[texbirds] Highlights from Common Crane trip - yesterday

From: Anthony Hewetson <fattonybirds@xxxxxxxxx>
To: "texbirds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx" <texbirds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>, leasbirds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx, Anthony Hewetson <fattonybirds@xxxxxxxxx>
Date: Sat, 22 Nov 2014 15:33:43 -0600

Greetings All:
Yesterday I headed on over to Bailey County to look for, with a
surprisingly large group of far-flung Texas birders, the Common Crane.

My only highlight on the way over was 2 Ring-billed Gulls at Bull Lake in
Lamb County - noteworthy as gulls rarely stray into our western counties.

From 9:50 to 12:05 a largish group of us stared at the cranes west of CR
3397 (a few miles south of FM 298).  The Crane was not seen.  Highlights
for me along this road were: 2 Snow Geese, 3 Chestnut-collared Longspurs, 1
McCown's Longspur, and 1 Orange-crowned Warbler.

Then, from 12:05 to 5:00, an even larger group stared endlessly at the
cranes (and other birds) at Paul's Lake.  This did not produce The Crane
but we did see 2 Redheads, 1 first winter (in my opinion) Bald Eagle, 1
very late Pectoral Sandpiper, 6 Least Sandpipers, and 1 American Pipit.  I
think we averaged eleven people present through the whole five hour period
- a whole lot of effort for a dip!

Then, at about 5:00 we got a call and were told that The Crane was with a
largish group of cranes along CR 1181 about a mile east of Highway 214 (1
mile north of Needmore).  Mere minutes later scopes and birders were loaded
into vehicles and vehicles were hurtling towards Needmore.

From 5:05 until it was too dark to see at least fourteen birders (some from
as far away as the Houston area)  got acceptable looks at a Common Crane.
It provided good views of both right and left side of the neck and head and
certainly appeared to be plumaged identically on both sides to me.  There
was also nothing that suggested to me that the bird was anything but pure
Common Crane.

I can't even begin to imagine what the folk in the farmhouse just down the
road made of all this hullabaloo!!

I believe that other folk have submitted decent photographs of the bird;
the committee will make of this bird what it will.

Much thanks to Justin Bosler for getting the word out about this bird - he
was promised quite a few beers as farewells were said.

Anthony 'Fat Tony' Hewetson; Lubbock


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[texbirds] Highlights from Common Crane trip - yesterday

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