Greetings All:
Things are a bit different out my way - with Western Kingbirds and
Painted Bunting persisting well into August in the Lubbock area.
Seyffert notes a similar pattern in the panhandle proper. After that,
numbers drop off precipitously for both species.
I have noted a trend for earlier arrival and departure for the Western
Kingbird from my Lubbock yard over the last 15 years or so. When I
moved in about fifteen years ago, my nesting Western Kingbirds (I
generally have one-two pairs nesting in the yard or yard adjacent)
arrived during the first week of April and departed towards the end of
the second week of August. They now arrive during the last few days
of March and depart by the end of the first week of August. I
generally have straggling migrants, sometimes in decent numbers, well
into the second week of August.
This morning, I tallied (with another observer) well over 100 Western
Kingbirds (we sought in vain for a Cassin's Kingbird amidst the
hordes) moving steadily downriver along Canyon Lake Six in Lubbock.
This is a remarkable number for a single site in my area and it
reminded me of the preparation for departure events I have seen
Scissor-tailed Flycatchers pull off to the southeast on several
occasions.
Anthony Hewetson; Lubbock
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