[texbirds] Williamson County Big Day Jan 1st (Local, long, and meandering)

From: Randy Duncan <osufight@xxxxxxx>
To: TexBirds TexBirds Posting <texbirds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Sat, 3 Jan 2015 11:28:55 -0800

  In preparation I had used the Ebird explore a region area function to create 
a custom list of all the Wilco bords seen in the last three weeks. Then very 
nerd-like I cut and pasted this info onto a spreadsheet and ranked the birds 
based on what I thought the possibility of finding each bird. Birds I was 100% 
sure of I gave a #5. 80% were a #4. 60%=#3. 40%=#2. Rarities were given a #1. 
The list was 138 birds..

We got 37/37 #5 Birds!... Spotted Towhee at Tejas was the last #5
17 of 22 #4... missed Red Shoulder hawk. Ladderback. Less goldfinch. Least 
sandpiper. Snowy Egret
15 of 23 #3...    proud to get 65% Spotted Sandpiper. Winter Wren. Cara Cara. 
Hermit Thrush... etc
16 of 32 #2... 50%! Rock wren. Waxwings, Redheads, Swamp Sparrow, Wood Duck. GH 
Owl... etc
3 of 24 #1... Eastern Towhee. Greater Scaup. White Pelicans (20 on Meadowlake 
had us giggling)!
         We also got 3 Birds not on the 3 week list!... Mountain Plovers. Sora, 
and Marsh Wren.
 
    91 birds broke our previous year by 5 birds. Daughter Meghan dutifully 
logged all 15 of our stops on Ebird if anyone wants to see where we went. I am 
regretting skipping Berry Springs Park for Russell Park.I had found Rufous 
capped Sparrows and Canyon Wrens at Russell in the last couple weeks but dipped 
on both. Heading to our last two stops we had two rarer varieties Eastern 
Towhee and Greater Scaup but not the common SPTO or Lesser Scaup. Tejas and 
Res#2 gave us both birds, A Great Horned Owl started calling as the sun set at 
Res#2 and I was actually able to get him in the scope-- it was our first bird 
of 2014 Big Day and our last this year.
    
     The stop of the day was a small drainage pond at the corner of AW Grimes 
and University. I saw cattails and turned in on a whim. In five minutes we got 
the Sora,Swamp Sparrow, Marsh Wren, and Common Yellowthoat!  
          Thanks to Tim Fennell for his great directions on the Mountain 
Plovers and the Greater Scaup (my wife reports the Scaup is still there this 
morning). Thanks to Meghan for her determination. According to Ebird our total 
was the third most in Texas for the day... probably because most sane people 
stayed home! 

I still say January 1st is a silly day for a Big Day... Too short on sunlight 
and too cold! That being said... Next year we shoot for 100!

Randy and Meghan Duncan
Leander TX


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[texbirds] Williamson County Big Day Jan 1st (Local, long, and meandering)

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