With 0.09 inches of rain during the month, well below the average February
total of 0.71 inches, Lubbock is now at 0.39 inches for the year, well
short of the average year-to-date total of 1.21 inches. Though geese
departed the region surprisingly early, other waterfowl are staging at area
wet spots in surprisingly good numbers, many interesting grassland
sightings can be attributed to searches for the Common Cranes in Terry
County, and, by the end of the month, we were starting to see some early
migrants.
I am unable to create a usable summary of eBird data of sightings in the
region during the period covered - IN THE AMOUNT OF TIME I HAVE AVAILABLE.
Comments at the end of each species summary have been adjusted, to the best
of my abilities, to reflect this reduction in reports. I have done my best
to track all reports of the Common Cranes in Terry County.
As always, the county follows the site in ( ) and birds are mentioned by
virtue of rarity, atypical abundance, or atypical scarcity.
A January addition:
RING-NECKED PHEASANT: A report that came in a bit late of 1 near Lorenzo
(Crosby) on 1/31/16 (GJ, PJ)
February highlights:
GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE: No reports at all - LOW; GEESE APPEARED TO
PULL OUT EARLY THIS YEAR.
SNOW GOOSE: 1 at Stevens Park (Lubbock) on 2/9/16 and 21016 (CR, FR), 6 at
the Bison Road Playa (Hockley) on 2/14/16 (AH), 2 at the Reese Center Playa
(Lubbock) on 2/13/16 (AH), 3 at the Houston School Playa (Hale) on 2/25/16
(NP), and 6 near Brownfield (Terry) on 2/27/16 (CR, FR) the only reports -
A TAD LOW; GEESE OF ALL SORTS APPEARED TO PULL OUT SOMEWHAT EARLY THIS YEAR.
ROSS'S GOOSE: 1 at the Plainview Duck Pond (Hale) on 2/6/16 (NP), 1 at
Jennings Park (Lubbock) on 2/9/16 (CR, FR), and 4 at the Bison Road Playa
(Hockley) on 2/13/16 (AH) the only reports - A TAD LOW; GEESE OF ALL SORTS
APPEARED TO PULL OUT SOMEWHAT EARLY THIS YEAR.
WOOD DUCK: 2 in Plainview (Hale) on 2/12/16 (NP) the only report - VERY LOW.
GADWALL x NORTHERN SHOVELER: An interesting hybrid, seen and photographed
at the Smyer Playa (Hockley) on 2/28/16 (AH) - COMMON ENOUGH TO BE
WELL-REPRESENTED ON INTERNET HYBRID SITES BUT THE FIRST RECORD, I KNOW OF,
FOR THE REGION.
BLUE-WINGED TEAL: 5 at the FM 789 Wetland (Hale) on 2/27/16 (NP) and 2
northeast of Brownfield (Terry) on 2/28/16 (AH) the first of the season - A
TAD EARLY BUT IT'S BEEN A SURPRISINGLY MILD WINTER.
CINNAMON TEAL: 1 male at the Bison Road Playa (Hockley) on 2/20/16 (AH) and
2 at the Bison Road Playa (Hockley) on 2/28/16 (AH) the first of the season
- A TAD EARLY BUT IT'S BEEN A SURPRISINGLY MILD WINTER.
GADWALL, AMERICAN WIGEON, MALLARD, NORTHERN SHOVELER, NORTHERN PINTAIL,
RING-NECKED DUCK, LESSER SCAUP, RUDDY DUCK: Most dabblers and divers were
in good numbers at lingering wet spots throughout the region - A NICE
PILEUP OF STAGING WATERFOWL.
CANVASBACK: 8 at the Bison Road Playa (Hockley) on 2/13/16 (AH), 9 at the
Smyer Playa (Hockley) on 2/13/16 (AH), 14 at the Sundown Water Treatment
Plant (WTP) on 2/13/16 (AH), 2 at the Reese Center Playa (Lubbock) on
2/13/16 (AH), 2 at the Houston School Playa (Hale) on 2/20/16 (NP), 12 at
the Smyer Playa (Hockley) on 2/20/16 (AH), 2 at the Houston School Playa
(Hale) on 2/25/16 (NP), 5 at the Skeen Playa (Lynn) on 2/25/16 (AH), 2 at
the FM 789 Wetland (Hale) on 2/27/16 (NP), and 4 at the Bison Road Playa
(Hockley) on 2/28/16 (AH) - PRETTY GOOD NUMBERS AND SCATTER; PART OF A GOOD
PILEUP OF STAGING WATERFOWL IN THE REGION.
REDHEAD: 4 at the Bison Road Playa (Hockley) on 2/13/16 (AH), 22 at the
Smyer Playa (Hockley) on 2/13/16 (AH), 4 at the Sundown WTP (Hockley) on
2/13/16 (AH), 8 at the Reese Center Playa (Lubbock) on 2/13/16 (AH), 2 at
the Bison Road Playa (Hockley) on 2/20/16 (AH), 2 at the Smyer Playa
(Hockley) on 2/20/16 (AH), 12 at the Reese Center Playa (Lubbock) on
2/20/16 (AH), and 2 at the FM 789 Wetland (Hale) on 2/27/16 (NP) - PRETTY
GOOD NUMBERS AND SCATTER.
COMMON GOLDENEYE: 3 at the FM 789 Wetland (Hale) on 2/27/16 (NP) the only
report - GOOD NUMBERS at AN ODD LOCATION - NO REPORTS FROM TYPICAL SITES.
CANVASBACK: 2 at White River Lake (Crosby) on 1/2/16 (JC, AH, AK, PKe, RK),
1 at Guy Park (Lubbock) on 1/3/16 (AL), 10 at the Sundown Sewage Ponds
(Hockley) on 1/10/15 (AH), 3 near Crosbyton (Crosby) on 1/14/16 (AH), 1-2
at Guy Park (Lubbock) from 1/15/16 through 1/20/15 (DH, JM), and 3 near
Idalou (Lubbock) on 1/19/16 (AH) the only reports - ACTUALLY NOT SO BAD
CONSIDERING THE PAUCITY OF MANY OF OUR MORE COMMON DUCK SPECIES.
SCALED QUAIL: 5 along County Road G (Hale) on 2/13/16 (NP) the only report
- LOW NUMBERS BUT FEW OBSERVERS VISITED THE SPECIES' TYPICAL HAUNTS.
RING-NECKED PHEASANT: 2 along County Road G (Hale) on 2/6/16 (NP), 2 along
FM 789 (Hale) on 2/11/16 (CA, MA), 1 at the FM 789 Wetlands (Hale) on
2/12/16 (NP), 2 along CR G (Hale) on 2/13/16 (NP), 1 along Ellis Road
(Hockley) on 2/13/16 (AH), 2 at the FM 789 Wetlands (Hale) on 2/27/16 (NP),
1 at the FM 1424 Playa (Hale) on 2/27/16 (NP), 2 near Halfway (Hale) on
2/27/16 (NP), 3 near Plainview (Hale) on 2/27/16 (NP), and 1 northeast of
Brownfield (Terry) on 2/28/16 (AH) - GOOD NUMBERS AND SCATTER, BY RECENT
YEARS' STANDARDS - SOME EVIDENCE OF A RECOVERY.
BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT HERON: 1 at the Sundown WTP (Hockley) on 2/13/16 (AH)
and 1 at the Skeen Playa (Lynn) on 2/25/16 (AH) - WINTER REPORTS AWAY FROM
LUBBOCK'S WARM MICRO-CLIMATE ARE RARE.
BALD EAGLE: 1 near Lockney (Floyd) on 2/29/16 (JB) the only report - ABOUT
AVERAGE FOR THIS INCREASINGLY DIFFICULT TO COME ACROSS WINTER VISITOR.
ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK: 1 near Petit (Hockley) on 2/13/16 (AH), 1 in southwest
Lubbock (Lubbock) on 2/13/16 (AH), 1 near Halfway (Hale) on 2/27/16 (NP),
and 2 near Lockney (Floyd) on 2/29/16 (JB) - GOOD NUMBERS AND SCATTER - IT
IS GOOD TO HAVE SOME OBSERVERS REPORTING IN FROM AREAS AWAY FROM LUBBOCK.
GOLDEN EAGLE: 1 adult along CR 270 (Floyd) on 2/8/16 (JB) - PROBABLY THE
SAME BIRD REPORTED FROM THE AREA IN JANUARY; INCREASINGLY DIFFICULT TO FIND
IN THE REGION.
VIRGINIAN RAIL: 3 just south of O'Donnell (Dawson) on 2/25/16 (AH, RK) - A
LITTLE OUT OF THE REGION BUT STILL WORTH NOTING.
SORA: 3 just south of O'Donnell (Dawson) on 2/25/16 (AH, RK) - A LITTLE OUT
OF THE REGION BUT STILL WORTH NOTING.
COMMON CRANE: 1 adult bird at Mound Lake (Terry) on 2/7/16 (JB), 2-3
southeast of Brownfield (Terry) on 2/21/16 (JB, OD), 1 southeast of
Brownfield (Terry) on 2/23/16 (ML, photographs), 1 southeast of Brownfield
(Terry) on 2/26/16 (RK, photographs), 1-2 southeast of Brownfield (Terry)
on 2/28/16 (XC, AH, TJ, YL, JL, MR, photographs), and 1 southeast of
Brownfield (Terry) on 2/29/16 (CC) - THE SECOND YEAR IN A ROW FOR THIS
TEXAS REVIEW SPECIES (A SPECIES SO RARE THAT RECORDS WILL BE REVIEWED BY
THE TEXAS BIRD RECORDS COMMITTEE) and POSSIBLY THE SAME BIRD(S) THAT WERE
SEEN IN BAILEY AND LAMB COUNTIES LAST WINTER - THE SECOND RECORD OF THE
SPECIES IN OUR REGION - AND THE STATE!!
BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER: 1 at Mound Lake (Lynn) on 2/5/16 (JB) - VERY RARE IN
WINTER; THE SECOND FEBRUARY RECORD FOR THE REGION
GREATER YELLOWLEGS: 1 at Lakeside Playa (Hale) on 2/6/16 (NP), 1 along
Alamo Road (Hockley) on 2/13/16 (AH), 1 in southwest Lubbock (Lubbock) on
2/13/16 (AH), 1 along Alamo Road (Hockley) on 2/20/16 (AH), 2 at Reese
Center Playa (Lubbock) on 2/20/16 (AH), 3 at the FM 1424 Playa (Hale) on
2/27/16 (NP), and 2 near Plainview (Hale) on 2/27/16 (NP) - SOME EARLY
MOVEMENT INTO THE REGION IS SUSPECTED AS THE SPECIES WAS BARELY SEEN IN
DECEMBER AND NUMBERS HAVE INCREASED STEADILY THROUGH JANUARY AND FEBRUARY.
LONG-BILLED CURLEW: 49 southeast of Brownfield (Terry) on 2/25/16 (AH, RK),
62 southeast of Brownfield (Terry) on 2/28/16 (AH, XC, YL, JL) - PROBABLY
EARLY MIGRANTS BUT IT IS POSSIBLE THEY WINTERED IN THESE FIELDS GIVEN THE
RELATIVELY MILD WEATHER.
LEAST SANDPIPER: 40 at Mound Lake (Lynn) on 2/5/16 (JB) the only report -
GOOD NUMBERS; LOW NUMBER OF REPORTS.
WILSON'S SNIPE: 1 at the FM 789 Wetlands (Hale) on 2/6/16 (NP) and 2 at the
same site on 2/27/16 (NP) - VERY LOW NUMBER OF REPORTS AND VERY LOW NUMBERS.
RING-BILLED GULL: 1 at the Smyer Sewage Ponds (Hockley) on 2/20/16 (AH) and
4 at the Reese Center Playa (Lubbock) on 2/20/16 (AH) - GENERALLY NOT
WORTHY OF A REPORT BUT GULLS, OF ANY SORT, WERE VERY RARE AWAY FROM LUBBOCK
THIS WINTER.
BURROWING OWL: 2 near Levelland (Hockley) on 2/13/16 (AH), 1 southeast of
Brownfield (Terry) on 2/25/16 (AH), 2 along CR BB (Hale) on 2/27/16 (NP),
and 2 in southeast Lubbock (Lubbock) on 2/27/16 (LM) - MORE EVIDENCE OF A
RELATIVELY MILD WINTER; REPORTS OF THIS SPECIES AWAY FROM THE MASSIVE
BLACK-TAILED PRAIRIE DOG COLONY EAST OF LUBBOCK ARE EXCEEDINGLY RARE IN
WINTER.
SHORT-EARED OWL: 6 along FM 788 (Hale) on 2/11/16 (CA, MA, photographs), 1
at the same site on 2/13/16 (CA, MA), 4 at the same site on 2/14/16 (NP), 1
near Plainview (Hale) on 2/27/16 (NP), 1 near Floydada (Floyd) on 2/27/16
(TJ), and 1 southeast of Brownfield (Terry) on 2/28/16 (AH) - THE SPECIES
HAS HAD A FANTASTIC WINTER IN THE REGION; GOOD NUMBERS; GREAT SCATTER.
RED-HEADED WOODPECKER: 1 continued in south Lubbock (Lubbock) through
2/20/16 (LM) - CASUAL TO THE REGION; OUR 35th RECORD.
YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER: 1 at the Reese Center Playa (Lubbock) on 2/13/16
(AH) and 1 at the Lubbock Cemetery (Lubbock) on 2/20/16 (PKe) the only
reports received - GENERALLY EXTREMELY RARE THIS LATE IN WINTER; IT WAS A
GOOD FALL/WINTER FOR THE SPECIES!
MERLIN: Six reports of 1-2 birds in the region (Flooyd, Hlae, Hockley,
Lubbock, Terry) during the period (JB, AH, TJ, RK, LM, NP) - GOOD NUMBERS
AND SCATTER; REPORTING BENEFITED FROM COMMON CRANE CHASES.
PEREGRINE FALCON: 1 along CR 185 (Hale) on 2/27/16 (NP) the only report -
VERY LOW NUMBERS THIS WINTER - AT NONE OF THE TYPICAL SITES IN LUBBOCK.
PRAIRIE FALCON: 1 southeast of Brownfield (Terry) on 2/25/16 (AH, RK) and
on 2/28/16 (AH) - VERY RARE IN OUR SOUTHERN TIER OF COUNTIES.
SAY'S PHOEBE: 1 at Mound Lake (Terry) on 2/7/16 (JB) and 1 near Halfway
(hale) on 2/27/16 (NP) the only reports - A TAD LOW.
COMMON RAVEN: 4 along FM 28 (Floyd) on 2/12/16 (JB) the only report - LOW
BUT FEW OBSERVERS REPORTED FROM OUR BELOW THE ESCARPMENT COUNTIES.
PURPLE MARTIN: 1 in a Lubbock yard (Lubbock) on 2/26/16 (GJ, PJ) and 3 over
a Lubbock yard (Lubbock) on 2/29/16 (AH) - FORMERLY ACCIDENTAL THIS EARLY
IN THE SEASON; RIGHT ON TIME BY CURRENT STANDARDS.
TREE SWALLOW: 15 near Lockney (Floyd) on 2/29/16 (JB) - VERY EARLY; THE
FIRST FEBRUARY RECORD FOR THE REGION.
WHITE-BREASTED NUTHATCH: 1 at Coleman Park (Terry) on 2/21/16 (PKe) the
only report - A TAD LOW.
CAROLINA WREN: 1 in a Lubbock yard (Lubbock) for most of the period (KD) -
THE ONLY REPORT FROM ATOP THE ESCARPMENT.
GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLET: 1 in a Lubbock yard (Lubbock) on 2/28/16 (KD) the
only report - A TAD LOW.
MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRD: 5 at the Thunderbird Playa (Hale) on 2/25/16 (NP) the
only report - A GOOD REPORT FOR A NON-IRRUPTION YEAR.
AMERICAN PIPIT: Seven reports of 1-6 birds in the region (Hale, Hockley,
Terry) during the period (AH, TJ, RK, NP, MR) - FORMERLY MORE COMMON IN THE
REGION; THESE ARE GOOD NUMBERS AND THIS IS GOOD SCATTER BY CURRENT
STANDARDS.
CEDAR WAXWING: 3 along FM 28 (Floyd) on 2/12/16 (JB), 8 in south Lubbock
(Lubbock)on 2/13/16 (LM), and 15 in a Lubbock yard (Lubbock) on 2/19/16
(TT) the only reports - GOOD NUMBERS AND SCATTER FOR A NON-IRRUPTIVE YEAR.
LAPLAND LONGSPUR: 7 east of Brownfield (Terry) on 2/28/16 (AH) the only
report - LOW; A VERY POOR WINTER FOR LONGSPURS IN THE REGION.
CHESTNUT-COLLARED LONGSPUR: 14 at the Bison Road Playa (Hockley)on 2/20/16
(AH), 2 southeast of Brownfield (Terry) on 2/25/16 (AH), 6 at the Bison
Road Playa (Hockley) on 2/28/16 (AH, photographs), and 1 southeast of
Brownfield (Terry) on 2/28/16 (TJ, MR) - VERY LOW; A POOR WINTER FOR
LONGSPURS WITH PATCHY DISTRIBUTION OF VERY SMALL FLOCKS.
MCCOWN'S LONGSPUR: 2 along Alamo Road (Hockley) on 2/20/16 (AH), 2
southeast of Brownfield (Terry) on 2/21/16 (JB), 14 along CR 185 (Hale)on
2/27/16 (NP), and 12 southeast of Brownfield (Terry) on 2/28/16 (AH, JL)
the only reports - VERY LOW; A POOR WINTER FOR LONGSPURS IN THE REGION WITH
PATCHY DISTRIBUTION OF VERY SMALL FLOCKS.
ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER: 1 in a Lubbock yard (Lubbock) on 2/6/16 (AH) and 1
at the Lubbock Cemetery (Lubbock) the only reports received - A TAD LOW.
CHIPPING SPARROW: 6 at the TTU HSC Campus (Lubbock) on 2/16/16 (AH) and 1
at the FM 789 Wetlands (Hale) on 2/27/16 (NP) - VERY RARE IN THE REGION
DURING WINTER; THESE MAY REPRESENT EARLY MIGRATION.
WHITE-THROATED SPARROW: 2 at the FM 789 Wetlands (Hale) on 2/12/16 (NP) and
1 in a Lubbock yard (Lubbock)on 2/20/16 (AH) the only reports - A TAD LOW
BUT THE SPECIES HAS BEEN HARD TO FIND IN RECENT YEARS.
HARRIS'S SPARROW: 2 near Plainview (Hale) on 2/27/16 (NP) and 1 at the
Lubbock Cemetery (Lubbock) on 2/20/16 (PKe) the only reports - A TAD LOW
BUT LITTLE TIME WAS SPENT BY OBSERVERS IN THE BETTER COUNTIES FOR THIS
SPECIES.
PYRRHULOXIA: 1 east of Brownfield (Terry) on 2/28/16 (AH) - RARELY REPORTED
FROM ATOP THE CAPROCK ESCARPMENT; ONE OF FEW RECORDS FOR THIS COUNTY.
YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRD: 16 in southeast Lubbock (Lubbock) on 2/27/16 (LM)
- VERY RARE IN THE WINTER, ESPECIALLY IN THESE NUMBERS!
BRONZED COWBIRD: 1 south of Lorenzo (Crosby) on 2/20/16 (ML, photographs) -
THIS IS, BY FAR, THE EARLIEST REPORT FOR THE REGION - THE FIRST FEBRUARY
RECORD!
PINE SISKIN: Seventeen reports of 3-18 birds in the region (Hale, Lubbock)
during the period (KD, AH, CL, RL, NP) - GOOD NUMBERS FOR A NON-IRRUPTIVE
YEAR WITH FEW SIGHTINGS EARLIER IN THE WINTER.
OBSERVERS: CA=Connie Andrus, MA=Marlin Andrus, JB=Justin Bosler, CC=Chuck
Chalfont, XC=Xijun Chen, OD=Olaf Danielson, KD=Ken Dixon, AH=Anthony
Hewetson, JT=Tom Johnson, GJ=George Jury, PJ=Pat Jury, PKe=Peter Keyel,
RK=Rich Kostecke, CL=Carol Lee, RL=Rob Lee, JL=Jay Lehman, YL=Yinan Li,
ML=Mark Lockwood, LM=Liam McGuire, NP=Niler Pyeatt, MR=Melissa Roach,
CR=Clarice Robertson, FR=Floyd Robertson, TT=Tess Trost.
Anthony 'Fat Tony' Hewetson, Lubbock