Migration in full swing!

 Cold, windy day, but decent birding and wonderful birders! 

Morning: Huth Avian Services group

Afternoon: Part of Naturist Journeys group

Because of the weather, birding wasn't as good as it could have been, but the next couple of days should be better. The oasis specialty birds, such as the Varied Buntings and Lucifer Hummingbirds were easy to see, at least. Between the groups there were at least 50 species tallied.

Tomorrow is another migration day. It could be exciting!

Really tired today!

I couldn't sleep last night with all the migration excitement, so I'll be brief. The Cerulean Warbler was still present. I spent most of the day trying for better photos, but it didn't happen. Here's the best one from today.

A group this afternoon put the new blind and bench to good use. This is how I envisioned it way back when it was being built.

I envisioned javelina getting into my drip pond, just never envisioned so many cramming into it at once. I think at one time there were nearly ten in there.

I hated to have to come to town and leave the oasis, but I'll be back in a couple of days. The older I get, the harder it is to juggle two places. I'll probably feel differently after I get some sleep.

Heavenly oasis day!

I thought I had died and gone to heaven when I was observing my lifer Cerulean Warbler at the oasis. Lee Hoy discovered it late this afternoon. It must have had a hard journey. It literally foraged at my feet.

Here's a video clip Lee Hoy took of it.

Everything else today pales by comparison. I spent most of the day watering and watching birds. A local bird guide brings clients here occasionally to get close looks at specialties like Lucifer Hummingbirds, Varied Buntings, etc.  Around 6 PM, I headed to my cabin, telling Lee to come get me if he saw a Ivory-billed Woodpecker or anything like that. About an hour later he came up to the cabin, saying, "You've got to get down there right away..." and proceeded to tell me about the Cerulean Warbler, and where to look for it. He had to leave, but I found the bird right where he said it had been, in a stand of short oak saplings beneath a big live oak tree. I had just watered there an hour earlier, with the temperature hovering around 100°.

As far as I can ascertain, this is a second Trans-Pecos record. I think the only other one was near Sheffield in Terrell County in May 2011. 

Other than that, the pair of Ash-throated Flycatchers that had been scrutinizing every nest box in the vicinity of the oasis for days now, finally made their selection. They lost no time in carrying nesting material into it.

And I got a nice photo of the Townsend's Warbler that's been around.

Can't wait for daylight tomorrow!

Migration ramping up

Every day I tally more species than the day before it seems. Today I counted 40 species. I expect that number to make it up to 60 sometime during migration. Here are a couple I got photos of today.

That House Wren was the biggest surprise of the day. I was looking through the camera lens and not using binoculars because so many birds were coming in to the drip and if I change between the binos and camera, it flushes the birds. So I totally thought I was photographing another Bewick's Wren until I looked at my photos and saw what it was. A nearby birder even said House Wren and I confidently replied, "no, Bewick's."

I was glad the Black & White Warbler reported yesterday was still around. I spent an inordinate amount of time trying to get a good photo of it. This was the best I got.

We were thrilled when a pair of Peregrines swooped around the big tank. Caught off guard, I did my best to photograph the action.

I feel pretty certain I'm going to have to concrete the water feature to keep javelinas from destroying it. Just don't know if I have it in me. At any rate, it'll likely have to wait until winter. And traffic is creating big holes coming up the big hill. After a good monsoon scours off the dirt we need to put in some more patches. I'll need help for both projects.

Through the years I've posted quite a few nighttime photos of Elf Owls inside cavities made by Ladder-backed Woodpeckers, but this is the first nighttime photo I've taken of a woodpecker in its hole.

This Ash-throated Flycatcher is having a good hair day!

Perfect Lucifer display shots

I just have to show off these awesome shots by Russ Rogers, taken on the 19th. Doesn't get better than this. Thank you, Russ!

I've been in town the last two days, but heading to the oasis later today. Meanwhile, migration is progressing along pleasantly. Here's a Common Yellowthroat I photographed this morning.

And a Townsend's Warbler from yesterday....

And all kinds of lovely birds. Here's a Plumbeous Vireo from a few days ago.

Belated new oasis species!

On March 21st I rushed to the oasis to water. It was very windy, and cool. Naturally, as I watered I snapped photos of what  birds I could. In my blog post for that day I mentioned how I hated the wind but at least there were some birds to see for a change.

Well, I submitted pics to ebird of a Blue-gray Gnatcatcher and another bird I called a Blue-gray Gnatcatcher that looked different, but I commented it might be a female. It so obviously wasn't a gnatcatcher! I know I'm a better birder than that! I must have been exhausted with wind-caused brain fog. Anyway, the ebird reviewer for this area, Steven Cardiff, emailed me today and told me what it was. I'm thrilled to have had a Lucy's Warbler at the oasis, but rather disheartened that I didn't figure it out myself. Duh!

I had long since deleted the photos, but was able to copy them from my report. Double duh!

Needless to say, I'll try to do better with IDs and saving photos. I know, you've heard that often enough before. LOL

Today in town, before the wind started raging again, I got nice looks at a MacGillivray's Warbler.

And something, probably a raccoon, got all the eggs in the duck's nest. Gonna have to come up with a better plan next year.

Wore myself out watering and birding

I feel like I'm rushing around more than usual lately, but spring migration only comes once a year. Gotta milk it for all it's worth!

Got some pics of a Myrtle's Yellow-rumped Warbler at the oasis today. It's a species I don't get very often.

With the ocotillo in full bloom, hummers aren't coming to the feeders much, but at least often enough that all visitors get good looks at them.

After I finished watering I rushed to town to catch up with stuff there. Some birders came by our ponds and I went with them to Musquiz Lake. They got a lifer Common Black Hawk there, which was fun. It was too far away for any of us to get a good photo.

Then we saw a Zone-tailed Hawk up close. It moved too fast for me to get a decent photo, but a good photographer with us did. Then while I was processing my photos while making myself a late supper, I totally burned supper.

I've got a long to-do list for tomorrow....

It happened again

I hate it when birders waste prime birding hours being lost. Today was especially sad because the lost group was in two vans, wandering around the bad dirt roads for an hour before they made it here. And the only reason they found it at all is because the group's leader had been here before in 2017. So he had a general idea anyway. He thought he remembered the way, so didn't think to ask for directions to be sent again. And his backup plan, satellite system, only made it worse.

I learned a new word today. My "potty shed," that I thought these Australians would call a "loo," is a "dunny." Go figure!

Birding was quite good, so I think the pall of getting lost wore off after a while. Hope so, anyway. A female Cinnamon Teal was too exhausted to leave here, so hid as best it could and endured the audience.

Hiding behind the only option

Other than that, the three best species for the day were, a Harris Hawk that I got poor very distant shots of, a Scissor-tailed Flycatcher, and Ruby-throated Hummingbird. I guess it compares favorably with yesterday, in spite of the 100° high today.

Another good migration day

I enjoyed birding my Alpine habitat today with other birders. And I hate that I can't be there tomorrow. I'm sure it'll be great! But I had to come to the oasis this evening to take care of feeders and watering here. It looked so hot, dry, and bird-less when I arrived. Surely it'll look better in the morning.

In town, I was treated to two beautiful orioles. It's mind-boggling how they hide in the Black Locust trees' blooms considering how colorful they are, but they disappear and are difficult to relocate.

Bullock's Oriole

Hooded Oriole

Here are some of the birders studying the blooms, knowing an oriole is in there, but unable to locate it. It took a while, but we eventually all got to see it.

 

Tomorrow will have to be really good to beat today! I'll let you know.

Sunset at CMO this evening

Spring migration day 2

Another day of great birding here at our ponds in town. Can't wait to get to the oasis and see what's showing up there. I loved seeing a Hooded Oriole at the Black Locust tree blooms.

A Plumbeous Vireo showed up and sang for most of the afternoon.

I was lucky to get even this poor photo of an elusive MacGillvray's Warbler.

Unfortunately, spring migration is best when there are drought conditions, which forces the birds to frequent water sources. It seems that drought in the fall causes the birds to avoid the Trans-Pecos altogether. Maybe because they tarry longer in the fall, good habitat is more critical. In the spring they make haste to their breeding grounds so swiftly, it hardly matters. Just my opinion.