What a day (and its not over yet)! A friend texted me a pic of Marbled
Godwits that he took at 8:30 this morning and I was out the door! Didn't
even see anyone else's report until I was well into birding the park. The
composition had already changed from when Drew was there this morning. We
didn't find the Stilt Sandpipers, Snowy Plovers, Franklin's Gulls, or
Yellowlegs, but 3 hours in and we never made it to the SE side before we
were too cold and hungry. The Marbled Godwits were on the west side but
became skittish, moved around, and eventually left to the north. The
Herring Gull, Western Grebe, and Loggerhead Shrike were also seen from the
west side and Brad spotted a Yellow-headed Blackbird being chased by a
Red-winged Warber that flew over us. Brad and I moved to the east side by
the library and found Baird's, Western (beautiful in breeding plumage!),
Semipalmated, and Least Sandpipers. The Avocets were over on this side and
4 White-faced Ibis flew in. There were lots of great birds, but that seems
to be how it goes on the coldest days! It was cold, but worth it, and
enjoying the company of Brad S., Jim C, and Jordan and Whitney C. (? I hope
I got that right, I can't believe I'm already uncertain!!! - oh wait, I can
believe it! ;) made it easier to withstand the cold. Full list is below.
Happy birding and stay warm!
Jennifer
Blue-winged Teal (Spatula discors) 5 Males and females
Northern Shoveler (Spatula clypeata) 20
Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) 2
Ruddy Duck (Oxyura jamaicensis) 13 Males and females. At least one
male in breeding plumage.
Pied-billed Grebe (Podilymbus podiceps) 1
Western Grebe (Aechmophorus occidentalis) 1 Large black and white
grebe, long necked, yellow bill, black on the head came down over the eye.
Eurasian Collared-Dove (Streptopelia decaocto) 1
Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura) 2
American Coot (Fulica americana) 3
Black-necked Stilt (Himantopus mexicanus) 3
American Avocet (Recurvirostra americana) 12 Breeding plumage
Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus) 6
Marbled Godwit (Limosa fedoa) 11 Originally found by Craig Curry.
Large, buffy shorebirds with long straight two-toned bills (orange and
black). When they flew all had large buffy patches in their wings. Flew to
the north when they left.
Baird's Sandpiper (Calidris bairdii) 7 Breeding plumage
Least Sandpiper (Calidris minutilla) 2
Semipalmated Sandpiper (Calidris pusilla) 1
Western Sandpiper (Calidris mauri) 3 Gorgeous! Breeding plumage.
peep sp. (Calidris sp. (peep sp.)) 4
Ring-billed Gull (Larus delawarensis) 3 One adult and 2 immature
Herring Gull (Larus argentatus) 1 Large gull that looked like a
Ring-billed Gull (same colors) but substantially larger and with black and
red dots on its lower bill. Jim Crites’ pic showed something of a black
line all the way down the bill - maybe a 3rd cycle winter transitioning to
breeding. Everything else was breeding plumage. All white head and neck,
large yellow bill with black and red dots on lower mandible, solid light
gray back/mantle, white crescent near end of wings, black wing tips with
small white diamonds, and pink legs. In flight, all white tail, solid gray
back, black wing tips, white head.
Double-crested Cormorant (Phalacrocorax auritus) 3
White-faced Ibis (Plegadis chihi) 4 Adults
Burrowing Owl (Athene cunicularia) 2
Loggerhead Shrike (Lanius ludovicianus) 1
Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica) 6
Cliff Swallow (Petrochelidon pyrrhonota) 5
European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris) 1
American Robin (Turdus migratorius) 1
Savannah Sparrow (Passerculus sandwichensis) 4 Gorgeous! One with
really nice and bright plumage. Lots of yellow by the eye.
Yellow-headed Blackbird (Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus) 1 Male being
chased by a Red-winged Blackbird
Western/Eastern Meadowlark (Sturnella neglecta/magna) 1 Beautiful
bright yellow plumage. Taking a bath until a Barn Swallow flushed it back
into the grass.
Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus) 1 Male
Great-tailed Grackle (Quiscalus mexicanus) 7
--
Jennifer Miller
Lubbock, TX
(o,o)
/)_)
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