Greetings All:
I spent 10 hours birding Crosby County yesterday. I managed to spot 105
species despite less than stellar conditions - uniformly cold, cloudy, and
breezy to windy throughout the day - and can't help but wonder what might
have popped out had there been any sun. I had a lot of fun, though,
wandering from playa to flooded field to playa - popping back into the car
for warmth whenever necessary - and discovering a few previously unvisited
sites in the county.
Highlights include a lot of what might seem to be unexceptional ducks - I
am including them as they represent a bit of a recovery from drought year
numbers.
Highlights were 1 Wood Duck at the Ralls WTP, 6 Blue-winged Teals at
Crosbyton City Park, 4 Blue-winged Teals east of Ralls, 10 Blue-winged
Teals at the Ralls WTP, 6 Blue-winged Teals south of Crosbyton, 10
Blue-winged Teals south fo Ralls, 4 Blue-winged Teals southeast of Mt.
Blanco, 3 Cinnamon Teals at Crosbyton City Park, 2 Cinnamon Teals south of
Ralls, 2 Cinnamon Teals southeast of Mt. Blanco, 2 Redheads southeast of
Mt. Blanco, 1 male Ring-necked Pheasant at the Ralls WTP, 1 Inca Dove near
Savage, 4 Chimney Swifts at Crosbyton City Park, 1 male Black-chinned
Hummingbird at White River Lake, 2 American Avocets east of Ralls, 4
American Avocets near Owens, 3 American Avocets near Savage, 1 American
Avocet south of Ralls, 6 American Avocets southeast of Mt. Blanco, *1
American Golden Plover* north of Cap Rock, 2 Long-billed Curlews near
Savage, 1 Long-billed Curlew north of Cap Rock, 2 Baird's Sandpipers at
Crosbyton City Park, 1 Baird's Sandpiper near Owens, 2 Baird's Sandpipers
north of Cap Rock, 1 Least Sandpiper north of Cap Rock, 5 Long-billed
Dowitchers at Crosbyton City Park, 4 Long-billed Dowitchers south of
Crosbyton, 11 Wilson's Snipes at Crosbyton City Park, 1 Wilson's Snipe
south of Crosbyton, 1 Spotted Sandpiper at White River Lake, 3 Greater
Yellowlegs at Crosbyton City Park, 1 Greater Yellowlegs east of Ralls, 4
Greater Yellowlegs southeast of Mt. Blanco, 7 Lesser Yellowlegs at
Crosbyton City Park,1 Cattle Egret at the Ralls WTP, 1 Sharp-shinned Hawk
at Crosbyton City Park, 1 Swainson's Hawk at Crosbyton City Park, 19
Swainson's Hawks near Canyon Valley, 1 Swainson's Hawk near Robertson, 1
Swainson's Hawk south of Cap Rock, 1 Downy Woodpecker at the Camp Rio
Blanca crossing of White River, 1 Peregrine Falcon at the FM 193 x FM 651
Canyon crossing, 2 Eastern Phoebes at the Camp Rio Blanca crossing of White
River, 1 Say's Phoebe east of Cone, 1 Ash-throated Flycatcher at the Camp
Rio Blanca crossing of White River, 1 Scissor-tailed Flycatcher near
Robertson, 1 Scissor-tailed Flycatcher west of White River Lake, *2 Western
Scrub Jays *south of Cap Rock, 2 Common Ravens east of Ralls, 2 Common
Ravens south of Cap Rock, 2 Common Ravens southeast of Mt. Blanco, 2 Common
Ravens west of White River Lake, 1 Purple Martin at Crosbyton City Park, 1
Purple Martin at the Ralls WTP, 2 Northern Rough-winged Swallows at
Crosbyton City Park, 1 Cliff Swallow at Crosbyton City Park, 1 Rock Wren at
the FM 193 x FM 651 Canyon crossing, 2 Rock Wrens south of Cap Rock, 4
Eastern Bluebirds east of Crosbyton, 1 Eastern Bluebird west of White River
Lake, 1 Hermit Thrush at the Camp Rio Blanca crossing of the White River, *1
Green-tailed Towhee* at the FM 193 x FM 651 Canyon crossing, 1 Cassin's
Sparrow west of White River Lake, 1 Chipping Sparrow south of Cap Rock, 2
Chipping Sparrows southeast of Mt. Blanco, 57 Chipping Sparrows west of
White River Lake, 2 Clay-colored Sparrows west of White River Lake, and 1
Grasshopper Sparrow east of Cone.
It was an exciting, if tiresomely windy day:)
Anthony 'Fat Tony' Hewetson; Lubbock
