[texbirds] Extraordinary day at the San Antonio Botanical Gardens

From: Sheridan Coffey <sngcanary@xxxxxxxxx>
To: SATXbirds <SATXbirds@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Sun, 3 Feb 2013 15:56:49 -0800 (PST)

Dear all,
I know I sent a post earlier about the Hammond's Flycatcher, but I wanted to 
expound a bit more on our visit to the San Antonio Botanical Gardens today. I 
wanted to go see the Allen's and Calliope Hummingbirds that have been visiting 
the gardens for the last few days. We got to the gardens at about 1015AM. In 
front of the entrance a flock of six or seven Cedar Waxwings were feeding. 
American Goldfinches were calling after we got inside. we went to the Old 
Fashion Garden, where the Allen's has been frequenting the feeder. It arrived 
in short order and enabled us to get some photos. We then went back to the 
Children's Vegetable Garden, where the Calliope was being cooperative for a 
short while. Unfortunately, it zipped off and was not always easy for birders 
to see through out the day.
I wanted to see if I could find some sparrows around the small lake. 
Unfortunately, I had no luck with sparrows, but Martin discovered the Hammond's 
Flycatcher working an area on the south side of the lake where there are some 
picnic type benches and a rope fence. The bird was working the area, fairly 
low, perching on the rope. I went to find other birders to let them know, 
leaving Martin to keep an eye on it. Almost immediately the bird flew out the 
back and wasn't seen again for over an hour. Willie Sekula arrived and he 
spotted it almost immediately, a bit further back. The bird was seen by 
multiple observers until we left at about 3PM. 


Other birds of note were a female Rufous feeding just behind the out door 
dining tent of the restaurant, in some spiky wine colored flowers, a female 
Black-chinned Hummingbird coming to the same feeder as the Allen's, three 
Couch's Kingbirds near the lake, and several Purple Martins flying around the 
gardens. I also found a Mexican Silverspot, a rare for this area, butterfly.


Here is a link to Martin's photo page-
http://www.martinreid.com/Main%20website/SABotGards03Feb2013.html

Here are my much worse photos-
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sngcanary/sets/72157632679708817/

 
Sheridan Coffey
San Antonio, Tx
http://sngcanary1.blogspot.com/
www.flickr.com/sngcanary
Edit your Freelists account settings for TEXBIRDS at 
//www.freelists.org/list/texbirds

Reposting of traffic from TEXBIRDS is prohibited without seeking permission 
from the List Owner

[texbirds] Extraordinary day at the San Antonio Botanical Gardens

Other related posts: