[texbirds] Tuesday morning birding, Hagerman NWR

  • From: Jack Chiles <chilesjack@xxxxxxxxx>
  • To: Texbirds <Texbirds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • Date: Tue, 30 Dec 2014 21:12:38 -0600

The year is rapidly winding down and the Christmas Bird Count is behind us with 
one of the lower specie counts ever of 104 species, with more people counting 
than in past years. But we added 11 species in the count week bringing the 
total up to a more respectable 115 species which is near our average. At the 
start of the year I decided to try for an all time high count for myself for 
Grayson, Co., but I did not count on it being a year of drought with near 
record low lake levels for most of the year. The low lake levels did bring a 
couple of surprises, one being the record numbers of shorebirds in spring 
migration because of a huge area of mudflats.  Another, the large number of 
Northern Pintails taking refuge in the large areas of Smartweed that came up in 
the lakebed. Add to this the first nesting pair of Bald Eagles on the refuge 
being successful in fledging two young Eagles. One of the negative results of 
the drought is that the trees that provide food for a lot of species hardly 
have any berries. I typically get about 230 species for the county each year so 
I set my sights on 235 species for this years goal which I will probably not 
attain because I am now at 232 species with a day to go.  My best year ever has 
been 234 species.
But, today was a great day because we found a Ladder-backed Woodpecker on 
Plainview Road.  We only see this specie perhaps one time every six years. It 
was a great sighting to round out my year even though I came up short of my 
goal. Thanks to all of you that assisted me in reaching this total. May all of 
you have a Great and Happy New Year.
http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S21084829
Jack Chiles, Texas Master Naturalist and volunteer, Hagerman NWR.Edit your 
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