[leasbirds] Re: Dickens County Highlights - today
- From: Kelly Himmel <kfhimmel@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: leasbirds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Fri, 26 Dec 2014 23:27:02 -0600
Anthony and all,
My experience with Dickens Springs since I moved back to the area in
2007 is very similar to what you reported today. At one time, it was
a the most reliable spot in the area for Common Bushtit and Western
Scrub Jay, plus a good variety of the the more common birds of the
breaks in the Caprock country. However, in nearly all visits in
recent years I've had difficulty finding more than five to ten species
and usually singletons of those. I still drop by there on occasion,
but mostly because of the interesting plants and topography. The
only difference I can readily see between now and then (pre-1990) are
the teepee shaped picnic structures, paved entry road, and restored
dugout.
BTW, I think nearly any place in this area that allows public access
(beyond road right-of-away) and has any decent habitat is deserving of
designation as an eBird hotspot.
Kelly Himmel
Crosby County
On Fri, Dec 26, 2014 at 8:25 PM, Anthony Hewetson
<fattonybirds@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> Greetings All:
>
> Phillip Kite and I spent from 8:30 to 5:00 on 26 December 2014 exploring
> Dickens County. Roads covered: Highway 84 from the Crosby/County line to
> Dicken, Highway 70 north to Afton, Highway 193 and backroads in the Afton
> area, Highway 193 to East Afton and then to the Dickens/King county line,
> Highway 193, Highway 265, and Highway 82 to Dickens Springs, backroads in
> Dickens to the Dickens Sewage Ponds, and highway 82 back the Dickens/Crosby
> County line.
>
> With very limited surface water we considered ourselves fortunate to tally
> 58 species and noted, with considerable hope for the White River Lake CBC,
> that a lot of winter sparrows were down. We dipped on Carolina Chickadee
> (hard but possible in the county) and American Tree Sparrow but scored
> Red-bellied Woodpecker and Eastern Towhee for my regional year list.
>
> Highlights included 9 Eastern Bluebirds and 4 Harris's Sparrows south of
> Afton; 2 Red-bellied Woodpeckers, 3 Common Ravens, 2 Red-breasted
> Nuthatches, 1 Brown Creeper, 1 Carolina Wren, 2 Fox Sparrows, 7
> White-throated Sparrows, and 4 Harris's Sparrows in the Afton area; 1 Common
> Raven, 2 Eastern Towhees, 1 Fox Sparrow, 3 White-throated Sparrows, and 14
> Harris's Sparrows between Afton and East Afton; 7 Common Ravens, 1 Fox
> Sparrow, and 9 White-throated Sparrows east of East Afton; 2 Eastern
> Bluebirds south of East Afton; 1 Canvasback at the Dickens Sewage Ponds.
>
> Another 'highlight' arrived in the form of two hitchhikers: 1 Bewick's Wren
> decided to get in the car west of the Joiner Ranch and had to be shooed -
> ever so gently - out ... then ... another Bewick's Wren (we are not paranoid
> enough to think the same wren was following us) decided to enter the vehicle
> well east of the Joiner Ranch.and was ushered - ever so gently - back into
> the wilds of Dickens County.
>
> What was that all about?
>
> The lowlight, as it were: an all-time record for fewest species recorded at
> Dickens Springs - 5 species of birds in 45 minutes beating the previous
> record of 7 species in 75 minutes. And to think that, with a straight face,
> I recommended the site as an eBird hotspot:)
>
> Anthony 'Fat Tony' Hewetson; Lubbock
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