[texbirds] Pear Valley BBS, McCulloch Co., results

From: Rich Kostecke <rkost73@xxxxxxxxx>
To: Texbirds <texbirds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Mon, 10 Jun 2013 19:49:46 -0700 (PDT)
I ran the Pear Valley BBS route (McCulloch, Co.) for the 8th time on 6/10/13.  
I recorded 55 species, which is about average since I took over the route.  I 
recorded 685 individuals, which was a bit of an improvement from recent years.  
However, while there may have been a little recovery in fits and starts, the 
impacts on the drought are still obvious - lack of green grass, many dead 
trees, little available surface water, and even several recently abandoned 
homesteads along the route.  My species for the day:

Northern Bobwhite 34 - way below the long term average, but above average for 
the years(2006-2012) I have run the count and recovery from the very low 
tallies in 2011 and 2012
Black Vulture 4
Turkey Vulture 39
Swainson's Hawk 2
Killdeer 5
Eurasian Collared-dove 9
Mourning Dove 129 - above the long term average and showing a rebound from 
lower tallies in 2011 and 2012

Yellow-billed Cuckoo 5 - below the long term average but on par with recent 
years' tallies

Greater Roadrunner 2
Common Nighthawk 23 - on par with the long term average and showing some 
improvement from recent years' low tallies

Chimney Swift 1
Black-chinned Hummingbird 6 - above long and short (2006-2012) term averages; 
highest tally for the count to date

Ladder-backed Woodpecker 1
Eastern Phoebe 3
Vermilion Flycatcher 1
Ash-throated Flycatcher 2 - below average

Western Kingbird 6 - above average

Scissor-tailed Flycatcher 25 - below long and short term averages

Loggerhead Shrike 1 - still showing a long term decline
Bell's Vireo 14 - has increased over time; on par with short term average
Black-capped Vireo 1 - 2nd time I have had the species on the count at one of 
the points in the McCulloch Mountains
Horned Lark 9 - showing a bit of a rebound from short term lows
Purple Martin 8 - has increased over time (I assuming due to martin houses); on 
par with short term average
Cave Swallow 7
Barn Swallow 9 - on par with the long term average but a bit lower than in 
recent years past
Carolina Chickadee 2 - 3rd time recorded on count
Black-crested Titmouse 1 - below average
Verdin 5 - above average
Cactus Wren 1 - below average
Bewick's Wren 22 - above average
Northern Mockingbird 78 - a bit below the long term average, but showing some 
recovery compared to recent years' tally
Curve-billed Thrasher 2 - only sporadically recorded on the route
European Starling 3
Yellow-breasted Chat 3 - new for count; found at 3 separate points
Rufous-crowned Sparrow 8 - above average
Canyon Towhee 1 - a bit low but on par with recent years
Cassin's Sparrow 18 - below average
Field Sparrow 8 - has increased over time; on par with recent years' tallies
Lark Sparrow 23 - way below average
Black-throated Sparrow 2
Grasshopper Sparrow 1 - a bit low
Summer Tanager 2 - only sporadically recorded along route; 2 first spring males 
observed
Northern Cardinal 34 - above average
Pyrrhuloxia 5
Blue Grosbeak 1
Painted Bunting 30 - has increased over time; somewhat above average
Dickcissel 2 - below average, but the species is irruptive showing large annual 
variance in abundance
Red-winged Blackbird 9 - below average
Eastern Meadowlark 11 - below average
Great-tailed Grackle 7 - has increased over time; on par with short term average
Brown-headed Cowbird 17 - below average
Orchard Oriole 2
Bullock's Oriole 6
House Finch 10 - a bit above average
House Sparrow 25 - above the short term average but way below the long term 
average (has shown some decline since the late 1960s?)


Richard Kostecke, Ph.D.
The Nature Conservancy
318 Congress Ave., Austin, Texas 78701
Email: rkost73@xxxxxxxxx or rkostecke@xxxxxxx
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[texbirds] Pear Valley BBS, McCulloch Co., results

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