[texbirds] Abilene birding today
- From: peter barnes <pbarnes123@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: texbirds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Thu, 27 Sep 2012 20:37:51 -0500
I spent 3 hours this morning at Kirby Lake in Abilene, which was quite
productive. There were 7 duck species present, including 6 Northern Pintail
and 1 Ruddy Duck, a Neotropic Cormorant with the Double-cresteds, 17
Plegadis Ibis, 1 adult Tricolored Heron, a Common Moorhen, a Sora, and 10
shorebird species, including 5 Stilt Sandpipers, 8 Dowitcher species, 30
American Avocets, 1 Black-necked Stilt, 5 Western and 12 Baird's
Sandpipers. I also had 3 Black Terns, a Cave Swallow and a single male
Yellow-headed Blackbird in a flock of 500-1000 Great-tailed Grackles and
Red-winged Blackbirds.
Most birds were seen from the south east side of the lake, by walking along
the shore south of the paved road. Many of the birds were on the western
shore and a scope was necessary to identify them. The Yellow-headed
Blackbird was seen at dawn and flew off soon thereafter.
I birded Seabee Park after 11 am. It was dry and not very active. I visited
the Abilene wastewater treatment plant yesterday afternoon. Only one pond
had water and there were no ponds with shallow water for shorebirds. I just
had 2 flyover Sandhill Cranes, some Plegadis Ibis, Blue-winged Teal and
Northern Shoveler.
The birds of the day were over a Subway where I stopped for lunch in
Merkel, on I-20 east of Abilene: 2 Prairie Falcons squabbling in mid-air
were an impressive sight.
Peter Barnes
Tyler
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