Cactus Wren

A friend and fellow birder found these Cactus Wrens on Plum Creek Road in southwestern Moore County. I went out there this morning after I got off work and managed to find them, thanks to his excellent directions. Cactus Wrens aren’t normally found in the area and actually, until my friend reported them on Saturday,…

Common Loon

Here’s a series of photographs of an immature Common Loon that’s been hanging out at Lake Meredith’s Spring Canyon this week. He’s all alone but that doesn’t stop him from practicing displaying. It’s a little unusual to see them this late in the spring.

May Birds

May in the Texas Panhandle is a great time for birders. The summer residents are arriving and there are still a lot of migrants passing through. Here’s a few photos of some of the birds I came across around Hutchinson County last Month. Burrowing Owl Red=winged Blackbird male and female Wilson’s Phalarope Three American Avocets…

Green Heron

I saw this Green Heron at Spring Canyon a few days ago. They are migrants through here each fall and spring. They aren’t very big, only about a foot and a half tall with their neck stretched out and they weigh about half a pound. This one was preening, although he did make a grab…

A Few Birds From Last week

I’m starting to see a few birds migrating through, now. Not a lot, but a few. The trade-off is that a lot of the summer birds have already left and I miss them. I haven’t seen any kites for a week or more, same with the buntings and grosbeaks. Time marches relentlessly onward. I went…

Then and Now

The last two summers have been beautiful, especially when compared to summers over the last decade or so.  We had gotten used to days and weeks of temperatures over 100 degrees, dry, brown grass and trees, very little rain, devastating grass fires, and dry, hot southwest winds. There have only been a few days in…

Length Matters

On a beautiful, crisp November morning I drove to the cliffs at Lake Meredith’s Fritch Fortress.  I had the 300mm lens on the camera.  I walked down a pathway along the edge of the cliff scanning the water with the binoculars looking for migrant waterfowl. I come to this area 4 or 5 times a…