[texbirds] Lubbock Area Birding Summary for June - Long
- From: Anthony Hewetson <fattonybirds@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: texbirds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx, leasbirds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx, Anthony Hewetson <fattonybirds@xxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Fri, 11 Jul 2014 10:56:11 -0500
With 2.59 inches of rain in Lubbock during the month, a tad below the
average June total of 2.98 inches, we are now at 8.72 inches for the year,
remaining - thanks to more than ample May rainfall - 0.17 inches above the
average year-to-date average of 8.55 inches. We are still 25.88 inches off
of expected rainfall since January of 2011 and the entirety of the region
remains in moderate to severe drought. Consequently our regularly breeding
birds, whether riparian or upland species, were in short supply - it is
going to take a lot more than one good season of spring rains to produce
any bounce in numbers. It is looking good for the upcoming shorebird
migration, though.
As alway, the county follows the site in ( ) and birds are mentioned by
virtue of rarity, atypical abundance, or atypical scarcity.
BLACK-BELLIED WHISTLING DUCK: 1 was spotted at Clapp Park (Lubbock) on
6/4/14 (CS) - BORDERLINE ACCIDENTAL IN THE REGION; MOST LIKELY A
CONTINUATION OF OUR 10th RECORD.
CACKLING GOOSE: 1 at Leroy Elmore Park (Lubbock) through the month (CC,
AnH, PKe, HT) was the only bird reported - A FEW BIRDS, GENERALLY INJURED,
LINGER THROUGH THE SUMMER THESE YEARS.
CANADA GOOSE: 1 at Leroy Elmore Park (Lubbock) through the month (CC, AnH,
PKe, HT),.up to 24 at Ransom Lake (Lubbock) through the month (CC, SC, AK,
CS, HT), and 6 at Mae Simmons Park (Lubbock) on 6/5/14 (CS) - GENERALLY A
FEW BIRDS LINGER THROUGH THE SUMMER; THE LARGE FLOCK AT RANSOM LAKE IS A
RELATIVELY NEW PHENOMENON.
GADWALL: NO REPORTS AT ALL OF THIS LOW-DENSITY BREEDER.
MALLARD: WIDESPREAD IN THE REGION BUT VERY LOW NUMBERS.
BLUE-WINGED TEAL: Fifteen reports of 1-10 birds at eleven sites scattered
across the region (Cochran, Crosby, Floyd, Hockley, Lamb, Lubbock) during
the period (CC, AnH, KH, PKe) the only reports - VERY LOW NUMBERS FOR THIS,
OUR MOST COMMON BREEDING SPECIES OF WATERFOWL.
NORTHERN SHOVELER: NO REPORTS AT ALL OF THIS UNCOMMON BREEDER.
NORTHERN PINTAIL: NO REPORTS AT ALL OF THIS LOW-DENSITY BREEDER.
GREEN-WINGED TEAL: 2 near Floydada (Floyd) on 6/22/14 (AnH) the only report
- VERY LOW NUMBERS FOR THIS UNCOMMON BREEDER.
REDHEAD: NO REPORTS AT ALL OF THIS LOW-DENSITY BREEDER.
RUDDY DUCK: 1 just west of Lorenzo (Lubbock) on 6/3/14 (SC) the only report
- VERY LOW NUMBERS FOR THIS LOW-DENSITY BREEDER.
SCALED QUAIL: 3 at the A O Ranch (Motley) on 6/6/14 (NVV) and 5 near Lehman
(Cochran) on 6/21/14 (AnH) the only reports - FORMERLY UNCOMMON IN THE
REGION; VERGING ON RARE AT THIS POINT.
NORTHERN BOBWHITE: Numbers remain low to very low throughout the region
but, based on Breeding Bird Surveys, might be rebounding since the rains of
May - DECLINING BUT STILL FINDABLE.
RING-NECKED PHEASANT: Four reports of single birds, all from (Lamb), on
6/1/14 (AnH) the only reports - INCREASINGLY DIFFICULT TO FIND IN THE
REGION.
PIED-BILLED GREBE: 1-2 at the pond at 19th and Quaker (Lubbock) through the
month (AnH), 1 at Buffalo Springs Lake (Lubbock) on 6/1/14 (PKe), and 2 at
Ransom Lake (Lubbock) on 6/5/14 (CS) the only reports - FORMERLY AN
UNCOMMON BREEDER IN THE REGION, HAS ALMOST DISAPPEARED EACH OF THESE LAST
THREE SPRINGS/SUMMERS.
NEOTROPIC CORMORANT: 1 over Lubbock (Lubbock) on 6/14/14 (AnH) the only
report - FORMERLY ACCIDENTAL, NOW ENCOUNTERED ANNUALLY.
DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT: 2-6 along Quaker Avenenue - mostly at Maxey Park
(Lubbock) through the month (AnH) the only reports - LOW BY RECENT YEARS'
STANDARDS SUGGESTING THE DROUGHT IS HAVING AN IMPACT ON OUR RELATIVELY
RECENT SUMMERING POPULATION OF THIS SPECIES.
AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN: 3-12 at White River Lake (Crosby) through 6/22/14
with a peak of 12 on 6/18/14 (AOS) - ACCIDENTAL IN THE REGION DURING THE
SUMMER AND PHENOMENALLY HIGH NUMBERS FOR SO LATE IN THE SEASON - ONE OF THE
TWO MOST EXCITING RECORDS FOR THE MONTH.
GREAT EGRET: 1 near Floydada (Floyd) on 6/22/14 (AnH) and 1 at Leroy Elmore
Park (Lubbock) on 6/25/14 (AnH) the only reports - VERY LOW BY RECENT
YEARS' STANDARDS.
SNOWY EGRET: Thirteen reports of 1-11 birds at seven sites in (Lubbock) and
one site in (Floyd) during the period (CC, SC, JD, TmD, TnD, AnH, AvH, AK,
PKe, PR, CS, TT, HT) - VERY LOW NUMBERS BY RECENT YEARS' STANDARDS.
CATTLE EGRET: Seven reports of 1-10 birds and two reports of 11-40 birds in
the region (Floyd, Hale, Lubbock) during the period (CC, SC, AnH, AK, PKe,
HT) - VERY LOW NUMBERS, EVEN BY RECENT, DROUGHT-AFFLICTED STANDARDS.
YELLOW-CROWNED NIGHT HERON: 1 at Clapp Park (Lubbock) on 6/27/14 (CC) the
only report - BARRING A MISSED COLONY ALONG THE CANYON LAKES, BREEDING FOR
THIS SPECIES HAS COLLAPSED IN THE REGION.
WHITE-FACED IBIS: Eight reports of 1-8 birds in the region (Floyd, Hale,
Hockley, Lubbock, Lynn) during the period (SC, MDL, AnH, CS) the only
reports - VERY LOW NUMBERS, EVEN BY RECENT, DROUGHT-IMPACTED STANDARDS.
BLACK-NECKED STILT: Eighteen reports of 1-6 birds scattered across the
region (Cochran, Crosby, Floyd, Hale, Hockley, Lamb, Lubbock, Lynn) and
period (CC, SC, MDL, MG, AnH, CS) - GOOD SCATTER BUT VERY LOW NUMBERS FOR
THIS GENERALLY COMMON BREEDING SPECIES.
AMERICAN AVOCET: Sixteen reports of 1-10 birds and one report of 14 birds
scattered across the region (Cochran, Crosby, Floyd, Hale, Hockley, Lamb,
Lubbock) and period (SC, AnH, KH, CS) - GOOD SCATTER BUT EXTRAORDINARILY
LOW NUMBERS FOR THIS GENERALLY COMMON BREEDING SPECIES.
GREATER YELLOWLEGS: 1 near Dougherty (Floyd) on 6/29/14 (AnH), 3 near
Floydada (Floyd) on 6/29/14 (AnH), and 1 near Petersburg (Hale) on 6/29/14
(AnH) the only reports - PROBABLY EARLY MIGRANTS, NO SUMMERING AT THE
NORMAL SPOTS THIS YEAR.
WILSON'S PHALAROPE: 6 near Dougherty (Floyd) on 6/22/14 (AnH) the only
report - LOW NUMBERS FOR THIS LOW-DENSITY BREEDER.
RING-BILLED GULL: 1 at Dupree Park (Lubbock) on 6/21/14 (PKe) - ESSENTIALLY
ACCIDENTAL DURING THE SUMMER; ONE OF A HANDFUL OF JUNE RECORDS.
BLACK TERN: 4 at a playa in (Lynn) on 6/8/14 (SC) - CLOSE TO ACCIDENTAL
THIS LATE IN THE SEASON.
INCA DOVE: 1 at Ransom Lake (Lubbock) on 6/5/14 (CS) and 2 in Littlefield
(Lamb) on 6/22/14 (AR) the only reports - BARELY HANGING ON IN THE REGION.
YELLOW-BILLED CUCKOO: 1 at Buffalo Springs Lake (Lubbock) on 6/5/14 (CS),
1 near Tahoka Lake (Lynn) on 6/7/14 (MDL), 1 at Muleshoe NWR (Bailey) on
6/12/14 (WC), 1 near Afton (Dickens) on 6/20/14 (AnH), 2 at Tahoka Lake
(Lynn) on 6/21/14 (MDL), and 1 along the White River (Floyd) on 6/22/14
(AnH) the only reports - FORMERLY AN EASY TO FIND BIRD DURING THE BREEDING
SEASON; RAPIDLY DECLINING DURING THE LAST FEW YEARS.
COMMON POORWILL: 1 at the Silver Falls Rest Area (Crosby) on 6/20/14 (AnH),
1 near Crosbyton (Crosby) on 6/22/14 (AnH), 2 at Yellowhouse Canyon
(Lubbock) on 6/25/14 (CC, HT), 1 along the White River (Floyd) on 6/29/14
(AnH) and 2 near Dougherty (Floyd) on 6/29/14 (AnH) - DECENT SCATTER AND
NUMBERS.
CHUCK-WILL'S-WIDOW: 2 near Afton (Dickens) on 6/20/14 (AnH) the only report
- LOW NUMBERS BUT LITTLE TIME WAS SPENT IN OUR EASTERN COUNTIES DURING THE
MONTH.
RED-HEADED WOODPECKER: 1 at the A O Ranch (Motley) on 6/6/14 (NVV) - A
LOW-DENSITY BREEDER IN OUR EASTERN COUNTIES; INCREASINGLY DIFFICULT TO FIND
DURING THE LAST FEW YEARS.
EASTERN PHOEBE: 1 at Buffalo Springs Lake (Lubbock) on 6/1/14 (PKE) and
6/5/14 (CS), 1 near Dougherty (Floyd) on 6/22/14 (AnH), and 2 at Clapp Park
(Lubbock) on 6/2914 (AvH, JD, TmD, TnD, PR, TT) the only reports - A TAD
LOW.
COMMON RAVEN: 2 near Dougherty (Floyd) on 6/22/14 (AnH) the only report -
LOW BY RECENT YEARS' STANDARDS - NO STRONG EVIDENCE OF BREEDING IN THE
REGION THIS YEAR.
NORTHERN ROUGH-WINGED SWALLOW: 2 at Ransom Lake (Lubbock) on 6/5/14 (CS)
the only report - VERY LOW; THIS SPECIES, WHICH NESTS ALONG RIPARIAN
CORRIDORS IN OUR REGION, IS INCREASINGLY DIFFICULT TO FIND DURING ITS
BREEDING SEASON.
PURPLE MARTIN: 2 near Littlefield (Lamb) on 6/1/14 (AnH), 6 adults with 17
nestlings in a Lubbock yard (Lubbock) on 6/9/14 (GJ), 1 at the Himmel Farm
(Crosby) on 6/15/14 (KH), 2 in Cone (Crosby) on 6/22/14 (AnH), and 8 near
Floydada (Floyd) on 6/29/14 (AnH) the only reports - MISSING FROM A LOT OF
TRADITIONAL SITES IN THE REGION BUT DOING FAIRLY WELL AT THE FEW SITES
REMAINING.
CAVE SWALLOW: AS THE SPECIES IS NOW BEING REPORTED, IN SOLID NUMBERS, FROM
EVERY COUNTY IN THE REGION NO LONGER PARTICULARLY NOTEWORTHY. I SUSPECT
THE PANHANDLE PROPER WILL BE CONQUERED BEFORE LONG.
ROCK WREN: 1 in Yellowhouse Canyon (Lubbock) on 6/1/14 (PKe) and 1 at the A
O Ranch (Motley) on 6/6/14 (NVV) the only reports - ABOUT AVERAGE FOR THIS
LOW-DENSITY BREEDER.
CANYON WREN: 1 at Ransom Lake (Lubbock) through the month (CC, CS, HT) and
1 at the A O Ranch (Motley) on 6/6/14 (NVV) - ABOUT AVERAGE FOR THIS
LOW-DENSITY BREEDER.
GRAY CATBIRD: 1 well-observed and well-described bird at Clapp Park
(Lubbock) on 6/29/14 (AvH, JD, PR, TT) - A STUNNING SUMMER RECORD FOR OUR
REGION - THE OTHER OF THE TOW MOST EXCITING RECORDS FOR THE MONTH.
COMMON YELLOWTHROAT: A probable breeding pair east of Floydada (Floyd) on
6/22/14 (AnH) and a singleton at Clapp Park (Lubbock) on 6/27/14 (CC) the
only reports - A TAD LOW AND MISSING FROM SOME OF THE TRADITIONAL LOCALES
VISITED BY BIRDERS DURING THE MONTH.
YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT: numerous, though uncounted, at White River Lake
(Crosby) though the month (AOS) and1 at Buffalo Springs Lake (Lubbock) on
6/5/14 (CS) the only reports - ABOUT AVERAGE; WE WILL SEE WHAT THE ANNUAL
CENSUS KICKS OUT AT WHITE RIVER LAKE IN JULY.
PYRRHULOXIA: 1 at Ransom Lake (Lubbock) on 6/5/14 (CS) the only report - A
RARE BREEDER, GENERALLY REPORTED - AS WAS THIS BIRD - FROM SITES ALONG OR
BELOW THE CAPROCK ESCARPMENT.
DICKCISSEL: Small numbers reported from all six of the region's BBS routes
(Cochran, Floyd, Garza, Lamb, Yoakum) during the period (AnH) - A SLIGHT
BUT SIGNIFICANT REBOUND FROM THE SPECIES VIRTUAL ABSENCE DURING THE SUMMER
OF 2013.
BRONZED COWBIRD: 1 male in Earth (Lamb) on 6/1/14 (AnH), 1 at Ransom Lake
(Lubbock) on 6/5/14 (CS), 1 male near Plains (Yoakum) on 6/7/14 (AnH), 1 at
Clapp Park (Lubbock) on 6/8/14 (PKe), 1 in a Lubbock yard (Lubbock)on
6/8/14 (Di), 2 at Ransom Lake (Lubbock) on 6/11/14 (SC, AK), 2 males
southwest of Lehman (Cochran) on 6/21/14 (AnH), 1 female and 1 male just
west of Lehman (Cochran) on 6/21/14 (AnH), and 1 male near Floydada (Floyd)
on 6/29/14 (AnH) - FAIRLY WELL-ESTABLISHED THROUGHOUT THE REGION BUT
NUMBERS REMAIN LOW ENOUGH AND VARY ENOUGH, FROM YEAR TO YEAR, THAT THE
SPECIES IS WORTH TRACKING.
ORCHARD ORIOLE: 1 near Springlake (Lamb) on 6/1/14 (AnH), 2 at Muleshoe NWR
(Bailey) on 6/12/14 (WC), 2 along the White River (Floyd) on 6/22/14 (AnH),
and 1 near Petersburg (Hale) on 6/29/14 (AnH) the only reports - VERY LOW
NUMBERS FOR THIS GENERALLY MUCH MORE COMMON BREEDER IN THE REGION.
BULLOCK'S ORIOLE: Though individual sightings don't warrant coverage - VERY
LOW NUMBERS, BY HISTORICAL AND RECENT YEARS' STANDARDS, THROUGHOUT THE
REGION.
OBSERVERS: CC=Cameron Carver, WC=Wayne Cherry, SC=Steve Collins, JD=Jeanne
Davis, MDL=Manuel De Leon, TmD=Tom Dolan, TnD=Toni Dolan, MG=Mariann
Golden, AnH=Anthony Hewetson, AvH=Aveline Hewetson, KH=Kelly Himmel,
Di-Donn ianuzi, GJ=George Jury, AK=Adam Kent, PKe=Peter Keyel, PR=Paula
Richardson, AR=Anona Roberts, CS=Chuck Sexton, AOS=A.O. Smith, TT=Tess
Trost, HT=Heidi Trudell, NVV=Natalie Vande Vuss
Anthony 'Fat Tony' Hewetson
fattonybirds@xxxxxxxxx
Bird Records Compiler,
Llano Estacado Audubon Society
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