[texbirds] Brazos Bend - Lesser Nighthawk & Yellow-headed blackbird
- From: Mark Scheuerman <mark.scheuerman@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: TexBirds <texbirds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Sat, 26 Jan 2013 07:37:56 -0600
TexBirders,
Last night my wife and I took advantage of the nice weather and went to
watch the sunset and the spectacle of hundreds of thousands of blackbirds
coming to roost at Pilant Marsh. As the blackbirds arrived and staged in
the trees near the tower, we were able to pick out a female *Yellow-headed
Blackbird* in the tree nearest the tower! A sickly Mexican Free-tailed bat
flew into the tower with us and climbed the wall to the roof. The blackbird
show was amazing...mostly Red-wings & Common Grackles. I didn't try to
count, but easily over 250,000.
As the blackbirds settled into the wild rice, and while walking back along
trail between 40 Acre Lake & Pilant Marsh, I noticed a nighthawk flying
rather low over the trees on the islands in 40 acre lake that I believe to
be a *Lesser Nighthawk*. I watched this bird at length until too dark. The
bird did not strike me as a familiar Common Nighthawk. It never called, but
had a different flight pattern with shallower/faster wing beats. White
patches on wingtips narrowed towards rear and were closer to the wing-tip
than I expect on Common. Wing-tips were also more rounded than I expect on
Common. I recently saw 2 different Lesser Nighthawks, male & female
(photoed), on the Matagorda CBC. Both species would be very rare at this
time of year. I don't think LENI has ever been recorded for FT Bend Co. (at
least on eBird). I suppose this bird could be wintering in this area and
should be looked for to nail down the ID or get a photo. It may forage here
nightly? It was way to dark for me to get a photo.
Comments welcomed...
Good Birding!
Mark Scheuerman
Sugar Land,TX
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