Greetings All:
I spent a little over six hours in Hockley County today and, folks, we need
some rain out this way. Since last week I have lost both of the small
playas and one of the large playas I had found - and am down to the largish
Bison Road Playa, the largish Smyer Playa, and the smallish playa
sandwiched between Alamo Road and southeast Levelland.
Highlights for the day: 14 Blue-winged Teals off of Alamo Road, 28
Blue-winged Teals at Bison Road Playa, 14 Blue-winged Teals at Smyer Playa,
12 Cinnamon Teals at Bison Road Playa, 2 Cinnamon Teals off of Alamo Road,
8 Scaled Quails at Smyer Playa, 2 White-faced Ibises at Smyer Playa, 14
Black-necked Stilts off of Alamo Road, 12 Black-necked Stilts at Bison Road
Playa, 14 Black-necked Stilts at Smyer Playa, 134 American Avocets at Bison
Road Playa, 23 American Avocets at Smyer Playa, 2 Semipalmated Plovers at
Smyer Playa, 8 Spotted Sandpipers at Bison Road Playa, 7 Spotted Sandpipers
at Smyer Playa, 1 Solitary Sandpiper at Bison Road Playa, 1 Lesser
Yellowlegs off of Alamo Road, 1 Lesser Yellowlegs at Bison Road Playa,1
Stilt Sandpiper at Bison Road Playa, 7 Baird's Sandpipers at Bison Road
Playa, 2 Baird's Sandpipers at Smyer Playa,2 Least Sandpipers at Bison Road
Playa, 1 Least Sandpiper at Smyer Playa, 2 White-rumped Sandpipers at Bison
Road Playa, 1 Western Sandpiper at Bison Road Playa, 5 Semipalmated
Sandpipers at Bison Road Playa, 2 Semipalmated Sandpipers at Smyer Playa,
27 Long-billed Dowitchers at Bison Road Playa, 10 Long-billed Dowitchers at
Smyer Playa, 24 Wilson's Phalaropes at Bison Road Playa, 41 Wilson's
Phalaropes at Smyer Playa, 1 Peregrine Falcon in Ropesville, 14 Tree
Swallows at Smyer Playa, 14 Northern Rough-winged Swallows at Smyer Playa,
12 Cliff Swallows at Smyer Playa, 1 House Wren at the intersection of
Foster and Hawk Roads, 1 Swainson's Thrush at Levelland City Park, 1 Hermit
Thrush at the intersection of Foster and Hawk Roads, 2 Hermit Thrushes at
West and 13th in Levelland, 1 Nashville Warbler at West and 13th in
Levelland, 1 American Redstart at Levelland City Park, 1 male Wilson's
Warbler at the intersection of Foster and Hawk Roads, 2 female and 1 male
Wilson's Warblers at West and 13th in Levelland, 1 Green-tailed Towhee in
Levelland City Park, 2 Chipping Sparrows along Alamo Road, 26 Chipping
Sparrows along Ellis Road, 42 Chipping Sparrows along FM 2646, 4 Chipping
Sparrows at the intersection of Foster and Hawk Roads, 2 Chipping Sparrows
in Levelland City Park, 2 Chipping Sparrows at the Ropesville Cemetery, 2
Chipping Sparrrows at the Smyer Cemetery, 5 Chipping Sparrows at Smyer
Playa, 2 Chipping Sparrows at West x 13th in Levelland, 13 Clay-colored
Sparrows along Ellis Road, 8 Clay-colored Sparrows along FM 2646, 1
Clay-colored Sparrow at the Smyer Cemetery, 2 Clay-colored Sparrows at
Smyer Playa, 6 Brewer's Sparrows along Ellis Road, 2 Grasshopper Sparrows
along Ellis Road, 1 male Blue Grosbeak along Ellis Road, 1 male Blue
Grosbeak at Smyer Playa, 8 male Yellow-headed Blackbirds in Ropesville, 30
female Yellow-headed Blackbirds at Smyer Playa, 2 male Bronzed Cowbirds at
Levelland City Park, 1 female Bullock's Oriole at the intersection of
Foster and Hawk Roads, 1 female and 1 male Bullock's Orioles along Alamo
Road.
Note: Usually we start seeing at least something in the way of 5-10
species of warbler along mid-April. Generally by the end of April we have
about 10 species of warbler about with four species fairly common. This
April I have seen 1 Nashville Warbler, 1 American Redstart, a handful of
Yellow-rumped Warblers, and a total of five Wilson's Warblers.
On the other hand, I am having an incredible shorebird season for the
county.
Anthony 'Fat Tony' Hewetson; Lubbock