Greetings All:
Things have finally dried out enough (barely) that I was able to attempt my
third (of six) BBS routes for the year.
Though the dirt roads were a bit mushy I did polish off the Post route,
running from west of Post through Post and then northeast of Post. I will
post a complete report at some point.
The mushiness included many spots where playas I haven't seen wet in years
were budging up against the road and I spotted all ten of the expected
anurans (Great Plains Toads abundant, Texas Toads common, Woodhouse's Toads
common, Green Toads present, Plains Spadefoots common, New Mexico
Spadefoots present, Great Plains Narrow-mouthed Toads present, Spotted
Chorus Frogs present, Northern Cricket Frogs abundant, Plains Leopard Frogs
abundant). Some birds, particularly Cassin's Sparrows, Grasshopper
Sparrows, and Dickcissels are showing nice signs of recovery. Cave
Swallows are now so well established in this county that I do not feel it
necessary to include individual sightings in the list of highlights below.
Highlights from the route: 2 American Avocets well west of Post, 4
Blue-winged Teals well west of Post, 2 Blue-winged Teals west of Post, 2
Scaled Quails west of Post, 1 Scaled Quail just west of Post, 4 Purple
Martins just west of Post, 2 Northern Rough-winged Swallows just west of
Post, 1 Bell's Vireo in Post, 4 Purple Martins in Post, 1 male Bronzed
Cowbird in Post, 1 Purple Martin just northeast of Post, 1 Yellow-billed
Cuckoo well northeast of Post, and 1 Pyrrhuloxia well northeast of Post.
Highlight on the way home: 1 Pyrrhuloxia just northeast of Post, 1 male
Bronzed Cowbird just northeast of Post, 1 Bell's Vireo just northeast of
Post, 1 Scale Quail just northeast of Post, 1 Yellow-billed Cuckoo in Post,
2 Blue-winged Teals over Post, 2 Purple Martins in Post, 6 White-faced
Ibises just north of Post, 1 Snowy Egret and 2 Cattle Egrets just south of
Southland - all in Garza County.
Lynn County kicked out a single highlight 5 Cattle Egrets just north of
Southland.
Lubbock County highlights included 2 Snowy Egrets and 1 Cattle Egret near
Slaton; 1 Canada Goose, 1 Double-crested Cormorant, 6 Snowy Egrets, and 17
Cattle Egrets at Leroy Elmore Park in Lubbock.
Anthony 'Fat Tony' Hewetson; Lubbock