With 0.30 inches of rain during the month, well below the average January
total of 0.50 inches, Lubbock is off to a slow start for 2016, rain-wise.
Owls and woodpeckers seem to be the theme for this season - with numerous
sightings of relatively uncommon species.
I am unable to create a usable summary of eBird data of sightings in the
region during the period covered - IN THE AMOUNT OF TIME I HAVE AVAILABLE.
Comments at the end of each species summary have been adjusted, to the best
of my abilities, to reflect this reduction in reports.
As always, the county follows the site in ( ) and birds are mentioned by
virtue of rarity, atypical abundance, or atypical scarcity.
GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE: 80 near Crosbyton (Crosby) on 12/14/16 (AH)
and 1 at Whisperwood Pond (Lubbock) on 1/17/16 (JM) were the only reports -
GEESE ARE, OVERALL, IN LOW NUMBERS THIS WINTER - IT IS NOW SURPRISE THAT
ARE SCARCEST GOOSE HASN'T PUT ON MUCH OF A SHOW.
SNOW GOOSE: Four reports of 1-10 birds, one report of 12 birds, and two
reports of 50-100 birds in the region (Dickens, Hockley, Lubbock) during
the period (AH, LM, JM, CR, FR) - VERY LOW NUMBERS AND RELATIVELY POOR
SCATTER.
ROSS'S GOOSE: 30 near Opdyke West (Hockley) on 1/10/16 (AH) and 3 near
Dickens (Dickens) on 1/19/16 (AH) the only reports received - VERY LOW
NUMBERS.
WOOD DUCK: 2 near Kalgary (Crosby) on 1/2/16 (AH) and 3 at Whisperwood
Pond (Lubbock) on 1/17/16 (JM) - VERY LOW NUMBERS.
GADWALL, AMERICAN WIGEON, MALLARD, NORTHERN SHOVELER, NORTHERN PINTAIL,
GREEN-WINGED TEAL, RING-NECKED DUCK, LESSER SCAUP, BUFFLEHEAD, HOODED
MERGANSER, RUDDY DUCK - All of our most common, generally unremarkable
ducks, were - IN LOW, VERY LOW, LOW, LOW, VERY LOW, LOW, VERY LOW, LOW,
LOW, LOW, and VERY LOW NUMBERS, RESPECTIVELY.
CANVASBACK: 2 at White River Lake (Crosby) on 1/2/16 (JC, AH, AK, PKe, RK),
1 at Guy Park (Lubbock) on 1/3/16 (AL), 10 at the Sundown Sewage Ponds
(Hockley) on 1/10/15 (AH), 3 near Crosbyton (Crosby) on 1/14/16 (AH), 1-2
at Guy Park (Lubbock) from 1/15/16 through 1/20/15 (DH, JM), and 3 near
Idalou (Lubbock) on 1/19/16 (AH) the only reports - ACTUALLY NOT SO BAD
CONSIDERING THE PAUCITY OF MANY OF OUR MORE COMMON DUCK SPECIES.
REDHEAD: 2 east of White River Lake (Dickens) on 1/2/16 (AH), 3 at Guy Park
(Lubbock) on 1/3/16 (AL), 2 at the Sundown Sewage Ponds (Hockley) on
1/10/16 (AH), 2 near Smyer (Hockley) on 1/10/16 (AH), 35 at Guy Park
(Lubbock) on 1/17/16 (JM), 1 at Guy Park (Lubbock) on 1/18/16 (DH), 6 near
Idalou (Lubbock) on 1/19/16 (AH), 1 at Guy Park (Lubbock) on 1/20/16 (DH),
14 at Guy Park (Lubbock) on 1/20/16 (JM), and 5 at the CR 180 x CR 187
Playa (Crosby) on 1/24/16 (PKe) - AGAIN, NOT SO BAD GIVEN THE SCARCITY OF
DUCKS OVERALL.
COMMON MERGANSER: 39 at White River Lake (Crosby) on 1/2/16 (JC, AH, EH,
AK, PKe, PKi, RK, RL) and 1 at MacKenzie Park (Lubbock) on 1/30/16 (AH) the
only reports - GOOD NUMBERS, BAD SCATTER.
SCALED QUAIL: 17 at Muleshoe NWR (Bailey) on 1/14/16 (JS) the only report -
GOOD NUMBERS, POOR SCATTER.
RING-NECKED PHEASANT: 2 males near Anton (Hockley) on 1/31/16 (AH) the only
report - LOW NUMBERS BUT FEW REPORTERS WERE IN THE RIGHT COUNTIES.
EARED GREBE: 1 at Lake Six (Lubbock) on 1/30/16 (AH) the only report - VERY
LOW.
WESTERN GREBE: 2 at White River Lake (Crosby) on 1/2/16 (PKi, AH, RK, RL) -
CASUAL TO OUR REGION; ONE OF THE BETTER SIGHTINGS OF THE MONTH.
GREAT EGRET: 1 at White River Lake (Crosby) on 1/2/16 (PKe, RK) the only
report - ABOUT AVERAGE FOR THIS VERY RARE WINTERER.
WHITE-FACED IBIS: 1 at White River Lake (Crosby) on 1/2/16 (JC,AK) and 1
possibly different bird at White River Lake (Crosby) on 1/2/16 (PKe, RK) -
FORMERLY ACCIDENTAL IN THE WINTER, THE SPECIES IS NOW CLOSING ON ANNUAL
ALBEIT IN VERY LOW NUMBERS.
WHITE-TAILED KITE: 1 west of Plains (Yoakum) on 1/18/16 (RR, photographs) -
FORMERLY ACCIDENTAL TO THE REGION, CLOSING ON ANNUAL - THE 22nd RECORD FOR
THE REGION.
RED-SHOULDERED HAWK: 1 adult near Kalgary (Crosby) on 1/2/16 (AH) -
FORMERLY ACCIDENTAL TO THE REGION, NOW CLOSING ON ANNUAL AS A WINTERER.
GOLDEN EAGLE: 1 adult near CR 260 x CR 261 (Floyd) on 1/17/16 (JB) and on
1/24/16 (JB) - FORMERLY RARE IN THE REGION DURING WINTER, NOW VERY RARE,
CLOSING ON CASUAL.
VIRGINIA RAIL: 1 near Kalgary (Crosby) on 1/2/16 (AH) the only report - LOW.
SORA: No reports at all - VERY LOW.
AMERICAN AVOCET: 1 along CR 261 (Floyd) on 1/17/16 (JB), 15 at the CR 180 x
CR 187 Playa (Crosby) on 1/24/16 (PKe), and 1, probably continuing, bird at
Higginbotham Park (Lubbock) on 1/24/16 (AH) - ACCIDENTAL THIS LATE IN THE
WINTER - OUR 2nd, 3rd, and 4th JANUARY RECORDS, RESPECTIVELY.
GREATER YELLOWLEGS: 1 at White River Lake (Crosby) on 1/2/16 (PKi, RL), 4
along CR 261 (Floyd) on 1/17/16 (JB), 5 along CR 270 (Floyd) on 1/17/16
(JB), and 1 along Alamo Road (Hockley) on 1/31/16 (AH) - NOT BAD, GIVEN THE
SPECIES' SCARCITY IN DECEMBER.
LONG-BILLED DOWITCHER: 9 at the CR 180 x CR 187 Playa (Crosby) on 1/24/16
(PKe) the only report - ABOUT AVERAGE BY RECENT WINTERS' STANDARDS.
WILSON'S SNIPE: 5 near Kalgary (Crosby) on 1/2/16 (AH) and 2 at MacKenzie
Park (Lubbock)on 1/30/16 (AH) the only reports received - VERY LOW NUMBERS
THIS WINTER.
HERRING GULL: 3 at Lake Six (Lubbock) on 1/1/16 (PKe), 1 first cycle bird
at White River Lake (Crosby) on 1/2/16 (PKi, AH, RL), and 2 at Lake Six
(Lubbock) on 1/30/16 (JC, AH) - POOR NUMBERS BY HISTORICAL STANDARDS BUT
GOOD NUMBERS BY RECENT STANDARDS.
BURROWING OWL: 2 at Levelland City Park (Hockley) on 1/10/16 (AH) and 6
near Smyer (Hockley) on 1/31/16 (AH) - USUALLY ABSENT FROM MOST OF THE
REGION IN THE DEPTHS OF WINTER.
LONG-EARED OWL: 1 near Kalgary (Crosby) on 1/2/16 (AH) and 1 below Lake Six
(Lubbock) on 1/31/16 (LM) - NOT A GREAT WINTER FOR THE SPECIES IN THE
REGION - BOTH OF THESE SIGHTINGS A BIT OF A SURPRISE.
SHORT-EARED OWL: 2 east of White River Lake (Crosby) on 1/2/16 (AH), 1
south of Crosbyton (Crosby) on 1/2/16 (AH, RK), 1 west of White River Lake
(Crosby) on 1/2/16 (RK), 1 along Red Mud Road (Dickens) on 1/2/16 (AH), 10
near Lockney (Floyd) on 1/2/16 (AK) - THOUGH ALL THE SIGHTINGS WERE FROM
THE SAME DAY, THESE RECORDS ARE INDICATIVE OF THE GOOD WINTER THIS SPECIES
IS HAVING IN OUR REGION.
RED-HEADED WOODPECKER: 1 in south Lubbock (Lubbock) on 1/30/16 (LM) and
1/31/16 (PKe, LM, photographs) - CASUAL TO THE REGION; THE 35th RECORD FOR
THE REGION.
RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER: 1 male at Ransom Lake (Lubbock) on 1/1/16 (PKe) and
1 at White River Lake (Crosby) on 1/2/16 (PKe, RK) - FORMERLY UNCOMMON IN
EASTERN PORTIONS OF THE REGION, NOW CLOSER TO CASUAL - VERY EXCITING
SIGHTINGS.
YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER: 1 in Kalgary (Crosby) on 1/2/16 (AH), 4 west of
Kalgary (Crosby) on 1/2/16 (AH), 2 on the east side of White River Lake
(Crosby) on 1/2/16 (JC, AK), 3 on the west side of White River Lake
(Crosby) on 1/2/16 (PKi, RL), 1 along Red Mud Road (Dickens) on 1/2/16
(AH), 1 in a Lubbock yard (Lubbock) on 1/9/16 (AH), and 1 at Silver Falls
Rest Area (Crosby) on 1/19/16 (AH) - THOUGH NUMBERS ARE DOWN FROM DECEMBER
THEY ARE STILL INCREDIBLY HIGH
*; THIS CONSTITUTES AN UNPRECEDENTED INVASION OF THE REGION AS WE HAVE
NEVER HAD MORE THAN A HANDFUL OF RECORDS DURING AN ENTIRE WINTER SEASON ...
AND WE NOW KNOW THE PHENOMENON HELD AWAY FROM LUBBOCK COUNTY.*
DOWNY WOODPECKER: 1 in a Plainview yard (Hale) on 1/16/16 (NP) the only
report - LOW.
HAIRY WOODPECKER: 1 in a Plainview yard (Hale) on 1/1/16 (NP) - ACCIDENTAL
TO THE REGION; THE 24th RECORD FOR THE REGION.
MERLIN: 1 along CR 270 (Floyd) on 1/17/16 (JB), 1 near Floydada (Floyd) on
1/20/16 (JB), 1 at the Rushing Cemetery (Floyd) on 1/20/16 (JB), and 2 near
Opdyke West (Hockley) on 1/31/16 (AH) - ABOUT AVERAGE FOR THIS RARE WINTER
VISITOR.
PEREGRINE FALCON: No reports at all - VERY LOW.
EASTERN PHOEBE: 2 near Kalgary (Crosby) on 1/2/16 (AH) the only report -
LOW.
SAY'S PHOEBE: 1 near Kalgary (Crosby) on 1/2/16 (AH) the only report - LOW.
COMMON RAVEN: 7 near Kalgary (Crosby) on 1/2/16 (AH), 4 west of White River
Lake (Crosby) on 1/2/16 (AH), 2 on the west side of White River Lake
(Crosby) on 1/2/16 (PKi, RL), 4 east of White River Lake (Dickens) on
1/2/16 (AH), and 3 near Dickens (Dickens) on 1/19/16 (AH) - ABOUT AVERAGE
FOR THIS SPECIES' IN OUR REGION DURING WINTER.
WHITE-BREASTED NUTHATCH: 1 at the Lubbock Cemetery (Lubbock) on 1/31/16
(PKe) the only report - ABOUT AVERAGE FOR THIS RARE WINTER VISITOR.
BROWN CREEPER: 1 near Kalgary (Crosby) on 1/2/16 (AH), 2 at White River
Lake (Crosby) on 1/2/16 (PKe, RK) the only reports - ABOUT AVERAGE FOR THIS
RARE WINTER VISITOR.
ROCK WREN: 1 west of White River Lake (Crosby) on 1/2/16 (AH) the only
report - LOW.
CANYON WREN: 1 south of White River Lake (Crosby) on 1/2/16 (AH) and 1 at
Sliver Falls Rest Area (Crosby) on 1/19/16 (AH) - ABOUT AVERAGE FOR THIS
RARE RESIDENT.
WINTER WREN: 1 near Kalgary (Crosby) on 1/2/16 (AH), 1 at White River Lake
(Crosby) on 1/2/16 (PKe, RK), and 1 below Lake Six (Lubbock) on 1/30/16
(JC, AH, JJ) the only reports - A BIT OF A DROP OFF FROM DECEMBER BUT STILL
PRETTY GOOD FOR THIS RARE WINTER VISITOR.
EASTERN BLUEBIRD: 2 continued at Muleshoe NWR (Bailey) through the period
(JB, JS) and 7 at White River Lake (Crosby) on 1/2/16 (JC, AK, PKe, RK) -
LOW NUMBERS BUT GREAT SCATTER.
WESTERN BLUEBIRD: 9 at the Sundown Golf Course (Hockley) on 1/10/16 (AH) -
GOOD NUMBERS AT ONE OF THE REGION'S BETTER SITES FOR THIS RARE WINTER
VISITOR.
MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRD: 4 west of White River Lake (Crosby) on 1/2/16 (AH) the
only report - VERY LOW; EVEN NON-IRRUPTIVE WINTERS GENERALLY SEE A FEW
REPORTS.
HERMIT THRUSH: 1 at Ransom Lake (Lubbock) on 1/1/16 (PKe), 1 near Kalgary
(Crosby) on 1/2/16 (AH), 9 at White River Lake (Crosby) on 1/2/16 (PKe,
RK), and 1 along Red Mud Road (Dickens) on 1/2/16 (AH) the only reports -
ABOUT AVERAGE BY RECENT WINTERS' STANDARDS; LOW BY HISTORICAL STANDARDS.
LAPLAND LONGSPUR: No reports at all - LOW.
CHESTNUT-COLLARED LONGSPUR: No reports at all - VERY LOW.
MCCOWN'S LONGSPUR: 25 along Alamo Road (Hockley) on 1/31/16 (AH) the only
report - EXTRAORDINARILY LOW.
ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER: 1 on the east side of White River Lake (Crosby) on
1/2/16 (JC, AK), 2 on the west side of White River Lake (Crosby) on 1/2/16
(PKi, RL), and 3 along Red Mud Road (Dickens) on 1/2/16 (AH) the only
reports - THIS IS ACTUALLY GOOD BY RECENT, DROUGHT, YEAR STANDARDS.
GREEN-TAILED TOWHEE: 1 along Red Mud Road (Dickens) on 1/2/16 (AH) -
FORMERLY CONSIDERED ACCIDENTAL IN OUR REGION DURING WINTER; NOW CONSIDERED
CLOSE TO ANNUAL IN VERY LOW NUMBERS.
CHIPPING SPARROW: No reports at all - LOW.
FIELD SPARROW, VESPER SPARROW, LARK BUNTING, SAVANNAH SPARROW, SONG
SPARROW, LINCOLN'S SPARROW, SWAMP SPARROW, WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW, and
DARK-EYED JUNCO - Sparrows, in general, seem to be in recovery mode - MUCH
BETTER NUMBERS THAN RECENT, DROUGHT-STRICKEN WINTERS.
LARK SPARROW: 1 near Kalgary (Crosby) on 1/2/16 (AH) the only report - RARE
TO ABSENT DURING MOST WINTERS.
FOX SPARROW: 1 at White River Lake (Crosby) on 1/2/16 (PKe, RK), 2 on the
east side of White River Lake (Crosby) on 1/2/16 (JC, AK), 1 on the west
side of White River Lake (Crosby) on 1/2/16 (PKi, RL), and 1 at Muleshoe
NWR (Bailey) on 1/15/16 (JS) - GOOD BY RECENT WINTERS' STANDARDS.
WHITE-THROATED SPARROW: No reports at all - VERY LOW.
HARRIS'S SPARROW: 1 near Kalgary (Crosby) on 1/2/16 (AH) the only report -
LOW.
YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRD: 1 female at Lake Six (Lubbock) on 1/30/16 (AH) the
only report - PROBABLY AVERAGE FOR THE 'DEPTHS' OF WINTER IN OUR REGION.
PURPLE FINCH: 1 female in a Plainview yard (Hale) on 1/13/16 (NP,
photographs) - FORMERLY ANNUAL, IF RARE, IN THE REGION; PROBABLY CASUAL, AT
BEST, THESE DAYS.
PINE SISKIN: Eleven reports of 1-10 birds in the region (Bailey, Crosby,
Dickens, Hale, Hockley, Lubbock) during the period (AH, PKe, RK, NP, JS) -
NOT AN IRRUPTIVE YEAR BUT GOOD NUMBERS AND SCATTER FOR A NON-IRRUPTIVE YEAR.
LESSER GOLDFINCH: 1 along Red Mud Road (Dickens) on 1/2/16 (AH) and 1 in a
Lubbock yard (Lubbock) on 1/24/16 (PKe, photographs) - FORMERLY ACCIDENTAL
IN THE REGION DURING WINTER; PROBABLY AN ANNUAL, THOUGH RARE, WINTERER AT
THIS POINT.
OBSERVERS: JB=Justin Bosler, JC=Jim Crites, DH=Danny Hancock, AH=Anthony
Hewetson, EH=Ellen Hildebrandt, JJ=Jan Jannett, AK=Andrew Kasner, PKe=Peter
Keyel, PKi=Phillip Kite, RK=Rich Kostecke, RL=Rob Lee, AL=Alan Livingston,
LM=Liam McGuire, JM=Jennifer MIller, NP=Niler Pyeatt, RR=Ross Rickett,
CR=Clarice Robertson, FR=Floyd Robertson, JS=Jeff Shenot..
Anthony 'Fat Tony' Hewetson, Lubbock
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