and Purple Martin. An Olive Sparrow was seen at the adjacent bird blind. Our walk around the trailer loop section of the park produced Osprey, Plain Chachalaca, White-tipped and Inca Doves, Great Kiskadee, Green Jay, House Wren, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Hermit Thrush, Long-billed Thrasher, Orange-crowned and Yellow-rumped Warblers, Northern Cardinal, Indigo Bunting, Bronzed Cowbird, Altamira Oriole, Lesser and American Goldfinches, and great looks at a Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl that Jason found. Also, after missing it on two previous trips, I finally got to see the two Clay-colored Robins that were in the area of the feeding station near Site #19.
Clay-colored Robin at Bentsen-Rio Grande State Park, Texas. This view doesn't show the bird's streaked throat, but I was happy at just being able to see this bird after missing it on two previous trips to the area. It was photographed at the trailer loop section of the park.
Our next stop was at Anzalduas County Park. Over the years, I had read about many good birds found at this park, but this was the first time I had actually visited it. There, we successfully found the Greater Pewee that was a “hotline” bird for south Texas in addition to Ringed Kingfisher, Vermilion Flycatcher, Pine Warbler, and a brief look at a Hook-billed Kite that flew over the river.
We spent the rest of the day at Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge where we saw Mottled Duck, Harris’s Hawk, Common Pauraque, Rufous Hummingbird, Golden-fronted Woodpecker, Vermilion Flycatcher, Black-crested Titmouse, and a Tropical Parula that was singing near the site of the old manager’s residence. Other birds seen there included Sora, Common Moorhen, Common Snipe, American Pipit, Loggerhead Shrike, White-eyed Vireo, and Orange-crowned and Black-throated Green Warbler.
Out of daylight, we headed back to the same McAllen motel where we stayed the night before.
Seven other PA birders and I rented a van and took a 10-day, 6300-mile whirlwind trip to south Texas and southeastern Arizona that included a stop at Sandia Crest, New Mexico on the way back home. The other seven were Jason Horn, Rick Wiltraut, Steve and Devich Farbotnik, Bob Scheibner, Dave Wilton, and Ben Coulter. We had planned on leaving around 9 AM, but several inches of snow fell that morning and delayed our departure until almost noon. We headed for south Texas, driving through the night and switching drivers as needed. The “Red-eyed Birding Tour” was under way.
February 8, 2003
It was getting light as we reached Louisiana. Along I-10, we got some ‘highway-speed’ looks at Brown and American White Pelicans, Great, Snowy, and Cattle Egrets, Greater White-fronted and Snow Geese with a few of the smaller Ross’s mixed in, Osprey, Northern Harrier, Loggerhead Shrike, and Great-tailed Grackle.
Our first planned stop in Texas was at Aransas National Wildlife Refuge to look for Whooping Crane. Several miles before we reached the refuge, we saw Sandhill Cranes, a Bald Eagle, Crested Caracaras, and Long-billed Curlews. At the refuge‘s observation tower, we found the 40-degree temperature and 20-mph wind to be way too familiar to what we left at home, but we also found both pelicans, Great and Snowy Egrets, Little Blue and Tricolored Herons, Blue-winged Teal, Gadwall, Lesser Scaup, Common Goldeneye, Bufflehead, Red-breasted Merganser, Crested Caracara, American Avocet, Willet, Caspian and Forster’s Terns, and 2 Whooping Cranes, which were a 'lifer' for several in our group. Another stop north of the tower to check out the bay produced White Ibis, Roseate Spoonbill, Short-billed Dowitcher, Eastern Phoebe, Loggerhead Shrike, and a really nice look at a Bobcat that sat for a while in the middle of the road ahead of our parked van before heading off into the brush.
From there, we drove straight through to McAllen where a car threw a stone and cracked the bottom right corner of the van's windshield. We stayed at a Microtel motel in McAllen.
February 9, 2003
Our first stop of the morning was at the University of Texas – Pan American campus to look for the Golden-crowned Warbler that had been there for over three months. After searching for close to an hour, Rick found the bird near the sundial not far from where the van was parked. We all got great looks at it as it methodically went from tree to tree along the walkway.
We also saw Blue-headed Vireo and Orange-crowned and Yellow-rumped Warblers there.
Next, it was off to Bentsen-Rio Grande State Park. Birds found around the picnic area included Golden-fronted and Ladder-backed Woodpecker, a Northern Beardless-Tyrannulet, and Black-crested Titmouse. The nearby resaca produced Least and Pied-billed Grebe, Blue-winged Teal, Sora, Common Moorhen, and Purple Martin. An Olive Sparrow was seen at the adjacent bird blind. Our walk around the trailer loop section of the park produced Osprey, Plain Chachalaca, White-tipped and Inca Doves, Great Kiskadee, Green Jay, House Wren, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Hermit Thrush, Long-billed Thrasher, Orange-crowned and Yellow-rumped Warblers, Northern Cardinal, Indigo Bunting, Bronzed Cowbird, Altamira Oriole, Lesser and American Goldfinches, and great looks at a Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl that Jason found. Also, after missing it on two previous trips, I finally got to see the two Clay-colored Robins that were in the area of the feeding station near Site #19.
Our next stop was at Anzalduas County Park. Over the years, I had read about many good birds found at this park, but this was the first time I had actually visited it. There, we successfully found the Greater Pewee that was a “hotline” bird for south Texas in addition to Ringed Kingfisher, Vermilion Flycatcher, Pine Warbler, and a brief look at a Hook-billed Kite that flew over the river.
We spent the rest of the day at Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge where we saw Mottled Duck, Harris’s Hawk, Common Pauraque, Rufous Hummingbird, Golden-fronted Woodpecker, Vermilion Flycatcher, Black-crested Titmouse, and a Tropical Parula that was singing near the site of the old manager’s residence. Other birds seen there included Sora, Common Moorhen, Common Snipe, American Pipit, Loggerhead Shrike, White-eyed Vireo, and Orange-crowned and Black-throated Green Warbler.
Out of daylight, we headed back to the same McAllen motel where we stayed the night before.
Texas - Arizona - New Mexico Trip ~ February 10, 2003
By first light, we stationed ourselves at the corner of North 10th Street and Violet Avenue in McAllen. The noisy Great-tailed Grackles lined the wires along 10th Street for blocks in both directions and, as sunrise neared, hundreds of Green Parakeets left their roosts to begin their day.
Our next objective was to visit Allen Williams' residence at 750 W. Sam Houston Boulevard in the town of Pharr. There, we got good looks at the secretive Blue Mockingbird that had been seen there since around Thanksgiving.
Blue Mockingbird in Pharr, Texas. This Mexican skulker was photographed while coming to grapefruit in a Pharr resident's backyard. It rarely came into full view, staying hidden in the brushy undergrowth except for the few moments that it fed on the grapefruit----quite a contrast to our conspicuous Northern Mockingbird.
Other birds that were seen there while waiting for the mockingbird to appear included a great look at an adult Gray Hawk, Plain Chachalaca, Inca Dove, Rufous and Buff-bellied Hummingbird, Great Kiskadee, Black-crested Titmouse, Curve-billed Thrasher, Orange-crowned and Black-throated Green Warbler, Lesser Goldfinch, and an Eastern Screech-Owl that peered from a hole in a tree in the front yard.
Then, it was off to Brownsville to visit the Sabal Palm Sanctuary. There, we found Least Grebe, Anhinga, Osprey, Harris’s Hawk, Plain Chachalaca, White-tipped Dove, Green Kingfisher, Golden-fronted and Ladder-backed Woodpecker, Great Kiskadee, Couch’s Kingbird, Green Jay, Black-crested Titmouse, Long-billed Thrasher, Cedar Waxwing, White-eyed and Blue-headed Vireo, Lincoln’s and Olive Sparrow, Altamira Oriole, and warblers that included Pine, Wilson’s, Yellow-rumped, Orange-crowned, and Black-throated Green.
On the way to Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge, we saw a pair of White-tailed Kites along Road 1847. The auto-tour loop at the refuge produced American White Pelican, Reddish Egret, White Ibis, Blue-winged Teal, Northern Shoveler, Northern Harrier, Harris’s Hawk, Crested Caracara, Merlin, Sandhill Crane, Black-necked Stilt, Willet, Long-billed Curlew, a Lesser Black-backed Gull, Greater Roadrunner, Belted Kingfisher, and excellent looks at a pair of White-tailed Hawks, but we never found any of the released Aplomado Falcons.
As darkness fell, we drove west and checked into the Fort Ringgold Motel in Rio Grande City.
Our next objective was to visit Allen Williams' residence at 750 W. Sam Houston Boulevard in the town of Pharr. There, we got good looks at the secretive Blue Mockingbird that had been seen there since around Thanksgiving.
Other birds that were seen there while waiting for the mockingbird to appear included a great look at an adult Gray Hawk, Plain Chachalaca, Inca Dove, Rufous and Buff-bellied Hummingbird, Great Kiskadee, Black-crested Titmouse, Curve-billed Thrasher, Orange-crowned and Black-throated Green Warbler, Lesser Goldfinch, and an Eastern Screech-Owl that peered from a hole in a tree in the front yard.
Then, it was off to Brownsville to visit the Sabal Palm Sanctuary. There, we found Least Grebe, Anhinga, Osprey, Harris’s Hawk, Plain Chachalaca, White-tipped Dove, Green Kingfisher, Golden-fronted and Ladder-backed Woodpecker, Great Kiskadee, Couch’s Kingbird, Green Jay, Black-crested Titmouse, Long-billed Thrasher, Cedar Waxwing, White-eyed and Blue-headed Vireo, Lincoln’s and Olive Sparrow, Altamira Oriole, and warblers that included Pine, Wilson’s, Yellow-rumped, Orange-crowned, and Black-throated Green.
On the way to Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge, we saw a pair of White-tailed Kites along Road 1847. The auto-tour loop at the refuge produced American White Pelican, Reddish Egret, White Ibis, Blue-winged Teal, Northern Shoveler, Northern Harrier, Harris’s Hawk, Crested Caracara, Merlin, Sandhill Crane, Black-necked Stilt, Willet, Long-billed Curlew, a Lesser Black-backed Gull, Greater Roadrunner, Belted Kingfisher, and excellent looks at a pair of White-tailed Hawks, but we never found any of the released Aplomado Falcons.
As darkness fell, we drove west and checked into the Fort Ringgold Motel in Rio Grande City.
Texas - Arizona - New Mexico Trip ~ February 11, 2003
The Salineno section of the Rio Grande River was our first stop. Although we never saw Muscovy Duck and Red-billed Pigeon, we did find eleven species of raptors that included both vultures, Osprey, Crested Caracara, American Kestrel, and Sharp-shinned, Harris’s, Gray, Red-shouldered, White-tailed, and Zone-tailed Hawks. Other birds seen along the river included American White Pelican, Neotropic Cormorant, Greater White-fronted Goose, Mottled Duck, Canvasback, Bufflehead, Laughing Gull, Caspian Tern, Ringed and Green Kingfisher, Great Kiskadee, and Olive Sparrow. The nearby feeders at the top of the riverbank produced White-winged, White-tipped, and Inca Doves, Common Ground-Dove, Green Jay, Black-crested Titmouse, Bewick’s Wren, Lincoln’s Sparrow, Lesser and American Goldfinches, and Hooded, Altamira, and Audubon’s Orioles.
Audubon's Oriole at Salineno, Texas. Note the drab yellow body and the black hood and wings. This bird was photographed at the feeders near the Rio Grande River. Other birds seen here included White-tipped Dove, Green Jay, Yellow-rumped and Orange-crowned Warblers, Lincoln's Sparrow, Hooded and Altamira Orioles, and American and Lesser Goldfinch.
We struck out again with Muscovy Duck at the Chapeno area of the river, but we got to see four Brown Jays in addition to American White Pelican, Neotropic Cormorant, Green and Ringed Kingfisher, Black Phoebe, Great Kiskadee, Green Jay, Verdin, Pyrrhuloxia, Lark Sparrow, and Altamira Oriole.
At the Falcon Dam spillway, we spotted Osprey, Harris’s Hawk, Crested Caracara, and saw a Peregrine Falcon and Chihuahuan Ravens on the way there.
Our next stop was the area next to the library in Zapata where, after some searching, we got fairly long and close looks at a White-collared Seedeater along the edge of the reeds.
We left Zapata and set our sights on Arizona. Along the road on the way up to I-10, we saw Crested Caracara, a few Great Horned Owls, Cave Swallows under a highway overpass, and six Harris’s Hawk on one telephone pole!
We struck out again with Muscovy Duck at the Chapeno area of the river, but we got to see four Brown Jays in addition to American White Pelican, Neotropic Cormorant, Green and Ringed Kingfisher, Black Phoebe, Great Kiskadee, Green Jay, Verdin, Pyrrhuloxia, Lark Sparrow, and Altamira Oriole.
At the Falcon Dam spillway, we spotted Osprey, Harris’s Hawk, Crested Caracara, and saw a Peregrine Falcon and Chihuahuan Ravens on the way there.
Our next stop was the area next to the library in Zapata where, after some searching, we got fairly long and close looks at a White-collared Seedeater along the edge of the reeds.
We left Zapata and set our sights on Arizona. Along the road on the way up to I-10, we saw Crested Caracara, a few Great Horned Owls, Cave Swallows under a highway overpass, and six Harris’s Hawk on one telephone pole!
Texas - Arizona - New Mexico Trip ~ February 12-14, 2003
February 12, 2003
After driving all night through west Texas and New Mexico, we reached Arizona just before daybreak. At Mrs. Paton’s feeders and the surrounding area, we saw Gambel’s Quail, Inca Dove, Anna’s Hummingbird, Acorn, Gila, and Ladder-backed Woodpeckers, Red-naped Sapsucker, “Red-shafted” Flicker, Bridled Titmouse, Curve-billed Thrasher, Green-tailed and Canyon Towhees, and White-crowned Sparrow.
Over at Patagonia Lake State Park, we were able to hear and then find the pair of Black-capped Gnatcatchers along the dry wash at the east end of the lake. Other birds found at the lake’s east end included Gray and Hammond’s Flycatcher, Black Phoebe, Bridled Titmouse, Bewick’s Wren, Pyrrhuloxia, Black-throated Sparrow, and a small group of electric-blue Mountain Bluebirds. The lake itself held Cinnamon Teal, Lesser Scaup, Bufflehead, Common Merganser, Ruddy Duck, Virginia Rail, and American Coot. Say’s Phoebes were seen in the area of the campground’s restrooms.
Next, we visited the San Rafael Grasslands where we saw White-tailed Kite, Northern Harrier, Ferruginous Hawk, Merlin, Prairie Falcon, Short-eared Owl, Horned Lark, Chestnut-collared Longspur, Eastern Meadowlark, Vesper and Savannah Sparrow, and a single Baird’s Sparrow that was a real challenge to get to see well in the high grass.
We stopped back at Mrs. Paton’s to hopefully see the Ruddy Ground-Dove that had been sporadically reported there, but it never showed. Then, it was off to the town of Continental where we spent the night at the Best Western.
February 13, 2003
We awoke to a pouring rain and headed to Florida Canyon where the Rufous-backed Robin was being regularly seen. The problem was that it was being seen coming to water tank to get a drink. Obviously, it didn’t have to do that if it was raining. During the few hours we spent there, we found Acorn and Gila Woodpecker, Western Scrub-Jay, Common Raven, Bewick’s Wren, Western Bluebird, Hermit Thrush, Curve-billed Thrasher, Northern Cardinal, Spotted and Canyon Towhee, White-crowned Sparrow, and American Robin, but no Rufous-backed.
On the way back down to Continental, the rain stopped and the sun broke through. Several Phainopeplas were seen along the road. In the dry wash across from Continental’s Feedlot Café, we got great looks at Anna’s Hummingbird, Cactus Wren, Brewer’s and Lark Sparrow, and Rufous-winged Sparrow, a bird that I had missed on my only other trip to southeastern Arizona back in 1987. We also saw Gambel’s Quail, Acorn and Gila Woodpecker, “Red-shafted” Flicker, Curve-billed Thrasher, Cedar Waxwing, Phainopepla, Pyrrhuloxia, Bullock’s Oriole, Lesser Goldfinch, and the Lewis’s Woodpecker that had been a regular ‘hotline’ bird in that area. Across the road from the abandoned Pima County maintenance yard on Old Nogales Highway, we found Verdin and several Lawrence’s Goldfinches just before the rain started again.
Leaving Continental, we drove up to Madera Canyon to check out the feeders. There, we found a male Magnificent Hummingbird, Mexican Jay, Painted Redstart, “Gray-headed” and “Pink-sided” Juncos, Cassin’s Finch, and Pine Siskin. A little farther up the canyon at the Chuparosa Inn, we saw another male Magnificent Hummingbird, Mexican Jay, Yellow-eyed Junco, and Cassin’s Finch. As it got dark, we made several owling stops and heard Whiskered Screech-Owl and Northern Pygmy-Owl, but couldn’t manage looks at either one.
February 14, 2003
After spending another night at the Best Western, we decided to take another shot at the Rufous-backed Robin since it wasn’t raining. Again, we had no luck although we did find Mexican Jay, Cactus Wren, and Hutton’s Vireo in addition to the birds we had seen there the day before.
After some discussion, we decided to head towards Phoenix to try for some Ruddy Ground-Doves and another Rufous-backed Robin that were reported on Tucson’s Rare Bird Alert. A quick stop along the way at the San Xavier Mission produced Burrowing Owl. Exiting I-10 at Red Rock, we drove south on Sasco Road to a huge cattle feedlot to look for the reported Ruddy Ground-Doves. Walking around the entire area produced Northern Harrier, Prairie Falcon, Killdeer, Inca Dove, a few Eurasian Collared-Doves, Chihuahuan Raven, Pyrrhuloxia, White-crowned and Vesper Sparrow, Lark Bunting, Western Meadowlark, and Yellow-headed and Brewer’s Blackbirds. It was starting to look grim as we approached an intersection at the southwest corner of the feedlot. There, I saw several Ground-Doves fly off the road into the mesquite including one that looked extremely rufous. After patiently waiting and watching, we finally managed to get excellent looks at several Ruddy Ground-Doves among some Common Ground-Doves, which gave us a nice comparison between the two. This was doubly great because a thunderstorm was approaching and the close lightning was increasingly stealing away our attention.
Next, we headed for the Boyce Thompson Arboretum, getting a fairly close look at a Prairie Falcon along the way. After about a half-hour of searching at the arboretum, we got great looks at the Rufous-backed Robin near the creek just east of the Herb Garden. Other birds found there included White-winged Dove, Anna’s Hummingbird, Canyon Wren, Curve-billed Thrasher, Northern Cardinal, and Spotted and Abert’s Towhee. Thinking back on the day, Rick noted that we had seen seven species of doves in one day!
From there, we drove up to I-40 and took it east to Albuquerque, New Mexico where we checked into a Motel 6 well after midnight for a whole four hours of sleep.
After driving all night through west Texas and New Mexico, we reached Arizona just before daybreak. At Mrs. Paton’s feeders and the surrounding area, we saw Gambel’s Quail, Inca Dove, Anna’s Hummingbird, Acorn, Gila, and Ladder-backed Woodpeckers, Red-naped Sapsucker, “Red-shafted” Flicker, Bridled Titmouse, Curve-billed Thrasher, Green-tailed and Canyon Towhees, and White-crowned Sparrow.
Over at Patagonia Lake State Park, we were able to hear and then find the pair of Black-capped Gnatcatchers along the dry wash at the east end of the lake. Other birds found at the lake’s east end included Gray and Hammond’s Flycatcher, Black Phoebe, Bridled Titmouse, Bewick’s Wren, Pyrrhuloxia, Black-throated Sparrow, and a small group of electric-blue Mountain Bluebirds. The lake itself held Cinnamon Teal, Lesser Scaup, Bufflehead, Common Merganser, Ruddy Duck, Virginia Rail, and American Coot. Say’s Phoebes were seen in the area of the campground’s restrooms.
Next, we visited the San Rafael Grasslands where we saw White-tailed Kite, Northern Harrier, Ferruginous Hawk, Merlin, Prairie Falcon, Short-eared Owl, Horned Lark, Chestnut-collared Longspur, Eastern Meadowlark, Vesper and Savannah Sparrow, and a single Baird’s Sparrow that was a real challenge to get to see well in the high grass.
We stopped back at Mrs. Paton’s to hopefully see the Ruddy Ground-Dove that had been sporadically reported there, but it never showed. Then, it was off to the town of Continental where we spent the night at the Best Western.
February 13, 2003
We awoke to a pouring rain and headed to Florida Canyon where the Rufous-backed Robin was being regularly seen. The problem was that it was being seen coming to water tank to get a drink. Obviously, it didn’t have to do that if it was raining. During the few hours we spent there, we found Acorn and Gila Woodpecker, Western Scrub-Jay, Common Raven, Bewick’s Wren, Western Bluebird, Hermit Thrush, Curve-billed Thrasher, Northern Cardinal, Spotted and Canyon Towhee, White-crowned Sparrow, and American Robin, but no Rufous-backed.
On the way back down to Continental, the rain stopped and the sun broke through. Several Phainopeplas were seen along the road. In the dry wash across from Continental’s Feedlot Café, we got great looks at Anna’s Hummingbird, Cactus Wren, Brewer’s and Lark Sparrow, and Rufous-winged Sparrow, a bird that I had missed on my only other trip to southeastern Arizona back in 1987. We also saw Gambel’s Quail, Acorn and Gila Woodpecker, “Red-shafted” Flicker, Curve-billed Thrasher, Cedar Waxwing, Phainopepla, Pyrrhuloxia, Bullock’s Oriole, Lesser Goldfinch, and the Lewis’s Woodpecker that had been a regular ‘hotline’ bird in that area. Across the road from the abandoned Pima County maintenance yard on Old Nogales Highway, we found Verdin and several Lawrence’s Goldfinches just before the rain started again.
Leaving Continental, we drove up to Madera Canyon to check out the feeders. There, we found a male Magnificent Hummingbird, Mexican Jay, Painted Redstart, “Gray-headed” and “Pink-sided” Juncos, Cassin’s Finch, and Pine Siskin. A little farther up the canyon at the Chuparosa Inn, we saw another male Magnificent Hummingbird, Mexican Jay, Yellow-eyed Junco, and Cassin’s Finch. As it got dark, we made several owling stops and heard Whiskered Screech-Owl and Northern Pygmy-Owl, but couldn’t manage looks at either one.
February 14, 2003
After spending another night at the Best Western, we decided to take another shot at the Rufous-backed Robin since it wasn’t raining. Again, we had no luck although we did find Mexican Jay, Cactus Wren, and Hutton’s Vireo in addition to the birds we had seen there the day before.
After some discussion, we decided to head towards Phoenix to try for some Ruddy Ground-Doves and another Rufous-backed Robin that were reported on Tucson’s Rare Bird Alert. A quick stop along the way at the San Xavier Mission produced Burrowing Owl. Exiting I-10 at Red Rock, we drove south on Sasco Road to a huge cattle feedlot to look for the reported Ruddy Ground-Doves. Walking around the entire area produced Northern Harrier, Prairie Falcon, Killdeer, Inca Dove, a few Eurasian Collared-Doves, Chihuahuan Raven, Pyrrhuloxia, White-crowned and Vesper Sparrow, Lark Bunting, Western Meadowlark, and Yellow-headed and Brewer’s Blackbirds. It was starting to look grim as we approached an intersection at the southwest corner of the feedlot. There, I saw several Ground-Doves fly off the road into the mesquite including one that looked extremely rufous. After patiently waiting and watching, we finally managed to get excellent looks at several Ruddy Ground-Doves among some Common Ground-Doves, which gave us a nice comparison between the two. This was doubly great because a thunderstorm was approaching and the close lightning was increasingly stealing away our attention.
Next, we headed for the Boyce Thompson Arboretum, getting a fairly close look at a Prairie Falcon along the way. After about a half-hour of searching at the arboretum, we got great looks at the Rufous-backed Robin near the creek just east of the Herb Garden. Other birds found there included White-winged Dove, Anna’s Hummingbird, Canyon Wren, Curve-billed Thrasher, Northern Cardinal, and Spotted and Abert’s Towhee. Thinking back on the day, Rick noted that we had seen seven species of doves in one day!
From there, we drove up to I-40 and took it east to Albuquerque, New Mexico where we checked into a Motel 6 well after midnight for a whole four hours of sleep.
Texas - Arizona - New Mexico Trip ~ February 15, 2003
Our morning objective was to head up to the top of Sandia Crest (10,678 feet in elevation) and look for the Rosy Finches that have been spending the last several winters visiting the feeders at the Crest House. We stopped about halfway up at the Sandia Ski Basin to look for the Northern Pygmy-Owl that was sporadically being seen there. We had no luck with the owl, but did find Steller’s Jay and Mountain Chickadee. By the time we reached the very top of the road, we were enshrouded in fog. A little after 8:00, a large group of Rosy Finches popped out of the fog and descended on the feeders. There, in one feeding tray, were Gray-crowned, Brown-capped, and Black Rosy-Finches.
Black Rosy-Finches at The Crest House feeders at Sandia Crest in New Mexico.
At least three Gray-crowneds of the “Hepburn’s” race were noted. Also seen at the feeders were Hairy Woodpecker, Mountain Chickadee, Red-breasted and White-breasted Nuthatch, and “Gray-headed” Junco. On our way back down the mountain, a second try for the owl at the ski basin faired no better than our first.
Hopping back on I-40, it was off to the Texas panhandle to take a long shot at finding Lesser Prairie-Chicken before it got dark. Finding them when they’re not at a lek is very improbable, so we weren’t too disappointed when we didn’t see any.
At Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, we encountered freezing drizzle and found accidents at almost every overpass. We averaged between 30 and 40 miles per hour for the next 100 miles.
At least three Gray-crowneds of the “Hepburn’s” race were noted. Also seen at the feeders were Hairy Woodpecker, Mountain Chickadee, Red-breasted and White-breasted Nuthatch, and “Gray-headed” Junco. On our way back down the mountain, a second try for the owl at the ski basin faired no better than our first.
Hopping back on I-40, it was off to the Texas panhandle to take a long shot at finding Lesser Prairie-Chicken before it got dark. Finding them when they’re not at a lek is very improbable, so we weren’t too disappointed when we didn’t see any.
At Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, we encountered freezing drizzle and found accidents at almost every overpass. We averaged between 30 and 40 miles per hour for the next 100 miles.
Texas - Arizona - New Mexico Trip ~ February 16-17, 2003
February 16, 2003
Eventually, the freezing rain turned to snow as we crossed through Missouri. We took a slight detour off of I-270 and found several Eurasian Tree Sparrows at a backyard feeder in the West Alton area, just north of Saint Louis.
By now, we were hearing reports of a major snowstorm that was moving up the East Coast. We were hoping that we’d be able to get home before the storm hit, but that wasn’t the case. The farther east we went, the harder it snowed and the worse the roads got. We saw at least 80 vehicles that had either slid off the road or crashed. The crack in the bottom right corner of the windshield that we got in McAllen, Texas now stretched all the way across to the driver's side and we had to periodically stop to remove the ice buildup on the wipers. By the time we reached Zanesville, Ohio, we had no choice but to get a motel and hope that the weather would improve. We got a room at a Super 8 motel and stocked up on snacks at a local convenience store since all other businesses in the area were already closed down. We later heard that the state police were fining people who didn’t get off the roads and get a motel.
February 17, 2003
By the next morning, the snow had stopped. We dug the van out of the motel parking lot and headed for Pennsylvania. Eastern Ohio’s stretch of I-70 was still snow-covered, but once we got into Pennsylvania, we found a big improvement. The Pennsylvania Turnpike was in amazingly great shape, bare in most places. We eventually made it home by late evening, where we found the area covered with about 18 inches of snow. Despite the tricky driving conditions at the beginning and end of our trip, it was a great one. We managed to see almost every target bird that we went for. Since it was Ben’s first trip out west, he saw well over a hundred 'lifers'. I personally saw or heard a total of 223 species during the trip, of which 9 were 'lifers' for me.
Trip Itinerary
Day 1) Friday, February 7th, 2003 (Emmaus, PA to Alabama)
Stops: None.
Day 2) Saturday, February 8th, 2003 (Alabama to McAllen, TX)
Aransas National Wildlife Refuge, TX.
Day 3) Sunday, February 9th, 2003 (Rio Grande Valley area, TX)
University of Texas – Pan American Campus (Edinburg);
Bentsen-Rio Grande State Park, TX;
Anzalduas County Park, TX;
Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge, TX.
Day 4) Monday, February 10th, 2003 (Rio Grande Valley area, TX)
Corner of N. 10th Street and Violet Avenue in McAllen, TX;
Allen Williams’ residence in Pharr, TX;
Sabal Palm Sanctuary, TX;
Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge, TX.
Day 5) Tuesday, February 11th, 2003 (Salineno, TX to Patagonia, AZ)
Salineno, TX;
Chapeno, TX;
Falcon Dam, TX;
Zapata, TX.
Day 6) Wednesday, February 12th, 2003 (Patagonia to Continental, AZ)
Paton’s feeders, AZ;
Patagonia Lake State Park, AZ;
San Rafael Grasslands, AZ.
Day 7) Thursday, February 13th, 2003 (Continental / Madera Canyon area, AZ)
Florida Canyon, AZ;
Continental area, AZ;
Madera Canyon, AZ.
Day 8) Friday, February 14th, 2003 (Continental, AZ to Albuquerque, NM)
Florida Canyon, AZ;
San Xavier Mission, AZ;
Red Rock, AZ area;
Boyce Thompson Arboretum, AZ.
Day 9) Saturday, February 15th, 2003 (Albuquerque, NM to Missouri)
Sandia Crest, NM;
McLean, TX area.
Day 10) Sunday, February 16th, 2003 (Missouri to Zanesville, Ohio)
West Alton, MO area (north of Saint Louis).
Day 11) Monday, February 17th, 2003 (Zanesville, Ohio to Emmaus, PA)
Stops: None.
TX-AZ-NM Trip List - February 7th–17th, 2003
1) Least Grebe (TX)
2) Pied-billed Grebe (TX)(AZ)
3) American White Pelican (LA)(TX)(MO)
4) Brown Pelican (LA)(TX)
5) Double-crested Cormorant (LA)(TX)
6) Neotropic Cormorant (TX)
7) Anhinga (TX)
8) Great Blue Heron (LA)(TX)
9) Great Egret (LA)(TX)
10) Snowy Egret (LA)(TX)
11) Little Blue Heron (TX)
12) Tricolored Heron (TX)
13) Reddish Egret (TX)
14) Cattle Egret (LA)(TX)
15) White Ibis (TX)
16) Roseate Spoonbill (TX)
17) Greater White-fronted Goose (LA)(TX)
18) Snow Goose (LA)(TX)
19) Ross’s Goose (LA)
20) Canada Goose (VA)
21) Mottled Duck (TX)
22) Mallard (AZ)
23) Northern Pintail (TX)
24) Blue-winged Teal (TX)
25) Cinnamon Teal (AZ)
26) Northern Shoveler (TX)
27) Gadwall (TX)
28) American Wigeon (TX)
29) Canvasback (TX)
30) Lesser Scaup (TX)(AZ)
31) Common Goldeneye (TX)
32) Bufflehead (TX)(AZ)
33) Common Merganser (AZ)
34) Red-breasted Merganser (TX)
35) Ruddy Duck (AZ)
36) Black Vulture (LA)(TX)
37) Turkey Vulture (LA)(TX)
38) Osprey (LA)(TX)
39) Hook-billed Kite (TX)
40) White-tailed Kite (TX)(AZ)
41) Bald Eagle (MO)
42) Northern Harrier (LA)(TX)(AZ)
43) Sharp-shinned Hawk (TX)
44) Cooper’s Hawk (TX)
45) Harris’s Hawk (TX)
46) Gray Hawk (TX)
47) Red-shouldered Hawk (TX)
48) White-tailed Hawk (TX)
49) Zone-tailed Hawk (TX)
50) Red-tailed Hawk (LA)(TX)(AZ)(NM)
51) Ferruginous Hawk (AZ)(TX)
52) Rough-legged Hawk (TX)
53) Crested Caracara (TX)
54) American Kestrel (LA)(TX)(AZ)(NM)
55) Merlin (TX)(AZ)
56) Prairie Falcon (AZ)
57) Peregrine Falcon (TX)
58) Plain Chachalaca (TX)
59) Gambel’s Quail (AZ)
60) Virginia Rail (AZ)
61) Sora (TX)
62) Common Moorhen (TX)
63) American Coot (TX)(AZ)
64) Sandhill Crane (TX)
65) Whooping Crane (TX)
66) Killdeer (LA)(TX)(AZ)
67) Black-necked Stilt (TX)
68) American Avocet (TX)
69) Lesser Yellowlegs (TX)
70) Willet (TX)
71) Spotted Sandpiper (TX)
72) Long-billed Curlew (TX)
73) Short-billed Dowitcher (TX)
74) Common Snipe (TX)
75) Laughing Gull (TX)
76) Ring-billed Gull (LA)(TX)
77) Lesser Black-backed Gull (TX)
78) Caspian Tern (TX)
79) Forster’s Tern (TX)
80) Rock Dove (LA)(TX)(AZ)
81) Eurasian Collared-Dove (AZ)
82) White-winged Dove (TX)(AZ)
83) Mourning Dove (LA)(TX)(AZ)
84) Inca Dove (TX)(AZ)
85) Common Ground-Dove (TX)(AZ)
86) Ruddy Ground-Dove* (AZ)
87) White-tipped Dove (TX)
88) Green Parakeet* (TX)
89) Greater Roadrunner (TX)
90) Eastern Screech-Owl (TX)
91) Western Screech-Owl (AZ)
92) Whiskered Screech-Owl (AZ)
93) Great Horned Owl (TX)
94) Northern Pygmy-Owl (HNS)(AZ)
95) Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl (TX)
96) Burrowing Owl (AZ)
97) Short-eared Owl (AZ)
98) Common Pauraque (TX)
99) Buff-bellied Hummingbird (TX)
100) Magnificent Hummingbird (AZ)
101) Anna’s Hummingbird (AZ)
102) Rufous Hummingbird (TX)
103) Ringed Kingfisher (TX)
104) Belted Kingfisher (TX)
105) Green Kingfisher (TX)
106) Lewis’s Woodpecker (AZ)
107) Gila Woodpecker (AZ)
108) Acorn Woodpecker (AZ)
109) Golden-fronted Woodpecker (TX)
110) Red-naped Sapsucker (AZ)
111) Ladder-backed Woodpecker (TX)(AZ)
112) Hairy Woodpecker (NM)
113) Northern “Red-shafted” Flicker (AZ)
114) Northern Beardless-Tyrannulet (TX)
115) Greater Pewee (TX)
116) Hammond’s Flycatcher (AZ)
117) Gray Flycatcher (AZ)
118) Black Phoebe (TX)(AZ)
119) Eastern Phoebe (TX)
120) Say’s Phoebe (AZ)
121) Vermilion Flycatcher (TX)
122) Great Kiskadee (TX)
123) Couch’s Kingbird (TX)
124) Horned Lark (AZ)
125) Purple Martin (TX)
126) Northern Rough-winged Swallow (TX)
127) Cave Swallow (TX)
128) Steller’s Jay (NM)
129) Green Jay (TX)
130) Brown Jay (TX)
131) Western Scrub-Jay (AZ)
132) Mexican Jay (AZ)
133) American Crow (LA)(NM)
134) Chihuahuan Raven (TX)(AZ)
135) Common Raven (AZ)(NM)
136) Mountain Chickadee (NM)
137) Bridled Titmouse (AZ)
138) Black-crested Titmouse (TX)
139) Verdin (TX)(AZ)
140) Red-breasted Nuthatch (NM)
141) White-breasted Nuthatch (AZ)(NM)
142) Cactus Wren (AZ)
143) Canyon Wren (AZ)
144) Bewick’s Wren (TX)(AZ)
145) House Wren (TX)
146) Ruby-crowned Kinglet (TX)(AZ)
147) Blue-gray Gnatcatcher (TX)
148) Black-capped Gnatcatcher* (AZ)
149) Western Bluebird (AZ)
150) Mountain Bluebird (AZ)
151) Hermit Thrush (TX)(AZ)
152) Rufous-backed Robin* (AZ)
153) Clay-colored Robin* (TX)
154) American Robin (LA)(TX)(AZ)
155) Blue Mockingbird* (TX)
156) Northern Mockingbird (LA)(TX)
157) Long-billed Thrasher (TX)
158) Curve-billed Thrasher (TX)(AZ)
159) American Pipit (TX)
160) Cedar Waxwing (TX)(AZ)
161) Phainopepla (AZ)
162) Loggerhead Shrike (LA)(TX)(AZ)
163) European Starling (LA)(TX)(AZ)
164) White-eyed Vireo (TX)
165) Blue-headed Vireo (TX)
166) Hutton’s Vireo (AZ)
167) Orange-crowned Warbler (TX)(AZ)
168) Tropical Parula (TX)
169) Yellow-rumped Warbler (TX)(AZ)
170) Black-throated Green Warbler (TX)
171) Pine Warbler (TX)
172) Common Yellowthroat (TX)
173) Wilson’s Warbler (TX)
174) Painted Redstart (AZ)
175) Golden-crowned Warbler* (TX)
176) Northern Cardinal (LA)(TX)(AZ)
177) Pyrrhuloxia (TX)(AZ)
178) Indigo Bunting (TX)
179) Olive Sparrow (TX)
180) Green-tailed Towhee (AZ)
181) Spotted Towhee (AZ)
182) Canyon Towhee (AZ)
183) White-collared Seedeater (TX)
184) Abert’s Towhee (AZ)
185) Rufous-winged Sparrow* (AZ)
186) Chipping Sparrow (TX)(AZ)
187) Brewer’s Sparrow (AZ)
188) Vesper Sparrow (TX)(AZ)
189) Lark Sparrow (TX)(AZ)
190) Black-throated Sparrow (AZ)
191) Lark Bunting (AZ)
192) Savannah Sparrow (TX)(AZ)
193) Baird’s Sparrow (AZ)
194) Song Sparrow (TX)(AZ)
195) Lincoln’s Sparrow (TX)
196) White-throated Sparrow (AZ)
197) White-crowned Sparrow (AZ)
198) Yellow-eyed Junco (AZ)
199) Dark-eyed Junco (AZ)(NM)
200) Chestnut-collared Longspur (AZ)
201) Red-winged Blackbird (TX)
202) Eastern Meadowlark (LA)(TX)(AZ)
203) Western Meadowlark (AZ)
204) Yellow-headed Blackbird (AZ)
205) Brewer’s Blackbird (AZ)
206) Great-tailed Grackle (LA)(TX)(AZ)
207) Common Grackle (TX)
208) Bronzed Cowbird (TX)
209) Hooded Oriole (TX)
210) Altamira Oriole (TX)
211) Audubon’s Oriole (TX)
212) Bullock’s Oriole (AZ)
213) Cassin’s Finch (AZ)
214) House Finch (TX)(AZ)
215) Gray-crowned Rosy Finch (NM)
216) Black Rosy Finch* (NM)
217) Brown-capped Rosy Finch (NM)
218) Pine Siskin (AZ)
219) Lesser Goldfinch (TX)(AZ)
220) American Goldfinch (TX)
221) Lawrence’s Goldfinch (AZ)
222) House Sparrow (TX)(AZ)
223) Eurasian Tree Sparrow (MO)
* denotes ‘Life’ Bird;
(HNS) denotes Bird was Heard but Not Seen;
(VA) Virginia
(LA) Louisiana
(TX) Texas
(AZ) Arizona
(NM) New Mexico
(MO) Missouri
Eventually, the freezing rain turned to snow as we crossed through Missouri. We took a slight detour off of I-270 and found several Eurasian Tree Sparrows at a backyard feeder in the West Alton area, just north of Saint Louis.
By now, we were hearing reports of a major snowstorm that was moving up the East Coast. We were hoping that we’d be able to get home before the storm hit, but that wasn’t the case. The farther east we went, the harder it snowed and the worse the roads got. We saw at least 80 vehicles that had either slid off the road or crashed. The crack in the bottom right corner of the windshield that we got in McAllen, Texas now stretched all the way across to the driver's side and we had to periodically stop to remove the ice buildup on the wipers. By the time we reached Zanesville, Ohio, we had no choice but to get a motel and hope that the weather would improve. We got a room at a Super 8 motel and stocked up on snacks at a local convenience store since all other businesses in the area were already closed down. We later heard that the state police were fining people who didn’t get off the roads and get a motel.
February 17, 2003
By the next morning, the snow had stopped. We dug the van out of the motel parking lot and headed for Pennsylvania. Eastern Ohio’s stretch of I-70 was still snow-covered, but once we got into Pennsylvania, we found a big improvement. The Pennsylvania Turnpike was in amazingly great shape, bare in most places. We eventually made it home by late evening, where we found the area covered with about 18 inches of snow. Despite the tricky driving conditions at the beginning and end of our trip, it was a great one. We managed to see almost every target bird that we went for. Since it was Ben’s first trip out west, he saw well over a hundred 'lifers'. I personally saw or heard a total of 223 species during the trip, of which 9 were 'lifers' for me.
Trip Itinerary
Day 1) Friday, February 7th, 2003 (Emmaus, PA to Alabama)
Stops: None.
Day 2) Saturday, February 8th, 2003 (Alabama to McAllen, TX)
Aransas National Wildlife Refuge, TX.
Day 3) Sunday, February 9th, 2003 (Rio Grande Valley area, TX)
University of Texas – Pan American Campus (Edinburg);
Bentsen-Rio Grande State Park, TX;
Anzalduas County Park, TX;
Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge, TX.
Day 4) Monday, February 10th, 2003 (Rio Grande Valley area, TX)
Corner of N. 10th Street and Violet Avenue in McAllen, TX;
Allen Williams’ residence in Pharr, TX;
Sabal Palm Sanctuary, TX;
Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge, TX.
Day 5) Tuesday, February 11th, 2003 (Salineno, TX to Patagonia, AZ)
Salineno, TX;
Chapeno, TX;
Falcon Dam, TX;
Zapata, TX.
Day 6) Wednesday, February 12th, 2003 (Patagonia to Continental, AZ)
Paton’s feeders, AZ;
Patagonia Lake State Park, AZ;
San Rafael Grasslands, AZ.
Day 7) Thursday, February 13th, 2003 (Continental / Madera Canyon area, AZ)
Florida Canyon, AZ;
Continental area, AZ;
Madera Canyon, AZ.
Day 8) Friday, February 14th, 2003 (Continental, AZ to Albuquerque, NM)
Florida Canyon, AZ;
San Xavier Mission, AZ;
Red Rock, AZ area;
Boyce Thompson Arboretum, AZ.
Day 9) Saturday, February 15th, 2003 (Albuquerque, NM to Missouri)
Sandia Crest, NM;
McLean, TX area.
Day 10) Sunday, February 16th, 2003 (Missouri to Zanesville, Ohio)
West Alton, MO area (north of Saint Louis).
Day 11) Monday, February 17th, 2003 (Zanesville, Ohio to Emmaus, PA)
Stops: None.
TX-AZ-NM Trip List - February 7th–17th, 2003
1) Least Grebe (TX)
2) Pied-billed Grebe (TX)(AZ)
3) American White Pelican (LA)(TX)(MO)
4) Brown Pelican (LA)(TX)
5) Double-crested Cormorant (LA)(TX)
6) Neotropic Cormorant (TX)
7) Anhinga (TX)
8) Great Blue Heron (LA)(TX)
9) Great Egret (LA)(TX)
10) Snowy Egret (LA)(TX)
11) Little Blue Heron (TX)
12) Tricolored Heron (TX)
13) Reddish Egret (TX)
14) Cattle Egret (LA)(TX)
15) White Ibis (TX)
16) Roseate Spoonbill (TX)
17) Greater White-fronted Goose (LA)(TX)
18) Snow Goose (LA)(TX)
19) Ross’s Goose (LA)
20) Canada Goose (VA)
21) Mottled Duck (TX)
22) Mallard (AZ)
23) Northern Pintail (TX)
24) Blue-winged Teal (TX)
25) Cinnamon Teal (AZ)
26) Northern Shoveler (TX)
27) Gadwall (TX)
28) American Wigeon (TX)
29) Canvasback (TX)
30) Lesser Scaup (TX)(AZ)
31) Common Goldeneye (TX)
32) Bufflehead (TX)(AZ)
33) Common Merganser (AZ)
34) Red-breasted Merganser (TX)
35) Ruddy Duck (AZ)
36) Black Vulture (LA)(TX)
37) Turkey Vulture (LA)(TX)
38) Osprey (LA)(TX)
39) Hook-billed Kite (TX)
40) White-tailed Kite (TX)(AZ)
41) Bald Eagle (MO)
42) Northern Harrier (LA)(TX)(AZ)
43) Sharp-shinned Hawk (TX)
44) Cooper’s Hawk (TX)
45) Harris’s Hawk (TX)
46) Gray Hawk (TX)
47) Red-shouldered Hawk (TX)
48) White-tailed Hawk (TX)
49) Zone-tailed Hawk (TX)
50) Red-tailed Hawk (LA)(TX)(AZ)(NM)
51) Ferruginous Hawk (AZ)(TX)
52) Rough-legged Hawk (TX)
53) Crested Caracara (TX)
54) American Kestrel (LA)(TX)(AZ)(NM)
55) Merlin (TX)(AZ)
56) Prairie Falcon (AZ)
57) Peregrine Falcon (TX)
58) Plain Chachalaca (TX)
59) Gambel’s Quail (AZ)
60) Virginia Rail (AZ)
61) Sora (TX)
62) Common Moorhen (TX)
63) American Coot (TX)(AZ)
64) Sandhill Crane (TX)
65) Whooping Crane (TX)
66) Killdeer (LA)(TX)(AZ)
67) Black-necked Stilt (TX)
68) American Avocet (TX)
69) Lesser Yellowlegs (TX)
70) Willet (TX)
71) Spotted Sandpiper (TX)
72) Long-billed Curlew (TX)
73) Short-billed Dowitcher (TX)
74) Common Snipe (TX)
75) Laughing Gull (TX)
76) Ring-billed Gull (LA)(TX)
77) Lesser Black-backed Gull (TX)
78) Caspian Tern (TX)
79) Forster’s Tern (TX)
80) Rock Dove (LA)(TX)(AZ)
81) Eurasian Collared-Dove (AZ)
82) White-winged Dove (TX)(AZ)
83) Mourning Dove (LA)(TX)(AZ)
84) Inca Dove (TX)(AZ)
85) Common Ground-Dove (TX)(AZ)
86) Ruddy Ground-Dove* (AZ)
87) White-tipped Dove (TX)
88) Green Parakeet* (TX)
89) Greater Roadrunner (TX)
90) Eastern Screech-Owl (TX)
91) Western Screech-Owl (AZ)
92) Whiskered Screech-Owl (AZ)
93) Great Horned Owl (TX)
94) Northern Pygmy-Owl (HNS)(AZ)
95) Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl (TX)
96) Burrowing Owl (AZ)
97) Short-eared Owl (AZ)
98) Common Pauraque (TX)
99) Buff-bellied Hummingbird (TX)
100) Magnificent Hummingbird (AZ)
101) Anna’s Hummingbird (AZ)
102) Rufous Hummingbird (TX)
103) Ringed Kingfisher (TX)
104) Belted Kingfisher (TX)
105) Green Kingfisher (TX)
106) Lewis’s Woodpecker (AZ)
107) Gila Woodpecker (AZ)
108) Acorn Woodpecker (AZ)
109) Golden-fronted Woodpecker (TX)
110) Red-naped Sapsucker (AZ)
111) Ladder-backed Woodpecker (TX)(AZ)
112) Hairy Woodpecker (NM)
113) Northern “Red-shafted” Flicker (AZ)
114) Northern Beardless-Tyrannulet (TX)
115) Greater Pewee (TX)
116) Hammond’s Flycatcher (AZ)
117) Gray Flycatcher (AZ)
118) Black Phoebe (TX)(AZ)
119) Eastern Phoebe (TX)
120) Say’s Phoebe (AZ)
121) Vermilion Flycatcher (TX)
122) Great Kiskadee (TX)
123) Couch’s Kingbird (TX)
124) Horned Lark (AZ)
125) Purple Martin (TX)
126) Northern Rough-winged Swallow (TX)
127) Cave Swallow (TX)
128) Steller’s Jay (NM)
129) Green Jay (TX)
130) Brown Jay (TX)
131) Western Scrub-Jay (AZ)
132) Mexican Jay (AZ)
133) American Crow (LA)(NM)
134) Chihuahuan Raven (TX)(AZ)
135) Common Raven (AZ)(NM)
136) Mountain Chickadee (NM)
137) Bridled Titmouse (AZ)
138) Black-crested Titmouse (TX)
139) Verdin (TX)(AZ)
140) Red-breasted Nuthatch (NM)
141) White-breasted Nuthatch (AZ)(NM)
142) Cactus Wren (AZ)
143) Canyon Wren (AZ)
144) Bewick’s Wren (TX)(AZ)
145) House Wren (TX)
146) Ruby-crowned Kinglet (TX)(AZ)
147) Blue-gray Gnatcatcher (TX)
148) Black-capped Gnatcatcher* (AZ)
149) Western Bluebird (AZ)
150) Mountain Bluebird (AZ)
151) Hermit Thrush (TX)(AZ)
152) Rufous-backed Robin* (AZ)
153) Clay-colored Robin* (TX)
154) American Robin (LA)(TX)(AZ)
155) Blue Mockingbird* (TX)
156) Northern Mockingbird (LA)(TX)
157) Long-billed Thrasher (TX)
158) Curve-billed Thrasher (TX)(AZ)
159) American Pipit (TX)
160) Cedar Waxwing (TX)(AZ)
161) Phainopepla (AZ)
162) Loggerhead Shrike (LA)(TX)(AZ)
163) European Starling (LA)(TX)(AZ)
164) White-eyed Vireo (TX)
165) Blue-headed Vireo (TX)
166) Hutton’s Vireo (AZ)
167) Orange-crowned Warbler (TX)(AZ)
168) Tropical Parula (TX)
169) Yellow-rumped Warbler (TX)(AZ)
170) Black-throated Green Warbler (TX)
171) Pine Warbler (TX)
172) Common Yellowthroat (TX)
173) Wilson’s Warbler (TX)
174) Painted Redstart (AZ)
175) Golden-crowned Warbler* (TX)
176) Northern Cardinal (LA)(TX)(AZ)
177) Pyrrhuloxia (TX)(AZ)
178) Indigo Bunting (TX)
179) Olive Sparrow (TX)
180) Green-tailed Towhee (AZ)
181) Spotted Towhee (AZ)
182) Canyon Towhee (AZ)
183) White-collared Seedeater (TX)
184) Abert’s Towhee (AZ)
185) Rufous-winged Sparrow* (AZ)
186) Chipping Sparrow (TX)(AZ)
187) Brewer’s Sparrow (AZ)
188) Vesper Sparrow (TX)(AZ)
189) Lark Sparrow (TX)(AZ)
190) Black-throated Sparrow (AZ)
191) Lark Bunting (AZ)
192) Savannah Sparrow (TX)(AZ)
193) Baird’s Sparrow (AZ)
194) Song Sparrow (TX)(AZ)
195) Lincoln’s Sparrow (TX)
196) White-throated Sparrow (AZ)
197) White-crowned Sparrow (AZ)
198) Yellow-eyed Junco (AZ)
199) Dark-eyed Junco (AZ)(NM)
200) Chestnut-collared Longspur (AZ)
201) Red-winged Blackbird (TX)
202) Eastern Meadowlark (LA)(TX)(AZ)
203) Western Meadowlark (AZ)
204) Yellow-headed Blackbird (AZ)
205) Brewer’s Blackbird (AZ)
206) Great-tailed Grackle (LA)(TX)(AZ)
207) Common Grackle (TX)
208) Bronzed Cowbird (TX)
209) Hooded Oriole (TX)
210) Altamira Oriole (TX)
211) Audubon’s Oriole (TX)
212) Bullock’s Oriole (AZ)
213) Cassin’s Finch (AZ)
214) House Finch (TX)(AZ)
215) Gray-crowned Rosy Finch (NM)
216) Black Rosy Finch* (NM)
217) Brown-capped Rosy Finch (NM)
218) Pine Siskin (AZ)
219) Lesser Goldfinch (TX)(AZ)
220) American Goldfinch (TX)
221) Lawrence’s Goldfinch (AZ)
222) House Sparrow (TX)(AZ)
223) Eurasian Tree Sparrow (MO)
* denotes ‘Life’ Bird;
(HNS) denotes Bird was Heard but Not Seen;
(VA) Virginia
(LA) Louisiana
(TX) Texas
(AZ) Arizona
(NM) New Mexico
(MO) Missouri
Wednesday, January 15, 2003
Snowy Owl near Brodheadsville ~ January 14, 2003
On the 11th, Claus Herrmann found a Snowy Owl in Brodheadsville, Monroe County. I got a chance to get some photos of the bird today.
Snowy Owl near Brodheadsville in Monroe County. Note the white face and dark flecking on the wings and breast. This bird was in a field bordered by Weir Lake Road and Altemose Drive, west of the Route 209/115 split.
Snowy Owl near Brodheadsville in Monroe County. Note the dark flecking on the wings and tail. This bird was in a field bordered by Weir Lake Road and Altemose Drive, west of the Route 209/115 split.
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