Lubbock received 2.03 inches of rain during the month, well above the
January average of 0.50 inches. Unseasonably mild weather persisted
through the month and quite a few highlights are of species persisting
unusually late into the winter. On the other hand, a lot of 'winter' birds
still have not arrived in normal numbers.
Regional summaries of eBird data can not be acquired in a timely fashion.
As a result, records submitted to eBird may not appear in this report.
Reports from the region that are submitted to the texbirds or leasbirds
listserve can be reviewed in a timely fashion and should appear.
As always, the county follows the site in ( ) and birds are mentioned by
virtue of rarity, atypical abundance, or atypical scarcity.
A late report from December:
TUNDRA SWAN; 6 near Grassland, Lynn on 12/21/16 (MDL, photographs) - VERY
RARE TO THE REGION; GENERALLY AS A WINTER VISITOR.
On to January:
GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE: Seven reports of 1-10 birds, one report of 62
birds, and one report of 105 birds in the region (Crosby, Lubbock, Lynn)
during the period (JB, MC, NC, AH, PKe) - LATE TO ARRIVE THIS YEAR; STILL
NOT UP TO PEAK NUMBERS.
SNOW GOOSE: Two reports of 1-10 birds, three reports of 11-100 birds, one
report of 320 birds, and one report of 560 birds in the region (Crosby,
Lubbock, Lynn) during the period (JB, MC, NC, AH) - LATE TO ARRIVE THIS
YEAR; FINALLY APPROACHING NORMAL NUMBERS.
ROSS'S GOOSE: 60 near Wilson (Lynn) on 1/1/17 (AH), 2 at White River Lake
(Crosby) on 1/8/17 (MC, NC, AH), 2 near Bole's Lake Road (Lubbock) on
1/16/17 (JB), and 20 at the Becton Cemetery Playa (Lubbock) on 1/27/17 (JB)
- LATE TO ARRIVE THIS YEAR; NOT AT NORMAL NUMBERS AS OF YET.
TUNDRA SWAN: 2 flying over Lubbock (Lubbock) on 1/18/17 (AH) bringing the
winter season up to three reports of, most likely different, groups - A
VERY RARE WINTER VISITOR DOING WELL IN THE REGION THIS YEAR.
WOOD DUCK: 18-19 at Leroy Elmore Park (Lubbock) through the period (AH, JM)
and 2 at White River Lake (Crosby) on 1/28/17 (AH) the only reports -
ANOTHER SPECIES THAT WAS LATE TO ARRIVE AND - STILL - LOW IN NUMBER.
BLUE-WINGED TEAL: 1 near Bole's Lake Road (Lubbock) on 1/16/17 (JB) -
FORMERLY ACCIDENTAL IN THE WINTER; NOW ANNUAL ALBEIT VERY RARE..
CINNAMON TEAL: 1 at MacKenzie Park (Lubbock) on 1/20/17 (WW) - FORMERLY
ACCIDENTAL IN THE WINTER; NOW ANNUAL ALBEIT VERY RARE.
CANVASBACK: Four reports of 1-10 birds and three reports of 11-25 birds in
the region (Bailey, Crosby, Lubbock, Lynn) during the period (CA, MA, JB,
MC, NC, AH) - ABOUT AVERAGE FOR THIS NOW UNCOMMON WINTER VISITOR.
REDHEAD: Six reports of 1-12 birds in the region (Bailey, Cochran, Crosby,
Lubbock, Lynn) during the period (CA, MA, MC, NC, DH, AH, JM) - GOOD
SCATTER BUT LOW NUMBERS FOR THIS INCREASINGLY SCARCE WINTER VISITOR.
COMMON GOLDENEYE: 3 males at White River Lake (Crosby) on 1/8/17 (MC, NC,
AH) the only report - ABOUT AVERAGE FOR THIS RARE VISITOR TO THE REGION'S
DEEP LAKES.
COMMON MERGANSER: 2 females and 8 males at Lakeridge Golf Course (Lubbock)
on 1/1/17 (AH), 50 at White River Lake (Crosby) on 1/8/17 (MC, NC, AH), 4
at White River Lake (Crosby) on 1/28/17 (AH), 1 female at Huneke Park
(Lubbock) on 1/28/17 (JM), 1 at Lake Six (Lubbock) on 1/29/17 (JM), and 1
at Leroy Elmore Park (Lubbock) on 1/31/17 (DHa, photoraphs) - A LITTLE
ABOVE AVERAGE FOR THIS LATE IN THE SEASON - THE SPECIES USUALLY SEEMS TO
PEAK IN DECEMBER.
SCALED QUAIL: 17 at Canyon Valley (Crosby) on 1/8/17 (MC, NC, AH) and 24
near Post (Garza) on 1/30/17 (JB) - GOOD NUMBERS; LOW SCATTER PROBABLY
EXPLAINED BY LACK OF OBSERVER EFFORT IN STRONGHOLD COUNTIES.
RING-NECKED PHEASANT: 5 near Seth Ward (Hale) on 1/1/17 (NP) the only
report - A TAD LOW BUT LITTLE EFFORT IN OUR NORTHERN AND WESTERN COUNTIES
DURING THE MONTH.
HORNED GREBE: 4 remained at White River Lake (Crosby) on 1/8/17 (MC, NC,
AH) - A VERY RARE WINTER VISITOR TO THE REGION.
EARED GREBE: 3 at White River Lake (Crosby) on 1/8/17 (MC, NC, AH), 2 near
Bole's Lake Road (Lubbock) on 1/16/17 (JB), and 2 at White River Lake
(Crosby) on 1/28/17 (AH) the only reports - IF ANYTHING, ESPECIALLY GIVEN
THE OVERALL ABUNDANCE OF GREBES THIS WINTER, A TAD LOW.
WESTERN GREBE: 4 at White River Lake (Crosby) on 1/8/17 (MC, NC, AH,
photographs) and 3 at White River Lake (Crosby) on 1/28/17 (AH) - ABOUT
AVERAGE FOR THIS RARE WINTER VISITOR.
CLARK'S GREBE: 1 at White River Lake (Crosby) on 1/8/17 (MS, NC, AH,
photographs) and on 1/28/17 (AH, photographs) - FORMERLY ACCIDENTAL TO THE
REGION: NOW, MOST LIKELY DUE TO INCREASED OBSERVER SKILL, MORE PROPERLY
VIEWED AS CASUAL.
WHOOPING CRANE: 1 adult just east of O'Donnell (Lynn) on 1/22/17 (AH,
photographs) - ACCIDENTAL TO THE REGION - ONE OF A HANDFUL OF RECORDS AND
ONLY THE SECOND WINTER RECORD FOR THE REGION.
LEAST SANDPIPER: 3 at White River Lake (Crosby) on 1/28/17 (AH) and 14 at
Frog (Frost) Lake (Lynn) on 1/29/17 (AH, photographs) the only reports - A
TAD LOW, ESPECIALLY GIVEN THE CONTINUING MILD CONDITIONS.
WILSON'S SNIPE: 1 at MacKenzie Park (Lubbock) on 1/20/17 (WW) and 2 south
of Crosbyton (Crosby) on 1/29/17 (AH) the only report - VERY LOW; THIS
SPECIES HAS YET TO REACH NORMAL NUMBERS THIS WINTER.
GREATER YELLOWLEGS: 1 at White River Lake (Crosby) on 1/8/17 (MC, NC, AH)
and on 1/28/17 (AH) and 1 at Frog (Frost) Lake (Lynn) on 1/29/17 (AH,
photographs) the only reports - VERY LOW NUMBERS, ESPECIALLY GIVEN THE
CONTINUING MILD CONDITIONS.
BONAPARTE'S GULL:2 at White River Lake (Crosby) on 1/8/17 (MC, NC, AH) the
only report - ABOUT AVERAGE FOR THIS VERY RARE WINTER RESIDENT.
HERRING GULL: 1 adult winter bird at White River Lake (Crosby) on 1/8/17
(MC, NC, AH, photographs) and1 first winter bird at Leroy Elmore Park
(Lubbock) on 1/11/17 (DH, AH) the only reports - LOW BY HISTORICAL
STANDARDS; AVERAGE BY CONTEMPORARY STANDARDS.
GREAT EGRET: 1 at White River Lake (Crosby) through the period (MC, NC,
AH), 1 at Leroy Elmore Park (Lubbock) through the period (AH, Pke), 1 at
Stone Lake (Lubbock) through the period (AH) - MOST OF OUR 'WINTERING'
EGRETS ARE CHASED OUT BY THE FIRST LONG COLD SPELLS; WE HAVEN'T HAD ANY
LONG COLD SPELLS.
SNOWY EGRET: 2 at various parks in central Lubbock (Lubbock) through the
period (AH) - MOST OF OUR 'WINTERING' EGRETS ARE CHASED OUT BY THE FIRST
LONG COLD SPELLS; WE HAVEN'T HAD ANY LONG COLD SPELLS.
BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT HERON:1 first year bird at the Tahoka Cemetery Complex
(Lynn) on 1/29/17 (AH) - VERY RARE IN THE WINTER SAVE FOR A POPULATION THAT
LINGERS ALONG THE CANYON LAKES OF LUBBOCK.
BALD EAGLE: 1 at Muleshoe NWR (Bailey) on 1/22/17 (CA, MA) the only report
- FORMERLY A RARE WINTER VISITOR; CLOSER, THESE DAYS, TO CASUAL.
OSPREY: 1 at Leroy Elmore Park (Lubbock) on 1/10/17 (JM) and 1 at the Ashe
Avenue Playa (Lubbock) on 1/19/17 (AZ) - FORMERLY ACCIDENTAL IN EARLY
WINTER; NOW ANNUAL WITH INCREASING ATTEMPTS AT FULL OVERWINTERING.
HARRIS'S HAWK: 2 near Afton (Dickens) on 1/27/17 (JS) and on 1/30/17 (JS) -
THIS SPECIES HAS AN ODD STATUS IN THE REGION: IT IS, FOR THE MOST PART, A
CASUAL VISITOR WITH NO PARTICULAR SEASONALITY BUT OCCASIONALLY BREEDS,
SOMETIMES IN SURPRISINGLY LARGE NUMBERS.
ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK: 1 at the Lubbock Cemetery (Lubbock) on 1/8/17 (PKe) -
THOUGH THE SPECIES IS IN GOOD NUMBERS IN THE NORTHERN PANHANDLE, VERY FEW
HAVE MADE IT TO OUR REGION THIS WINTER.
SHORT-EARED OWL: 1 near Seth Ward (Hale) on 1/1/17 (NP) the only report -
LOW NUMBERS; ESPECIALLY GIVEN LAST WINTER'S IRRUPTION AND LAST MONTH'S
RELATIVELY GOOD NUMBERS.
RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER: 1 along Canyon Valley Road (Crosby) on 1/8/17 (MC,
NC, AH) - A RARE VISITOR, GENERALLY TO OUR EASTERN COUNTIES, BUT SEEMS TO
BE INCREASING OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS AS DROUGHT RECOVERY CONTINUES FOR OUR
WOODLANDS.
YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCK: 1 at White River Lake (Crosby) through the period
(MC, NC, AH) and 1 at MacKenzie Park (Lubbock) on 1/29/17 (RL) the only
reports - ABOUT AVERAGE - QUITE THE DOWNTURN FROM LAST WINTER'S
MEGA-IRRUPTION!
MERLIN: Five reports of single birds in the region (Crosby, Lubbock, Lynn)
during the period (JB, MC, NC, AH) - ABOUT AVERAGE FOR THIS RARE TO
UNCOMMON WINTER VISITOR.
PEREGRINE FALCON: I received no reports from the region - THIS IS UNUSUAL
AS LUBBOCK, ITSELF, USUALLY SUPPORTS SEVERAL WINTERING BIRDS.
MONK PARAKEET: 1 (with a "monstrous nest") at Wayland Baptist University
(Hale) through the period (NP) - THE LONELIEST QUAKER IN THE LEAS IS HOPING
FOR A LITTLE LOVE:)
EASTERN PHOEBE:1 at Muleshoe NWR (Bailey) on 1/22/17 (CA, MA) and 1 near
Afton (Dickens) on 1/27/16 (JS) and 1/30/17 (JS) the only reports - VERY
LOW./
COMMON RAVEN: Ten reports of 1-6 birds in the region (Crosby, Garza,
Lubbock, Lynn) during the period (JB, MC, NC, DH, AH) - THIS IS ABOUT
AVERAGE AND REFLECTS BETTER COVERAGE, THIS YEAR, OF THE PORTION OF OUR
REGION ALONG AND BELOW THE CAPROCK ESCARPMENT.
BUSHTIT: 8 near White River Lake (Crosby) on 1/8/17 (MC, NC, AH) and 4 at
Lamb County Sandhills Historical Marker (Lamb) on 1/31/17 (JF, DS) - THE
FORMER REPORT IS ABOUT AVERAGE FOR A GOOD YEAR; THE LATTER REPORT IS
EXTRAORDINARY - MUCH FURTHER WEST THAN ANY RECENT SIGHTINGS IN THE REGION.
RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH: 2 at White River Lake (Crosby) on 1/28/17 (AH) the
only report - LOW.
WHITE-BREASTED NUTHATCH: 1 at MacKenzie Park (Lubbock) on 1/25/17 (AZ,
photographs) - A VERY RARE WINTER VISITOR TO THE REGION.
BROWN CREEPER: 1 at MacKenzie Park (Lubbock) on 1/25/17 (AZ, photographs),
1 at White River Lake (Crosby) on 1/28/17 (AH), and 1 near Afton (Dickens)
on 1/30/17 (JS) - ABOUT AVERAGE FOR THIS RARE WINTER VISITOR.
ROCK WREN: 1 at the FM 193 x FM 651 canyon crossing (Crosby) throughout the
period (MC, NC, AH) the only report - LOW.
CANYON WREN: 2 at Silver Falls Rest Area (Crosby) on 1/8/17 (MC, NC, AH)
and 1 at White River Lake (Crosby) on 1/8/17 (AH) the only reports - LOW,
GIVEN THE COVERAGE DEVOTED TO OUR EASTERN COUNTIES DURING THE MONTH.
WINTER WREN: 1 at White River Lake (Crosby) on 1/28/17 (AH) the only report
- LOW; ONE OF OUR WINTERING SPECIES THAT SEEMS NOT TO HAVE ARRIVED.
CAROLINA WREN: 1 at MacKenzie Park (Lubbock) on 1/25/17 (AZ, photographs)
and 2 at Mae Simmons Park (Lubbock) on 1/29/17 (RL) - THE ONLY ABOVE THE
CAPROCK ESCARPMENT REPORTS; A TAD LOW.
GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLET: 4 at White River Lake (Crosby) on 1/28/17 (AH) and
1 at Lamb County Sandhills Historical Marker (Hale) on 1/31/17 (JF, DS) the
only reports received - ABOUT AVERAGE FOR THIS RARE WINTER VISITOR.
EASTERN BLUEBIRD: 12 near Kalgary (Crosby) on 1/8/17 (MC, NC, AH), 3 near
Crosbyton (Crosby) on 1/28/17 (AH), 17 near White River Lake (Crosby) on
1/28/17 (AH), 2 at Lake Six (Lubbock) on 1/29/17 (JM) and up to 12 at
MacKenzie Park (Lubbock) on 1/30/17 and 1/31/17 (RL) - GOOD NUMBERS AND
SCATTER.
WESTERN BLUEBIRD: 5 at the Lubbock Cemetery (Lubbock) on 1/8/17 (PKe) and
11 near Post (Garza) on 1/18/17 (JB) - GOOD NUMBERS, ODDLY EAST FOR THE
REGION.
MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRD: 9 near Canyon Valley (Crosby) on 1/8/17 (MC, NC, AH), 1
near Post (Garza) on 1/18/17 (JB), 2 near White River Lake (Crosby) on
1/28/17 (AH), and 25 near Post (Garza) on 1/30/17 (JB) the only reports -
ABOUT AVERAGE FOR A NON-IRRUPTIVE WINTER.
HERMIT THRUSH: 1 at Clapp Park (Lubbock) on 1/7/17 (DH, AH, m.ob.), 1 at
White River Lake (Crosby) on 1/8/17 (MC, NC, AH), and 1 at the FM 193 x FM
651 Canyon crossing (Crosby) on 1/28/17 (AH) the only reports - VERY LOW;
ESPECIALLY GIVEN THE CONTINUING MILD CONDITIONS.
BROWN THRASHER: 1 at Clapp Park (Lubbock) on 1/7/17 (DH, AH, m.ob.) and on
1/28/17 (DH, SP, KW) - THE ONLY ATOP THE CAPROCK ESCARPMENT REPORTS.
SAGE THRASHER:1 at the CR EE Wetlands (Lynn) on 1/29/17 (AH), 11 near Post
(Garza) on 1/30/17 (JB), and 1 near Grassland (Lynn) on 1/31/17 (JB) -
THANKS TO THE ONE REPORT, A STARTLINGLY HIGH NUMBER FOR JANUARY.
CEDAR WAXWING: Four reports of 1-10 birds, and three reports of 30-50 birds
in the region (Dickens, Garza, Lubbock) during the period (JB, DH, PKe, JM,
SP, JS, TT, KW) - ABOUT AVERAGE FOR A NON-IRRUPTIVE YEAR.
PINE SISKIN: 2 near Canyon Valley (Crosby) on 1/8/17 (MC, NC, AH) the only
report - EXTRAORDINARILY LOW - ANOTHER WINTER BIRD NOT YET ARRIVED?
CHESTNUT-COLLARED LONGSPUR: 27 near Seth Ward (Hale) on 1/1/17 (NP) the
only report - EXTRAORDINARILY LOW - ANOTHER WINTER BIRD NOT YET ARRIVED?
MCCOWN'S LONGSPUR: 8 near Seth Ward (Hale) on 1/1/17 (NP), 14 at the Becton
Cemetery Playa (Lubbock) on 1/27/17 (JB) and 3 near Cone (Crosby) on
1/28/17 (AH) the only reports - EXTRAORDINARILY LOW - ANOTHER WINTER BIRD
NOT YET ARRIVED?
ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER: 1 at the Lubbock Cemetery (Lubbock) on 1/8/17
(PKe), 1 at White River Lake (Crosby) on 1/28/17 (AH), and 1 in a Lubbock
yard (Lubbock) on 1/29/17 (CR, FR, GS, LS) the only reports - VERY LOW BY
HISTORICAL STANDARDS BUT ABOUT AVERAGE FOR RECENT YEARS.
COMMON YELLOWTHROAT: 1 at Silver Falls Rest Area (Crosby) on 1/8/17 (MC,
NC, AH) the only report - LOW.
CHIPPING SPARROW: 1 at White River Lake (Crosby) on 1/28/17 (AH) the only
report - A BIT LOW; THE SPECIES HAS BEEN WINTERING, IN LARGER NUMBERS THAN
THIS, DURING MILD YEARS.
LE CONTE'S SPARROW: 1 at White River Lake (Crosby) on 1/8/17 (MC, NC, AH) -
A RARE AND HIGHLY LOCALIZED WINTER VISITOR TO THE REGION; THE GRASSLANDS
ALONG THE NORTHWEST ARM OF THE LAKE HAVE BEEN ONE OF THE BETTER SITES.
SWAMP SPARROW: 1 near Tahoka (Lynn) on 1/17/17 (JB), 1 near Ralls (Crosby)
on 1/28/17 (AH), and 1 at White River Lake (Crosby) on 1/28/17 (AH) - VERY
LOW NUMBERS; JUST NOT DOWN SO FAR THIS WINTER>
FOX SPARROW: 1 at White River Lake (Crosby) on 1/8/17 (MC, NC, AH), 1 at
the FM 193 x FM 651 Canyon crossing (Crosby) on 1/28/17 (AH), and 6 at
White River Lake (Crosby) on 1/28/17 (AH) - GOOD NUMBERS BELOW THE CAPROCK
ESCARPMENT BUT LITTLE EVIDENCE OF THE SPECIES ATOP THE ROCK YET THIS WINTER.
WHITE-THROATED SPARROW: 1 near Grassland (Lynn) on 1/7/17 (MC, AH) the only
report - VERY LOW; JUST NOT DOWN THIS WINTER.
HARRIS'S SPARROW: 1 near Afton (Dickens) on 1/30/17 (JS) the only report -
VERY LOW; JUST NOT DOWN THIS WINTER>
OBSERVERS: CA=Connie Andrus, MA=Marlin Andrus, JB=Justin Bosler, MC=Martin
Campbell, NC=Nathan Campbell, MDL=Manuel De Leon, JF=Joe Fischer, DHa=Danny
Hancock, DH=Drew Harvey, AH=Anthony Hewetson, PKe=Peter Keyel, RL=Rob Lee,
JM=Jennifer Miller, SP=Skyler Park, NP=Niler Pyeatt, CR=Clarice Robertson,
FR=Floyd Robertson, DS=David Sarkozi, JS=Jonathan Schmitt, GS=Geral Skoog,
LS=Liz Skoog, TT=Tess Trost, KW=Katheryn Watson, WW=William Wenthe,
AZ=Angelina Zappia.
Anthony 'Fat Tony' Hewetson; Lubbock
