[texbirds] Highlights from a trip to Muleshoe NWR - today

  • From: Anthony Hewetson <terrverts@xxxxxxxxx>
  • To: "texbirds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx" <texbirds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>, "leasbirds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx" <leasbirds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • Date: Mon, 2 Sep 2013 15:01:24 -0700 (PDT)

Greetings All:
Despite being somewhat wiped out by yardwork and related allergies, I followed 
through on my wish to visit Muleshoe NWR during the first good week of songbird 
migration.  This effort was abetted by a front that moved through overnight, 
dumping some rain in the region, and, I think, making for a hefty crop of 
flycatchers on the refuge.

The only highlight on the way over was an Olive-sided Flycatcher in Bula 
(Bailey County).

I spent almost three hours birding the wooded and brushy areas around the 
campground and headquarters (easily the best spot in Bailey County for migrant 
songbirds) and hit the jackpot, particularly with regards to empids.  This was 
probably the highest number of empids I have ever seen at this site; possibly 
the highest number of empids I have ever seen anywhere in the region.  I 
tallied twenty; two other observers thought that there might have been closer 
to thirty!  Two gentlemen from Arizona put me on the only thrush seen as well 
as on the track of an amazing oriole.

Highlights among the forty-four species seen in this patch: 3 Olive-sided 
Flycatchers, 2 Western Wood Pewees, 7 unidentified empids, 5 Willow 
Flycatchers, 3 Least Flycatchers, 1 Dusky Flycatcher, 2 Gray Flycatchers, 2 
Gray Flycatcher, 2 Say's Phoebes, 2 House Wrens, 1 Swainson's Thrush, 1 male 
Virginia's Warbler, 1 Nashville Warbler, 1 female (probably) American Redstart, 
2 Yellow Warblers, 1 male Townsend's Warbler, 6 Wilson's Warblers, 5 Chipping 
Sparrows, 3 Clay-colored Sparrows, 1 first fall male Western Tanager, 1 male 
Indigo Bunting, and 1 first fall male Baltimore Oriole.  With regards to the 
oriole it was as Baltimore an immature oriole I have ever seen in our region 
but it is always possible that hybridization and/or back-crossing could be 
involved.  Given the flat-out Baltimore Oriole appearance, I feel that it being 
a flat-out Baltimore Oriole is the most conservative of decisions.


I had a few nifty birds at Upper White Lake: 1 Greater Yellowlegs, 1 Baird's 
Sandpiper, 2 Western Sandpipers, and 2 Common Ravens.

I had a few nifty birds at Upper Paul's Lake: 138 Blue-winged Teals (a nice 
number), 4 Cinnamon Teals, 1 American Avocet, 5 Western Sandpipers, 2 Wilson's 
Phalaropes, 1 Western Wood Pewee, 1 Willow Flycatcher, and 1 Wilson's Warbler.

There was a good number and better than average variety of butterflies on the 
refuge and Prairie (Western) Rattlesnakes were definitely about.

Enochs Cemetery (Bailey County) kicked out 1 Western Wood Pewee, 1 badly 
damaged Willow Flycatcher (its head was almost completely denuded of feathers 
and there was a huge, blood-oozing bump on the head), and 2 Wilson's Warblers.

I spotted another Western Wood Pewee in Littlefield (Lamb County) and 1 Snowy 
Egret at Maxey Park (Lubbock County).

Anthony 'Fat Tony' Hewetson; Lubbock

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  • » [texbirds] Highlights from a trip to Muleshoe NWR - today - Anthony Hewetson