[leasbirds] Another adventure out of Lubbock

From: Anthony Hewetson <fattonybirds@xxxxxxxxx>
To: texbirds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx, leasbirds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx, Anthony Hewetson <fattonybirds@xxxxxxxxx>
Date: Mon, 26 May 2014 20:13:57 -0500
Greetings All:

The rain event continues and, though I got a very late start today, so do
I.  Widespread and intense rainfall such as this wiped out any chance for
me to do Breeding Bird Surveys over the weekend, allowing me to fritter
away valuable BBS time on random critter chasing - sorry, Brent - as all
six of my routes feature mile after mile of dirt roads and, for now at
least, all dirt roads in my region are non-negotiable.   Even some of the
paved roads, particularly in Bailey and Cochran County, were a bit iffy
thanks to extensive stretches of mud- or water-covered highway.  One
particular stretch of FM 54 almost did me in but I slithered the Honda on
through fifty feet or so of road covered with 6-8 inches of mud.

Today's adventure, started at 11:45 - after a morning funeral service,
featured time in Hockley, Lamb, Bailey, and Cochran Counties.  As was the
case yesterday, it was clear that this event occurred much to late in the
season to do much for shorebirds - not a single definitively migrant
shorebird or wader was seen today.  As was also the case yesterday, this
event has done wonders for latish songbird migrants.  It continues to be a
magnificent event for anurans: every stop featured the din of toads,
spadefoots, narrow-mouthed toads, cricket frogs, and frogs - and I was able
to get hands-on with quite a few species today.   Any rain event that is
good for toads is great for Western Hog-nosed Snakes and I noted several
snake/toad interactions in ditches throughout the day.  I also got to enjoy
a close encounter with a nicely chilled Prairie Rattlesnake.  I even had a
couple of interesting mammal adventures, rescuing a drenched Yellow-faced
Pocket Gopher from a big, black dog of some sort and learning, to my
amusement, just how well Desert Cottontails can swim during a downpour when
a cottontail-infested island went under and a half dozen or so bunnies had
to bunnypaddle to another shore.  They didn't seem to want to get in the
water but once afloat moved along surprisingly smoothly:)

Lubbock County highlights on the way out - none.

Hockley County highlights on the way out - none.

Lamb County highlights on the way out - 2 Cattle Egrets just east of
Littlefield; 2 Inca Doves in Littlefield.

Bailey County highlights - 2 Willow Flycatchers, 1 Say's Phoebe, 1
Plumbeous Vireo, 1 Swainson's Thrush, 1 Gray Catbird, 1 Black-and-white
Warbler, 2 Yellow Warblers, and 1 Wilson's Warbler at Muleshoe NWR - all in
the wooded draw running from HQ up to and beyond the campground.  Had this
rain event occurred two-three weeks ago I suspect the list would have been
a tad more interesting.

Cochran County was - and this is very unusual - the big deal today.
Flooding was extensive but I was in a doughnut hole of sunshine (surrounded
on all sides by thunderstorms) for most of my visit and the songbirds were
really popping.

Things started with 2 Black-necked Stilts and 4 American Avocets in a
roadside puddle well north of Morton.  Things picked up a bit at the Morton
Cemetery with 1 Olive-sided Flycatcher, 1 Western Wood Pewee, 1 Yellow
Warbler, 1 female Western Tanager, and 5 male Yellow-headed Blackbirds.
Things went crazy at the extensively flooded Cochran County park when I
realized that there were 2 Cattle Egrets and 7 White-faced Ibises wandering
amidst the picnic tables!  I braved the flooded entrance, parked the car on
high ground, and wandered about, tallying at least 2 Western Wood Pewees,
at least 3 Willow Flycatchers, 1 Swainson's Thrush, 1 Gray Catbird, 1
Yellow Warbler, 2 Chipping Sparrows, 1 Clay-colored Sparrow, 1 male Indigo
Bunting, and - amidst a flock of at least 8 Lesser Goldfinches - a stunning
male American Goldfinch.  The Cochran County Golf Course was flooded and in
the process of becoming more flooded as water poured into the playas from
farmland in every direction - this was where I saw Bunny Island go under -
and was quite birdy with 4 very unexpected Black Terns, 1 Olive-sided
Flycatcher, 1 MacGillivray's Warbler, 1 female American Redstart, 2 Yellow
Warblers, and 2 Wilson's Warblers.  The big woodlot just west of where CR
1780 curves sharply to the south had 1 Western Wood Pewee, 1 Willow
Flycatcher, and 2 Yellow Warblers.  The big playa at the 1780 bend - with
water for the first time in forever - had pulled in 2 American Avocets.

Hockley County higlhights on the way back - 1 Western Wood Pewee, 1
Swainson's Thrush, 1 Yellow Warbler, and 1 Lincoln's Sparrow at the rest
area just east of the Cochran/Hockley County line; 4 Black-necked Stilts
and 2 American Avocets just east of Levelland.

Lubbock County highlights on the way back - 1 Snowy Egret and 2 American
Avocets at Reese Golf Course; 1 Swainson's Thrush in my backyard sunflower
patch.

One heck of a weekend and, given the severity of our ongoing drought, I
don't mind losing a potential BBS weekend.

Anthony 'Fat Tony' Hewetson; Lubbock
[leasbirds] Another adventure out of Lubbock

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