Occasionally, over the last 4 years that I’ve been birding, I’ve seen reports on eBird of Upland Sandpipers in the northern Texas Panhandle, but I’ve never seen one. Every time someone reports one I go back though my photos of sandpipers, yellowlegs and other waders and shore birds, just to see if I’ve mis-identified an…
I took a few photos at Spring Canyon this morning-nothing too exciting, not like a Sedge Wren or anything, but some nice photos at any rate. The weather was overcast and kind of windy, but it is the Texas Panhandle and wind is always expected and we never complain about clouds (well, actually, I do,…
Every time I think I’m getting pretty good at this birding stuff, someone comes along and takes me down a few pegs. This week it happened twice. The first was an email from an ebird rep wanting more information on a sighting I had earlier this month. I reported an American Tree Sparrow and he…
Watched four Northern Flickers (Yellow-shafted) males (at least I think they were all males) at the park here in town this morning for several minutes. They seemed to be working out territorial boundaries. Pretty funny to watch, especially the two that chased each other on the ground around the park.
There’s been an influx of birds arriving for the summer these last two weeks, as well as a few migrants passing through. Scissor-tailed Flycatchers arrived last week, followed by Ash-throated Flyucatchers this week. Northern Mockingbirds are supposed to be year-round residents in the area, but I’ve never seen them in the winter. In the last…
Earlier this month I was able to get a few photos of Blue-winged and Green-winged Teal. Both are beautiful birds. Green-winged Teal and a Pied-billed Grebe Blue-winged Teal and Green-winged Teal Green-winged Teal Blue-winged Teal
Here’s a few more photographs from the end of March that I didn’t get around to posting. American Kestrel Rufous-crowned Sparrow Rock Wren One of the first Turkey Vultures of the season.
I came across these American Avocets yesterday at Lake Meredith’s Spring Canyon. I love the red head, the black and white striped body, and especially the long blue legs. These guys are hanging out with some Blue-winged Teal, which are pretty excellent looking birds themselves.
I hiked down McBride Canyon a few days ago and was able to get a few more photographs of the Western Scrub Jays that I saw last week. I also took a couple of pictures of a Downy Woodpecker, the smallest woodpecker in the US. He’s also very twitchy and never seems to stay still…
I first reported this gull as a Herring Gull, but after I got home and looked at the photos, I’ve decided that it’s most probably a 1st summer Ring-billed Gull. The band across the tail and the wing markings are pretty distinctive. I admire birders that can see all those minutiae in the field, but I’m…
Photoavian 