Greetings All:
I am a bit late in getting this out as the 'allergies' that were troubling
me as I was out and about on Sunday ended up being a sinus infection and I
have been a bit wiped out.
It was worth it, birding while feeling icky, though... as I met my goal of
200 species of bird seen in Hockley County, and then topped it, during the
course of the day ... and got to participate in a 'wave' of House Wren and
Orange-crowned Warbler movement.
The bad news first: I did, as hoped, locate a MacGillivray's Warbler but
again, thanks to the bedevilment that is private property, was unable to
get a photograph. The species is accidental in the area past mid-October
and, with both opportunities this year lost to private property, this
species might well be my worse miss in terms of photographic efforts.
The good news ... drum roll, please ... was the 200th bird for the year: a
Bewick's Wren at Smyer Playa. This species, formerly common throughout the
region, has become just this difficult to find!
Number 201 was equally as exciting: Double-crested Cormorants flying over
the Roundup Playa. This species is fairly common at the in-town playas of
Lubbock but can be hard to find elsewhere in the region.
I got usable photographs of both species!
All in all the highlights from seven hours of birding in Hockley County:12
Blue-winged Teals north of Levelland, 2 Blue-winged Teals at Roundup Playa,
1 Blue-winged Teal at Smyer Playa (AM), 90 Blue-winged Teals south of
Smyer, 4 Cinnamon Teals south of Smyer, 12 Redheads north of Levelland, 6
Redheads south of Smyer, 3 Ring-necked Ducks south of Smyer, 1 adult male
Rufous Hummingbird in Levelland, 2 Black-necked Stilts at Smyer Playa (PM),
17 American Avocets at Roundup Playa, 34 American Avocets at Smyer Playa
(AM), 27 American Avocets at Smyer Playa (PM), 25 American Avocets south of
Smyer, 51 Long-billed Curlews at Smyer Playa (AM), 48 Long-billed Curlews
at Smyer Playa (PM), 1 Least Sandpiper at Smyer Playa (AM), 12 Long-billed
Dowitchers north of Levelland, 2 Wilson's Snipes north of Smyer, 1 Wilson's
Snipe at Smyer Playa (PM), 5 Greater Yellowlegs at Roundup Playa, 4 Greater
Yellowlegs at Smyer Playa (AM), 1 Greater Yellowlegs at Smyer Playa (PM), 3
Greater Yellowlegs at Whitharral, 1 Lesser Yellowlegs at Roundup Playa, 1
Lesser Yellowlegs at Smyer Playa (AM), 2 Double-crested Cormorants over
Roundup Playa, 1 Peregrine Falcon at Smyer Playa (AM), 1 Least Flycatcher
south of Whitharral, 1 Scissor-tailed Flycatcher in Anton, 1 Scissor-tailed
Flycatcher at Foster x Hawk Roads Playa, 28 Barn Swallows at Roundup Playa,
2 Barn Swallows at Smyer Playa (AM), 6 Barn Swallows south of Smyer, 1
House Wren in Anton, 2 House Wrens at Anton Ponds, 2 House Wrens at Foster
x Hawk Roads Playa, 1 House Wren north of Levelland, 1 House Wren north of
Smyer, 1 House Wren at Roundup Playa, 2 House Wrens at Smyer Playa (AM), 1
House Wren at Smyer Playa (PM), 5 House Wrens south of Roundup, 2 House
Wrens south of Whitharral, 1 House Wren west of Anton, 1 Bewick's Wren at
Smyer Playa (AM), 1 Blue-gray Gnatcatcher at Smyer Playa (AM), 1 Hermit
Thrush north of Levelland, 1 Gray Catbird at Smyer Playa (AM), 4
Orange-crowned Warblers in Anton, 1 Orange-crowned Warbler at Anton Ponds,
2 Orange-crowned Warblers along FM 2646, 5 Orange-crowned Warblers at
Foster x Hawk Roads Playa, 3 Orange-crowned Warblers in Roundup, 1
Orange-crowned Warbler at Roundup Playa, 6 Orange-crowned Warblers at Smyer
Playa (AM), 4 Orange-crowned Warblers at Smyer Playa (PM), 6 Orange-crowned
Warblers south of Roundup, 2 Orange-crowned Warblers south of Smyer, 4
Orange-crowned Warblers south of Whitharral, 2 Orange-crowned Warblers west
of Anton, 1 Nashville Warbler south of Roundup, 1 Nashville Warblers south
of Whitharral, 1 MacGillivray's Warbler at Smyer Playa (AM), 1 Spotted
Towhee at Foster x Hawk Roads Playa, 6 Chipping Sparrows in Roundup, 9
Chipping Sparrows south of Whitharral, 6 Chipping Sparrows west of Anton, 2
Clay-colored Sparrows in Roundup, 2 Clay-colored Sparrows south of
Whitharral, 1 Lark Sparrow south of Whitharral, and 2 Yellow-headed
Blackbirds at Roundup Playa.
Anthony 'Fat Tony' Hewetson; Lubbock
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