[leasbirds] Some good birding south of Lubbock today

From: Anthony Hewetson <fattonybirds@xxxxxxxxx>
To: texbirds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx, leasbirds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx, Anthony Hewetson <anthony.hewetson@xxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Sun, 13 Apr 2014 17:32:15 -0500
Greetings All:

I was out and about from 7:30 AM to 4:30 PM today - and spent significant
chunks of time in Garza, Lynn, and Terry Counties - with shorter passages
through Yoakum, Cochran, Hockley, and Lubbock Counties.

I won't lie: birding was pretty good but only at isolated sites that have
water or bear signs of the memory of water.  Lots of miles went by with
nothing but wind, dust, and tumbleweeds.

I had no highlights in Lubbock County - in the morning on the way to Garza
County or in the afternoon on the way back from Hockley County.

I spent 2.5 hours in Garza County.  Highlights included 3 Chipping Sparrows
at the rest area well north of Post; 1 Hermit Thrush, 7 Cedar Waxwings, 1
Orange-crowned Warbler, and 1 male Bullock's Oriole at the rest area just
north of Post; 1 Purple Martin in Post; 4 Cinnamon Teals, 2 Snowy Egrets, 4
Black-necked Stilts, 1 American Avocet, 2 Greater Yellowlegs, 7 Western
Sandpipers, 10 Least Sandpipers, 2 Wilson's Snipes, 1 Scissor-tailed
Flycatcher, and 2 Verdins at Post City Park and Athletic Complex; 1 Western
Wood Pewee, 4 Cave Swallows,  and 1 Pyrrhuloxia just west of Post; 1
Curve-billed Thrasher, 1 Wilson's Warbler, and 1 Clay-colored Sparrow at
the huge willow thicket just east of the Garza/Lynn County line.

I spent 1.5 hours in Lynn County.  Highlights were 1 Scissor-tailed
Flycatcher and 4 Chipping Sparrows at a large woodlot just west of the
Garza/Lynn County line; 1 adult Broad-winged Hawk, 1 House Wren, 1
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, 3 Wilson's Warblers, 1 Grasshopper Sparrow, 1
White-throated Sparrow, and 2 Lesser Goldfinches at the Tahoka Cemetery
Complex; 1 Say's Phoebe, 1 Scissor-tailed Flycatcher, 2 Curve-billed
Thrashers, and 1 Cassin's Sparrow along Highway 380 between Tahoka and the
Lynn/Terry County line.

I spent a little over 2 hours in Terry County.  Highlights were 1
Scissor-tailed Flycatcher and 2 Cassin's Sparrows just west of the
Lynn/Terry County line; 2 Scissor-tailed Flycatchers, 1 Hermit Thrush, 1
Wilson's Warbler, 12 Chipping Sparrows, and 2 Brewer's Sparrows at the rest
area east of Brownfield; 3 Wood Ducks, 2 Black-necked Stilts, 1 American
Avocet, 1 Spotted Sandpiper, 1 Eastern Phoebe, 4 Purple Martins, 1
Black-and-white Warbler, and 2 Wilson's Warblers at Gillham/Howell Park in
Brownfield; 1 adult Broad-winged Hawk, 1 Scissor-tailed Flycatcher, and 1
Hermit Thrush at Coleman Park in Brownfield; 2 Black-necked Stilts, 1
American Avocet, 1 Lesser Yellowlegs, and 1 Scissor-tailed Flycatcher at
the Tokio Playa; 1 Hermit Thrush, 4 Chipping Sparrows, and 1 Brewer's
Sparrow in Tokio; 1 Sage Thrasher on the Terry County side of the
Terry/Yoakum County line.

It is worthy of note that portions of Coleman Park are being over-run by
loose sand - it is foreseeable, given continuing drought, that this park
might be dunified.

I was only in Yoakum County for the half hour it took to amble up CR 1780
to the Yoakum/Cochran County line.  Highlights included 1 Cassin's Kingbird
near the large TNC windmill just south of the county line, 1 Scissor-tailed
Flycatcher, and 2 more Cassin's Sparrows.

The only highlight in Cochran County was a Scissor-tailed Flycatcher near
the intersection of CR 1780 and FM 1585.

I was in Hockley County for a little over a half hour, blasting along FM
1585 to the Hockley/Lubbock County line.  Highlights included 1 Cassin's
Sparrow near the Cochran/Hockley County line; 1 Hermit Thrush at the
largest woodlot along this route; 1 Scissor-tailed Flycatcher near the
Hockley/Lubbock County line.

A hot day; a dry day; but not, all things considered, a bad day.

Anthony 'Fat Tony' Hewetson; Lubbock
[leasbirds] Some good birding south of Lubbock today

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