[texbirds] Llano: Black Skimmer!
- From: Roger Shaw <roger.w.shaw@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: texbirds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Tue, 27 May 2014 19:13:48 -0500
Curious about what the rainstorm might have stirred up, I spent the
afternoon wandering around Llano County, in the central TX hill country.
Most shockingly, I found a BLACK SKIMMER in downtown Llano, at Llano River
Park/Badu Park. Unmistakeable long pointed black wings with a white
trailing edge, long bill orange at the base and black at the tip with a
longer lower mandible, etc. I watched the bird circle around the river,
just upstream of the downtown bridge/dam, for several minutes. When I
finally decided to open up my bag to grab my camera, the bird unfortunately
disappeared. The bird didn't reappear for the next 30 minutes that I was
present. A later check of Robinson Park upstream didn't have any luck
either. If the bird is moving downstream, anyone at Lake Buchanan, or
Windy Point on Lake Travis, or other downstream spots might want to keep
half an eye out.
The TOS Handbook indicates that spring inland records are quite unusual.
Obviously I was pretty surprised to see it!
On Lake Buchanan, Cedar Point Rec Area was refreshingly full of water. A
small flock of Franklin's Gulls seemed fairly late, and I was also
surprised by several groups of American White Pelicans that were present.
Other vantages on the lake had less water, but produced more White
Pelicans. Didn't see any migrant shorebirds anywhere, probably too late.
Good birding,
...
Roger Shaw
roger.w.shaw@xxxxxxxxx
Austin, TX
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